AI Detection System Tracks Whales in San Francisco Bay

An AI-powered detection network called WhaleSpotter began operating this week in San Francisco Bay. The system scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to two nautical miles away. The network sends alerts to mariners when whales are detected so they can adjust course or speed.

Thomas Hall, director of operations for San Francisco Bay Ferry, said the alerts will allow operators to make adjustments before getting close to whales.

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. At least 40 percent of those deaths were attributed to ship strikes. At least ten more gray whales have died in the Bay Area so far this year.

Scientists say the reported numbers likely underestimate the total because many carcasses sink or are carried out to sea before they are found. Gray whales have long migrated along the California coast between breeding lagoons in Mexico and feeding grounds in the Arctic.

Increasing numbers of gray whales are now entering San Francisco Bay and remaining for days or weeks. Researchers link the change to warming temperatures and shifts in Arctic sea ice that disrupt the whales' food supply. Rachel Rhodes, a project scientist at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, said many whales now concentrate in a high-traffic corridor between Angel Island, Alcatraz, and Treasure Island.

The area overlaps with ferry routes and shipping lanes.

The WhaleSpotter system uses thermal cameras that operate at night and in foggy conditions. Artificial intelligence flags potential sightings, which trained observers then verify before alerts are sent by radio and posted on the Whale Safe website. One camera is installed on Angel Island and a second will be mounted on a ferry traveling between downtown San Francisco and Vallejo.

Researchers hope additional cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz will expand coverage. The network is the first to integrate land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts in near real time.