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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.

Learn more
gray whale fluke
Kelly Schaefer

Kelly Schaefer, SHRM-CP

People Relations Senior Manager

Kelly Schaefer joined The Marine Mammal in 2020 to provide strong partnership across the organization through timely and reliable employee support that generates a high level of employee engagement. In her role as Strategic Human Resources Business Partner, Kelly ensures fair and consistent handling of employee issues and enables supervisors to manage and support their teams well. She inspires confidence through effective communication, expert knowledge and efficient escalation to resolve issues.

As a human resources professional, Kelly has more than 15 years of management experience in a variety of dynamic environments including nonprofit organizations, retail, hospitality, travel, events and the entertainment industry.

Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a certificate in Human Resources Management at University of California, Berkeley Extension. She is a Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP). 

In her free time, Kelly has a hard time staying still -- you can often find her running, swimming, biking and moving. When she isn’t on the move, she enjoys watching documentaries.


Areas of Expertise

  • Human Resources Management
  • Solutions-driven Decision-making
  • Team Development
  • Change Management
  • Training and Development
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