Whale Escorted Out Of Estuary

ALAMEDA, CA — The Oakland Fire Department deployed Marine 1 to the Oakland Estuary Sunday evening, shortly before sunset, on a report of a whale in the estuary.

The Water Rescue Team established a safety zone for the whale and stayed with it until it had safely left the Estuary for San Francisco Bay.

Gray whales have the longest migration of any mammal on earth, according to the National Park Service. They sometimes enter bays or estuaries to rest during their migration.

The park service also reports, "In recent years, small numbers of gray whales have summered in Tomales Bay, around Point Reyes Headlands and near the Farallon Islands," off San Francisco.

More than 7,000 miles of California marine habitat are protected for the whales.

Read more about gray whales.