Humpback Whale Lingering in Shallow Waters Near Alameda Now 'One Step Closer' to Open Bay

A humpback whale that has been circling the waters near Alameda's shoreline for more than 10 days has now moved into a slightly deeper area nearby, according to a local marine watch group.

“It's not out in the open bay, but one step closer to it,” said Bill Keener, a researcher with the Marine Mammal Center.

The Marin Headlands-based center has been monitoring the whale since May 27, when sightings were first reported in Alameda's protected Seaplane Lagoon in the shallow waters off the former Alameda Naval Air Station.

The whale is an underweight adult female with unhealthy skin, said Keener, who has been observing the animal closely by boat and estimates it to be roughly 45 feet in length. There are no visible wounds or other indications of external injury or entanglement, he added.

Although humpback whales have been spotted at this time of year near the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, where they feed on anchovies, it's highly unusual for them to swim this far into shallow waters and remain for any length of time, Keener said. He speculated that the whale is in poor health and sought shelter in a calmer area to recover.

For more than a week, the whale had circled in a small area of the lagoon, grabbing the attention of local residents, who have been lining the shore to catch a glimpse of the animal spouting or breaching.

The whale has now moved to an outer break wall near where the USS Hornet is docked. Keener said this is potentially a good sign, as the water here is slightly deeper and farther from shore. But, he added, there is heavy ferry traffic in the area, posing the risk of the whale being hit, and local ferry companies have been alerted to be on the lookout.

Keener said it’s unlikely that the whale’s distressed physical condition has any correlation to the slew of gray whale deaths that have been reported along the West Coast this year, prompting government officials last week to declare a wildlife emergency.

The two species of whales have completely different migration patterns, he said. While the gray whales' summer feeding grounds are in the Arctic, humpbacks typically migrate from Mexico to California, and as far north as Alaska, where food is abundant at this time of year.

"This is their feeding ground," Keener said. "There's plenty of food here. This is the feeding season when they're putting on weight."

The decision to try to herd the whale back out to the open bay would have to be made by federal officials and is pretty unlikely, said Keener. “That’s a stressful situation. We don’t do anything like that lightly.”

"To have it orient itself and leave the bay on its own accord," he added, "that would be the best scenario."

The center is asking people not to approach or crowd the whale and to call its hotline at 415-298-SEAL if the whale seems to be showing signs of distress.