"Don’t Whack that Whale!: Evaluating Risk of Ship Strike to Humpback Whales" -- an interview with Bekah Lane

 Sabine Fuchs, Katherine Branson School

Vessel strike is a leading cause of death for large whales, and San Fransisco Bay is no exception. Beneath the complex and intricate surface traffic of the bay, from recreational boats to shipping tankers, these majestic creatures weave their way through the water. Due to the fatal nature of this boat traffic, it’s imperative to study the overlap between vessels and whales in San Francisco Bay. Bekah Lane, a Cetacean Field Research Specialist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, used vessel data from 2016 to 2019 in the Bay and compared it against whale sightings from that same period, forming a ship strike risk analysis for humpback whales to better inform boaters. Before this, Lane also created a theodolite tracking program for humpback and gray whales in San Francisco Bay, coordinating more than 40 volunteers. Lane received her B.S. in Zoology from Emporia State University and an M.S. in Marine and Estuary Sciences from San Francisco State University. This April, Lane presented Don’t Whack that Whale!: Evaluating Risk of Ship Strike to Humpback Whales in San Francisco Bay at Marin Science Seminar. 

Bekah Lane of the Marine Mammal Center

1. As someone raised in Wichita, Kansas, away from the ocean, what inspired you to work with whales? Was there a defining moment, or was it a lifelong dream? 

I have wanted to be a whale biologist for as long as I can remember, even before I ever saw the ocean. I remember watching documentaries on National Geographic and thinking: THAT'S the job I want! To a little girl from Kansas, whales and dolphins seemed like mythical creatures to me. Even though I see them almost daily in my work, I am still so amazed and inspired by them!

2. Have you faced any challenges in your career as a woman in STEM? 

I have absolutely faced challenges in my career as a woman in STEM. While there are currently a lot of women interested in marine science, it hasn't always been that way, and my female supervisors were among the only women in their programs when they were getting their advanced degrees. For me, the biggest struggle has been gaining technical skills such as small boat operations, and there are still aspects of the field, like tagging, that seem to be dominated by men. In the early parts of my career, I really struggled to get my male supervisors to teach me how to do things like trailer and drive boats, even though my male coworkers were given ample opportunities to practice these skills. I still get funny looks when myself and my all-female field crew pull up to the fuel dock!

A Humpback Whale, image by Todd Cravens

3. Collisions between boating vessels and whales seem preventable if only the whale could move away quickly. Are whales simply unable to hear the oncoming boat? If so, what is the biological explanation? 

This is a common question, and there are a variety of factors that make it difficult for whales to evade ships in the water. For one, these whales evolved over a very long period of time in the absence of ships this size, and thus are not adapted to respond to a "predator" of this kind - additionally, there isn't an opportunity for learning between generations, since strikes from large ships are almost always lethal. Another factor is that some of these vessels are so large that the part of the boat that makes the noise that could signal the whale should leave the area to avoid being struck can be up to THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS away from the part of the boat that strikes and kills the whale. Lastly, the ocean, and especially San Francisco Bay, is exceptionally loud due to the sheer amount of vessel traffic. Think about when you're in a huge, crowded room where everyone is talking... you may be able to hear people talking, but it can be hard to make out the specifics of a conversation unless you are very focused. When whales are in the Bay, they are focused on the challenging task of feeding themselves about 2 tons of fish and anchovy per day, so I imagine it must be hard to make out sounds from specific ships and evade them in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as the whales hearing the vessel and getting out of the way quickly.

4. What role does boater education play in preventing whale collisions? 

Boater education and outreach are crucial when it comes to preventing collisions between recreational vessels and whales. Most people who go boating in San Francisco Bay aren't aware that there are gray whales and humpback whales using the Bay during different times of the year or of any of the laws around observing marine mammals from vessels. At The Marine Mammal Center, we are also working with shipping companies and other maritime stakeholders to find ways to lower the risk of ship strikes to whales in the Bay.

5. In what ways can we lower the risk of whales getting hit? 

Boat operators and captains can reduce the risk of vessel collisions with whales by slowing down and staying the mandatory 100 yards away from whales and other marine mammals while on the water. As consumers, we can also shop locally to reduce the amount of distance our goods have to travel to reach us, and thus reduce the amount of interaction between ships and wildlife.