A humpback whale surfaced in Northern California’s Sacramento River about 60 miles from the Pacific, prompting the Marine Mammal Center to warn the public to keep its distance.
ABC News reported that the whale appeared near the Rio Vista Bridge on Wednesday, September 16. It had traveled through San Francisco Bay a day earlier.
The Marine Mammal Center said the animal appeared to be in good condition and moved freely. Its chief concerns were stress and the heavy boat traffic in active waterways.
Fisherman Denny Glover said he spotted the whale around noon, about one mile south of the bridge. He watched it breach, breathe at the surface and then submerge again.
Another fisherman, Josue Mejia Blanco, saw the whale Tuesday and initially mistook it for a submarine. He described the animal as at least half the size of a school bus.
Photos identified the whale as CRC-11620 through the Cascadia Research Collective’s public catalog. The animal had 15 documented sightings over 24 years, ranging from California to Mexico.
Its reason for entering the Sacramento River remained unknown. The Marine Mammal Center also did not know whether an underlying ailment had led the whale outside its normal habitat.
Glover told ABC News that the sight was unlike anything he had encountered while fishing there:
“I've never seen one up the river like that. None of us have ever seen one up here other than Humphrey on TV.”
Humphrey was another whale known for recurring appearances in San Francisco Bay in 1985. Those appearances drew crowds, but the Marine Mammal Center urged people watching CRC-11620 to avoid interfering.
Kathi George, the center’s director of Cetacean Conservation Biology, said its team was actively monitoring the animal. She asked the public not to alter the whale’s course.
The center also warned people to remain alert because whales can surface without warning in busy waterways. Viewers should watch from a respectful distance and let the animal choose its path.
Wildlife does not need a crowd directing the way. Common sense means giving this whale room and letting trained experts monitor what comes next.
