San Francisco: Join IMMP for World Oceans Day on June 8th

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute is joining the Center for Biological Diversity and many other organizations to hold “A Wake for the Whales”, honoring the many whales who have washed ashore on California beaches this year.

What: A Wake for the Whales

When: World Oceans Day, Tuesday, June 8th, beginning at 11 AM

Where: Crissy Field East Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, CA

Participants are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.

RSVP here.

Just this year, 12 gray and humpback whales have washed ashore dead on Bay Area beaches. Ship strikes, entanglement, and climate change are to blame for killing and injuring these majestic creatures.

1. Ship strikes. IMMP and other organizations are urging that ships reroute around important whale habitat areas and that ships reduce their speed substantially when in whale habitat.
2. Entanglement in plastic fishing gear. Gill nets are mostly banned in California’s inshore waters, but large gill nets are still deployed offshore for the shark/swordfish fishery. Sperm whales, in particular, are victims of these large plastic nets. Other whales become entangled in crab and lobster traps. There are promising experiments with ropeless crab and lobster traps that would eliminate such entangling ropes.
3. Climate change. Large numbers of gray whales have been found emaciated and stranded on the Pacific Coast for several years. Many experts believe that climate change is the leading cause. The Arctic, where gray whales feed during the summer, is warming much faster than other areas of the globe, and the warm water and lack of ice may be interfering with the abundance of bottom crustaceans,called amphipods, that gray whales feed on.

The future of whales and humans depends upon us transitioning from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas into green sources of energy, such as wind and solar power.

The last whaling station in the United States was in Richmond in San Francisco Bay, which shut down in 1972. Since that time, blue, humpback, and gray whales have come back to California waters. But today, these fragile populations are threatened by human activities like never before. Our state and federal governments can take action to facilitate this transition to renewables and other solutions. Join us on Oceans Day, June 8, to demand the state and federal governments take action to protect our whales and oceans. The event will feature life-sized whale props, action stations, and expert speakers, including yours truly, Mark J Palmer.