A New AI Tool Could Help Prevent More Gray Whale Deaths

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — California scientists have developed a new AI system they hope will combat declining gray whale populations.

The new AI system, created by researchers at UC Santa Barbara and their partners in San Francisco, uses cameras and thermal sensors to help steer ships clear of gray whales in the San Francisco Bay.

"It is heartbreaking to see these starving whales stumbling around in the middle of the hustle and bustle of San Francisco Bay," said UC Santa Barbara’s Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory Director Professor Douglas McCauley. "Every day is a nailbiter. But what gives me hope is seeing how all the right partners in the Bay Area community have come together to do something. This new system will save whales’ lives. We are all proud of this."

Whales have been going through an unusual mortality event that has decimated populations by over 50% since 2016, exacerbated by dwindling food sources and vessel strikes.

The unusual mortality rate appeared to have ended in 2023, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, suggesting numbers could be on the rebound. But there was a continued decline in 2025 and large spikes in the Bay Area around springtime.

The San Francisco Bay Area recorded 30 whale deaths last year, the highest since 2021, when there were 20 deaths. Many of the deaths in 2025 remain undetermined, but 10 of them were likely due to being struck by a vessel, according to The Marine Mammal Center.

So far this year, there have been 13 whale deaths, all gray whales. The deaths spiked in April, with 7. At least four of the 13 were likely struck by a ship, officials at The Marine Mammal Center determined.

As the whales make their 12,000-mile journey up from Mexico to Alaska, they take a detour in the Bay Area to feed and swim in warm, shallow waters, according to The Marine Mammal Center.

"This puts them at great risk as they must navigate around the many cargo ships, tankers, ferries, speed boats, fishing boats and tour boats that transit the Bay every day," according to researchers at UCSB. "Many emaciated and exhausted whales have become victims of ship strikes."

The first detection system has already been installed on Angel Island and points out across the bay to Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge, officials said.

As of late May, officials had plans to install a second system on the MV Lyra, a passenger ferry. Officials were also looking at where to put more sites. The Golden gate Birdge adn Alctarz are being looked at as possible destinations.

"You can open up an app on your phone and instantaneously see the exact location of every Muni bus in San Francisco," McCauley said. "We aim to soon be able to do the same thing for whales in the Bay. This would be a game-changer for whale safety."