SAN DIEGO - A young gray whale that wandered into San Diego Bay and became a popular tourist attraction passed the three-week mark in the harbor Tuesday. A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant saw the 30-foot cetacean surfacing about 150 yards offshore from the maritime agency's local headquarters about 10 this morning, USCG Petty Officer Jetta Disco said. "Diego" -- as he's been dubbed by fans -- was first spotted in the bay on March 10, cruising near Shelter Island. The federal maritime agency has been asking boaters to stay at least 100 yards from the whale, and personnel with the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service have been keeping tabs on its movements, hoping it will make its way back to the open ocean sooner rather than later. The leviathan, believed to be 1 or 2 years old, may have been migrating by itself for the first time when it took a detour into the harbor, NMFS biologist Joe Cordaro said. Gray whales, which can reach more than 50 feet in maturity, travel some 10,000 miles on their annual migration from the lagoons of Baja California, where they calf and mate in wintertime, to Alaskan waters, where they spend summers. Around the end of February, southbound stragglers mix with others already heading north, Cordaro said. It is not altogether uncommon for whales to stray from their migration routes. In 1992, a roughly 35-foot gray spent about two weeks in San Diego Bay before being found dead with a gash to its head, apparently having been struck by a boat.
Still in the Bay
SAN DIEGO - The young gray whale plying the waters of San Diego Bay was spotted about 10 times through early Sunday afternoon, a U.S. Coast Guard official said.
That's quite a difference from Saturday, when the wayward whale wasn't officially observed until late afternoon.
The USCG official said the most recent sighting was around 1:15 p.m. near the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge.
Boaters were urged to give wide berth to the roughly 30-foot-long whale, which was first discovered in the bay on Tuesday.
Officials hope it will find its way back into the ocean to join its fellow cetaceans on their annual migration from the lagoons of Baja California, where they calf and mate in the winters, to Alaskan waters, where they spendsummers.
The whale was spotted near the North Island Naval Air Stationabout 5:30 p.m. Saturday, one of only two sightings all day.
A whale expert from the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has been observing the whale, and the U.S. Coast Guard has been warning boaters to stay at least 100 yards away.
Joe Cordero of the Marine Fisheries Service said the whale, believed to be 1 or 2 years old, may be migrating by itself for the first time. And, like a juvenile human, the whale is probably just curious. It could have chased some food into the bay and become disoriented.
It is uncommon for whales to stray from migration routes, but it happens. In 1992, a roughly 35-foot gray spent about two weeks in San Diego Bay, until it was found dead with a gash to its head. The whale apparently had been struck by a boat.
Gray whales, which can reach more than 50 feet in maturity, travel some 10,000 miles annually. Around the end of February, southbound stragglers mix with whales already heading north; so it's hard to say which way the whale in San Diego Bay was headed when he left the open ocean, Cordero said.
Concerns Growing
For the fourth day in a row, a grey whale continued to swim up and down the San Diego bay, most likely lost on its way back to sea. The rare sight is attracting quite a bit of attention from tourists and locals alike. Many of them stood along the sidewalks with binoculars. Many others bought tickets for boat cruises and for the Maritime Museum for a chance to have a closer look. "Business has been up today as well as the last several days with people coming down to catch a glimpse of the whale up close," said Robyn Gallant, with the Maritime Museum. She estimates business this weekend may be up more than ten percent if the whale remains. Dave Zavala, a pedicab driver, said his business is way up as well and is even calling out, "Whale Tours" as he rides by, hoping to lure potential customers. But some Marine experts continue to worry, especially after a report Friday that the whale had been hit by a boat and injured. The Coast Guard later said those reports were false, but all along the bay it was clear boat owners were ignoring the request of San Diego Harbor Police that people keep their boats at least 100 yards from the whale. Representatives with the National Marine Fisheries Society plan to go out and observe the whale on Saturday to make sure it is unharmed.  |  Wayward Whale 3/13/09
Reports come in that the wayward whale that's been in the bay for four days now was hit by a boat. |
Oil Spills
Whale Watch 2009 continues. Dozens of onlookers crowded different vantage points along San Diego Bay hoping to catch a glimpse of San Diego's newest star--a wayward whale. The gray whale, estimated to be 30 feet long, would pop out of the water for air every 3-5 minutes and delight the crowd. Eight year old Seth H. looked on near the Star of India. He especially loved seeing the blow hole in action. "All of a sudden it was like boom! And then a burst of water!...It was really cool!" Bob Lewis stopped by Shelter Island hoping to get a better look. "I've been here 22 years and I've seen a whale from a distance. If I have to, I'll swim out there." But swimming could be dangerous thanks to three oil spills in two days. On Wednesday, one spilled occurred off Shelter Island while another happened near the Coronado Bridge. The Coast Guard said the first spill was a "light sheen covering an area approximately a quarter mile in length extending from the America's Cup Harbor to the High Seas Fuel Dock." Wednesday's second spill was spotted about a quarter-mile south of the Coronado Bridge towards the NASSCO facility. The Coast Guard reported that that both those incidents are "unrelated" to another oil spill Thursday morning. That spill was called in around 10:30 AM and is described as a "light rainbow sheen extending approximately 700 yards from a pier near the High Seas Fuel Dock." Thursday's spill is believed to have contained 15-20 gallons of diesel fuel. These are larger incidents than Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Salviati is used to dealing with. "This is one of the bigger spills for San Diego Harbor. Typically, what you find is a gallon, or half a gallon." It didn't stop the whale. Wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro said it shouldn't. "Whales and dolphins usually avoid spills and they can swim right through them because they don't have the furl like seals or sea lions." Cordaro said there is a minor chance that the food they eat on the bottom of the ocean would be affected, but not likely. Wayne Perryman, a marine biologist at Southwest Fisheries, said the whale does not have to eat much now anyways. He said the whale is in its migration pattern, and often virtually fasts during this period usually. Perryman speculated that the whale could remain healthy in the bay "for a month" but will probably stay for a few more days. Many in the crowd seemed delighted at that prospect. Aaron Witherell brought his little daughter Lunalilly to check it out. "This is why it is so expensive here. We got whales, we got kids, we got...perfect weather."  | Stuck in the Bay 3/12/09
Two days of oil spills do not deter whale from meandering in San Diego Bay and drawing big crowds. |
Earlier Reports: | Lost Whale 3/11/09
The wayward whale lures more people for a look. The Harbor Police are on patrol making sure mammals above and below the water are safe. |
 | Lost Whale 3/10/09
Authorities are keeping a close eye on a young Calfornia gray whale that wandered into the bay. |
Related Reports:  | Whale Bones Found 3/1/09
A recent discovery of whale bones in San Diego has several scientists excited. Dr. Thomas Demere is the paleoservices department chair at the Natural History Museum, and he shares more information about the discovery. |
 | Whale Bones Found 2/26/09
Three weeks after finding the remains of a Columbian mammoth at a downtown construction site, fossils from a prehistoric baleen whale are found almost directly below it. |
 | Whale Watching Season 1/18/09
Every year there are thousands of California gray whales that migrate to Baja California. It marks the perfect moment for California residents and tourists to head out for whale watching. |
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