Bay Nature: As Whale Populations Grow, Dungeness Crabbers Foresee Their Own Demise
- Species conservation
- Entanglement
Traffic at sea: Humpback whales are inhabiting waters off California in steadily rising numbers, and the Dungeness crab fishery must make room.
Published in Bay Nature: March 22, 2023
For seven hours, we stare at a gray, choppy ocean. An occasional pelagic bird soars overhead, but more than anything else there is just ocean. What the 20 passengers aboard the Amigo want to see are the humpback whales—acrobats of the sea longer than a school bus and as heavy as five or six elephants—that hang out along California’s coast from spring to fall feeding on krill and anchovy.
Weepy fog keeps us shivering. A few crumple into seasick heaps. But as the boat heads back to San Francisco, luck changes.
Yes, I want to save a life!
You’ll be giving sick and injured animals the best possible care at the Center’s state-of-the-art hospital. With your gift today, you are giving a patient a second chance at life in the wild.
See Our Latest News
{"image":"\/Animals\/Patients\/California sea lions\/2026\/csl-irving-pre-rescue-in-san-francisco-photo-by-katie-young-c-the-marine-mammal-center.jpg","alt":"A California sea lion pup is stranded on a sidewalk in front of a car.","title":"Sea Lion Irving Rescued on a San Francisco Street","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/sea-lion-irving-rescued-on-a-san-francisco-street","label":"Patient Update","date":"2026-04-17 14:50:00"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Sea otter\/cropped-images\/sea-otter-mom-pup-photo-c-brian-simuro-505-0-3387-2646-1618247266.jpg","alt":"sea otter mother and pup","title":"Meaningful Mother\u2019s Day Gifts for Ocean Lovers","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/eco-friendly-mothers-day-gifts-that-give-back","label":"News Update","date":"2026-04-03 02:00:00"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Elephant seal\/cropped-images\/wild-es-ano-nuevo-photo-by-clive-beavis-159-0-1270-992-1772151576.jpg","alt":"wild northern elephant seal at ano nuevo state park","title":"Avian Influenza Confirmed in Northern Elephant Seals","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/avian-influenza-confirmed-in-northern-elephant-seals","label":"News Update","date":"2026-02-26 01:00:00"}
{"image":"\/Animals\/Wild\/Gray whale\/cropped-images\/two-gray-whales-golden-gate-bridge-shutterstock-0-0-1270-992-1770234810.jpg","alt":"two gray whales under the Golden Gate Bridge","title":"The Marine Mammal Center and San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee Pilot New Vessel Operator Training Program","link_url":"https:\/\/www.marinemammalcenter.org\/news\/the-marine-mammal-center-and-san-francisco-harbor-safety-committee-pilot-new-vessel-operator-training-program","label":"Press Release","date":"2026-02-06 01:00:00"}
The Marine Mammal Center and San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee Pilot New Vessel Operator Training Program
February 6, 2026
Read More