Success Stories: U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Endangered Humpback Whales

Objective: Build a Nimble, Effective Emergency Response System and a Culture of Preparedness

Situation		Action
May 13, 2007: Two injured humpback whales, a mother and her female calf, are spotted in the Sacramento River near Rio Vista, CA The endangered whales are swimming up river toward Sacramento and away from the Pacific U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Marine Mammal Center and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determine a course of action		USCG Sector 11 out of San Francisco sends USCG Cutter PIKE with Lt. Gov. Garamendi onboard to lure the whales back with sound from a hydrophone USCG, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office vessels & California Highway Patrol (CHP) aircraft implement a safety zone around the whales for over two weeks Scientists monitor and assess the whales’ health and behavior throughout each passing day…
Result
May 31, 2007: The whales disappear past the Golden Gate Bridge back into the Pacific Ocean… Officials do not know why they would swim upriver Unfortunate circumstances provide scientists the opportunity to study the endangered species Whales’ journey marks the first time the same humpbacks are studied in the wild for so long
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This page was last modified on August 30, 2007