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Whales in San Francisco Bay

Roughly 30 gray whales have been spotted in the Bay this season, many more than is typical. Sadly, there have also been at least 14 deaths this year, which is more than in all of 2024. 

We are investigating to help determine the cause of these deaths. By gaining insights into what is causing these tragedies, we can better understand how to help prevent them.

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gray whale fluke
Dave Chan

Dave Chan

Associate Director, Life Support Systems & Facilities

Dave is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Life Support Systems & Facilities department. After receiving a bachelor's degree in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara in 1993, Dave started his career in the public aquarium industry and subsequently became focused on education, conservation, science literacy and communication. 

During his time at the Pennington Science Center, Dave wore many hats: procuring and caring for live collections, maintaining the facilities, grant writing, managing donor relations, developing and administering educational programs, and implementing new initiatives related to conservation, science communication and exploration. 

Outside of work, Dave enjoys the outdoors by scuba diving, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and riding his vintage motorcycle.

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