The whales are back to their trouble-making ways.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll simply never forget the summer of 2023. Why do I say that? Well, during that year, orca whales – all of the sudden – seemingly started to work together to harass, bump into, and even sink ships in the middle of the ocean. The scariest part about it all is that they’ve got the size and strength to do some real damage on their home turf (in the ocean).
Now, it looks like gray whales might be getting in on the fun.
A video showing a windsurfer wipeout in the San Francisco Bay is currently going viral. Usually, wind surfers aren’t too worried about running into obstacles. They’re more so occupied with wind speed and direction, and navigating the choppy sea. Judging by this footage, windsurfers need to always remember that there are things beneath the waves that can cause them trouble too.
This guy was going full-speed ahead in the San Francisco Bay, and had little to no time to react when a gray whale started to breach the water. There are apparently only six gray whales in the bay as of right now, and federal law requires people to keep 100 yards away from them. Not sure how you can do that when they pop right out of the water like this one did.
Giancarlo Rulli, the Associate Director of Public Relations at the Marine Mammal Center, told ABC 7 that they were concerned both for the whale’s health and the man’s well being when they saw the footage:
“It’s certainly concerning to see a collision like this, both from a human health standpoint, in terms of we’re very happy that this gentleman was okay, but as well for whale health in the Bay at large.”
The Marine Mammal Center says that the San Francisco Bay is currently very busy, as whales migrate north from Mexico. They also believe that the whales have come into the area earlier than normal, which may help to explain why this windsurfer was caught off guard by the large sea creature. In case you were wondering, gray whales can grow to as long as 50 feet and weigh over 40 tons.
The one in this video looked to be smaller, which is another reason why the windsurfer probably had no idea it was there as he zoomed across the surface of the water. Rulli also added that those out in the bay should keep an eye out for spouts to avoid colliding with gray whales:
“We say, if you see a spout or see a blow, go slow. Because those are typically trademarks for gray whale presence, before they continue a dive. So, the biggest thing is, if you see any of these, whether it’s a spout, or whether they’re mud plumes. Remove yourself from that situation. Keep yourself a safe distance away. If you’re in a boat.”
If you’re on a windsurf board… best of luck, you are on your own.
“A windsurfer was sent flying after crashing into a surfacing whale in San Francisco Bay, stunning onlookers. Witnesses say both the surfer and the whale escaped the unusual encounter unharmed.”
