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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
Petra Bertilsson Friedman

Petra Bertilsson Friedman, M.S.

Response Dispatcher, Maui

Petra Bertilsson dispatches the Hawaiian monk seal sighting hotline on Maui Island and builds relationships with the Maui community. Petra holds a bachelor's degree in zoology from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a master's degree in zoology from University of New Hampshire, where she studied shark-inflicted injuries to endangered Hawaiian monk seals. 

Petra is a longtime resident of Maui, and joins the team with years of experience in marine conservation in Hawai‘i. She has a background in both coral reef ecology and field research of Hawaiian monk seals, both in the main Hawaiian Islands and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. She has also been teaching college and high school biology.

Petra lives upcountry on Maui with her husband, two teenagers and her dogs, cat, horse and chickens. When she is not working, you can find her paddling, swimming, practicing yoga or caring for a variety of animal species.

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