Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, July 7, 2025…

The Santa Barbara Channel is a busy gateway– for tourists heading to island parks, fishermen chasing the day’s catch, and massive cargo ships ferrying goods along the coast. It’s also home to some of California’s oldest marine protected areas and a critical migratory path for endangered whales. But with as many as 20 ships passing through daily, those whales are at constant risk. Scientists estimate more than 80 are fatally struck by vessels off the West Coast each year.
Authorities have found the bodies of all seven people who went missing after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Yolo County last week.

Ship Traffic Leads To Dangerous Waters For Whales In Southern California

The Santa Barbara Channel is often busy – with tourists, fishermen and cargo ships. Those ships are transporting goods to and from the West Coast. But with a number of ships passing through the area daily, whales are often at constant risk of getting hit.

Scientists estimate more than 80 whales are fatally struck by vessels off the West Coast each year. There’s a big program in the channel to get the ships to slow down so they don’t hit the whales. Slowing down is one of the key ways boat captains can prevent whale death, said Adam Ernster, a photographer and whale watching guide.

The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the areas in California that has a program – called Blue Whales Blue Skies – to encourage companies to voluntarily reduce their speed in certain zones, during specific times of the year known for whales. The most compliant companies are then recognized in an awards ceremony. “They essentially give the shipping lines positive PR, and in return the ships are adhering to the slow down,” Ernster said. “Over 80% of the ships that transit through the Channel adhered to the program.”

Blue Whales Blue Skies doesn’t release information on the least compliant companies. But, looking at data from the Whale Safe app, which was developed from a partnership between Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and UC Santa Barbara, some of the least compliant companies this year include the Catalina Express Ferry service and Pasha Hawaii Holdings, headquartered in Honolulu.

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There is currently a bill in the state assembly, AB 14, that would bring the Blue Whales Blue Skies program to the whole California coast. It’s being considered by lawmakers during what has been an especially difficult and deadly season for whales, particularly gray whales in Northern California.

Bodies Of All 7 Missing People Found At Fireworks Warehouse That Exploded

Investigators have located human remains following an explosion at a Northern California fireworks warehouse, Yolo County said in a statement Friday.

Seven people were missing after a fireworks explosion near Esparto, which gripped the small farming community. It sparked a massive fire that led to other spot fires. Nearby Fourth of July celebrations were called off.

The county confirmed that its Coroner’s Division was allowed access to the site of the fire incident, and the Coroner’s Office has been in contact with the families of those who had been reported missing. No positive identifications have been made, and recovery efforts are still underway, the county said in the statement.

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Whales Face Increasing Risks In Busy Santa Barbara Channel