A San Francisco whale-watching business is getting a lot more attention this year thanks to a a dog who helps the crew find whales.
“Bear” is a deckhand with four paws. He’s a 120-pound German Shepherd who has become a favorite on the tours.
“He has taken to sea life and excelled. He enhances our morale,” said Captain Joe Nazar of San Francisco Whale Tours . He helms the company’s 65-foot catamaran, ironically named the “Kitty Kat.”
“He pulls in the wet lines, which none of us wants to do. But he loves it,” said San Francisco Whale Tours naturalist Sophie Belair.
Belair set up an Instagram and Tik Tok for Bear this summer and started posting videos of Bear hauling lines into the boat at Pier 39.
“He has almost 10 million views on a video. So he went mega viral. Bear blew up!” said Belair.
Curious onlookers at Pier 39 line up to admire the 6-year-old Bear as he eager helps the crew.
Nazar steered into the whale watching season, not knowing if this would be his last. Hotel bookings in San Francisco are down significantly in 2024, as tourism numbers have been a big let down.