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Science
May 21, 2026
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San Francisco Bay Turns to AI to Protect Whales from Ship Strikes

AI Summary
The city of San Francisco has launched an AI-powered detection network called WhaleSpotter to track whales in the Bay and alert mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby, in an effort to reduce ship strikes and protect the increasing number of gray whales migrating through the area.

The Rise of Whale Deaths in San Francisco Bay

Ferries, cargo ships and tankers cut through choppy waters in the San Francisco Bay on Tuesday as a whale surfaced nearby, its spout barely visible against the white caps. Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day and night.

The WhaleSpotter System

The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.

  • WhaleSpotter systems are already used on vessels and fixed installations such as lighthouses and coastal towers in the United States, Canada and Australia.
  • The San Francisco Bay network is the first to directly integrate land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts.

The Data Analysis

Last year, 21 dead gray whales were found in the wider Bay Area – the highest number in 25 years, according to the Marine Mammal Center – with at least 40% killed by ship strikes. At least 10 more have died in the Bay Area so far this year.

  • Scientists say those figures probably underestimate the true toll as many whale carcasses sink or are swept back out to sea before they are ever found or reported.

The Impact Analysis

Gray whales have long migrated along the California coast on their roughly 12,000-mile (19,300km) journey between breeding lagoons in Mexico and feeding grounds in the Arctic. But instead of simply passing offshore, increasing numbers are now diverting into San Francisco Bay and lingering for days or even weeks inside the crowded estuary – a shift scientists increasingly link to climate change.

  • Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months, according to a 2023 study in Science, leaving many malnourished during migration.

The Prediction

As climate change reshapes ocean conditions and whale migration patterns, scientists expect the overlap between whales, ships and fishing gear to persist.

  • “We will have to continue to be adaptive and science driven in terms of our management to reduce wildlife risk and keep fishermen on the water,” said Caitlynn Birch, Oceana’s Pacific campaign manager and a marine scientist.