After 15 days of meandering from the Port of Sacramento to the San Francisco Bay,
two lost humpback whales appear to be on their way to the open ocean. Marine biologists tried a variety of tactics to show them the proper route to back to the Pacific, including an underwater concert of whale songs, thrumming massive boat engines and even banging pipes.
Many whales, including this wayward pair, already know that Boats Are Not Friends. The mother and calf have deep wounds, apparently caused when they were run over by propellers. Their health also faltered after they ventured into the less-salty waters of the river delta.
We vowed to never again go whale watching after one dreadful trip near Cape Cod.
Her tour guide explained that whales typically dive below the surface for up to 15 minutes. But when the tour boats are in the area, the whales will stay under for nearly twice as long, almost suffocating themselves in an effort to avoid the crowds. Needless to say, that little factoid quelled any joy at seeing the mighty mammals in the wild.
While most of the Northern California whale fans wisely stayed on shore and admired the wanderers from afar, the Coast Guard reports it fished out several yahoos who attempted to swim out for a more up-close and personal experience. That prompts today's reminder from the your Friendly Petcasters:
"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" was just a movie -- and not a particularly good one, at that. Safe journey, cetaceans!
