Whales traveling along the coast of California are about to get a break. Or, more literally, the ships sharing space with whales will be asked to put on the brakes.
On Wednesday, a long-awaited program to incentivize large ships to slow to 10 knots or less — a whale-safe speed — goes into effect all along the state’s coastline.
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Meanwhile, South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo is also introducing federal legislation on Wednesday with parallel goals. His Save Willy Act would establish a “whale desk” at San Francisco’s Coast Guard station, creating a centralized place for whale sightings to be reported and mariners to be alerted, helping large ships avoid collisions.
Ship strikes are a leading cause of death for whales. Last year was especially deadly for whales in and around the San Francisco Bay, with more ship-killed whales than usual being found. Also, last year, U.S. government scientists reported gray whale numbers were not bouncing back from recent die-offs, and fewer calves were born than typical.
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