Scientists bet on AI to save gray whales from ship strikes off California coast
Key takeaways
- The leading killer of gray whales is not natural causes, disease or predators but human-made ship strikes.
- Last year, 21 gray whales were found dead around San Francisco Bay and 40% of those were from ship collisions.
- Now, there’s a thermal camera monitoring system that tracks the location of whales using AI and then alerts nearby ships to re-route their course in order to avoid hitting them.
A tanker and other vessels pass through San Francisco Bay on May 19, 2026. (Annika Hammerschlag / Associated Press) By Summer Lin Staff Writer Follow May 21, 2026 2:03 PM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
The leading killer of gray whales is not natural causes, disease or predators but human-made ship strikes.
Last year, 21 gray whales were found dead around San Francisco Bay and 40% of those were from ship collisions. This year, seven whales have already died during whale season, which peaks this month. As climate change alters the food chain in the Arctic, more and more gray whales are moving into San Francisco Bay in search of food, putting them in harm’s way.