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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
Julian Brandes

Julian Brandes

Board Chair

Julian Brandes was born in South Africa and moved to the United States in 1981 where he co-founded SPL WorldGroup, a leading provider of enterprise solutions for utilities' revenue & operations management. In 2006 the company had more than 1,000 employees worldwide with operations in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Israel, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. It was acquired by Oracle Corporation, creating a division within Oracle focused on utility billing and operations management that continues to thrive today.    

Julian has served on the board of SPL WorldGroup and on the advisory board of an Australian software consultancy. In addition, he has served on the gift planning committee of the San Francisco Symphony and volunteered for many organizations including the Exploratorium, Marin Villages, The County of Marin and Alliance for Smiles. 

Julian received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and mathematical statistics from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He and his wife Beth are strong advocates and supporters of environmental and animal welfare causes, and share a passion for travel, wine, hiking, classical music and opera.

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