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In this episode, we talk about a devastating crisis that unfolded this year in the San Francisco Bay. March to June 2025 saw an unprecedented 36 gray whales enter, and stay for extended periods in one of the West coast's busiest waterways. The result? A staggering mortality rate with over 20 dead whales—roughly half of all observed individuals—primarily from vessal strikes. We wanted to find out why and what can be and is being done about it. Scott Mercer brought in Josie Slaathaug (pronounced Slot-Howg) to talk about it. She's a cetacean specialist at the Marine Mammal Center and Sonoma State University graduate researcher. She created and maintained the bay's gray whale photo ID catalog, and shares how this extraordinary year contrasts sharply with 2024's minimal whale presence. Most disturbing is that many were, malnourished whales—yet many were in good body condition, actively feeding, and displaying rich social behaviors rarely documented in the bay before: spy hopping, chin slapping, bubble blowing, and forming tight pairs. The maritime community's response offers a glimmer of hope despite the heartbreak. Ferry captains shared real-time whale locations, vessels rerouted especially during nighttime hours, and the Coast Guard broadcast regular whale alerts. Despite these coordinated efforts, vessel strikes still claimed too many lives. Slaathaug's research, matching carcasses to living whales photographed days earlier, paints a poignant picture of an individual whale's final days. How might climate change and shifting Arctic feeding grounds be altering migration patterns? Can we develop more proactive protection measures before next year's migration? We talk about that and more.

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Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

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