San Francisco turns to AI to save whales from ship strikes as deaths soar
San Francisco has launched an AI-powered detection system called WhaleSpotter to help protect gray whales from ship strikes in the bay. The initiative comes in response to a significant increase in gray whale deaths, with 40% of 21 recorded fatalities last year attributed to collisions with vessels. The system aims to alert mariners to the presence of whales, allowing them to adjust their routes and reduce the risk of accidents.
- ▪WhaleSpotter scans the bay for whale blows and heat signatures, alerting mariners to nearby whales.
- ▪Last year, 21 dead gray whales were found in the Bay Area, the highest number in 25 years, with 40% killed by ship strikes.
- ▪Gray whale populations have decreased by half over the last decade, with only 13,000 remaining.
- ▪The AI system integrates land-based and vessel-mounted detections to provide near-real-time alerts to ships.
- ▪Scientists link the increase in whale deaths to climate change affecting their food sources.
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Visitors to Muir Beach look at a decomposing gray whale on 17 April 2021. Photograph: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenVisitors to Muir Beach look at a decomposing gray whale on 17 April 2021. Photograph: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesWhalesSan Francisco turns to AI to save whales from ship strikes as deaths soar Climate change is pushing starving grey whales to San Francisco Bay, where ship strikes led to 40% of 21 deathsAssociated PressWed 20 May 2026 14.43 EDTLast modified on Wed 20 May 2026 14.54 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleFerries, 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.
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