Humpback whales have been popping up along the California coast, with a few spotted recently in the Bay Area.
On Friday, there were reports of whales breaching near Pacifica. Such reports are on the climb this year.
“It is not a typical year,” said Joe Nazar of San Francisco Whale Tours. “We’ve had a tremendous amount of humpbacks come to our coast. The accessibility of the humpbacks has been the easiest I’ve ever had.”
May turned into a great month to see them. And even now, people are grabbing binoculars.
“It’s as if someone has rung a dinner bell and they're all bellying up to the table,” said Mary Jane Schramm, with the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Schramm said the humpback whales are feeding on krill. The right conditions, including cold water, have contributed to “ocean productivity,” she said.
People and watercrafts are warned to keep a safe distance.
