"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.

Humpback Whales: an Illustration by Sabine Fuchs

 

Ink Drawing by Sabine Fuchs

Sabine Fuchs is an intern for Marin Science Seminar who took inspiration from Bekah Lane's presentation at MSS to create an illustration of the majestic creatures Lane studies. To learn more about Humpback whales in San Fransisco Bay and why they are at risk, take a look at Sabine Fuchs's interview with Bekah Lane. 

Whale Girl comes to Marin Science Seminar this Wed. 3/4!

Title: “CSI Humpbacks: Decoding Whale Scars“ with Allison Payne of San Francisco State’s Estuary and Ocean Science Center

Date: Wed. March 4th, 2020; 7:30 – 8:30 pm at Terra Linda HS in San Rafael, Room 207

See the teaser video by Marin Science Seminar intern Dhruv Pareek by clicking here.

Allison Payne is a graduate student researcher with the Hines Lab at San Francisco State’s Estuary and Ocean Science Center, where she is working on her M.S. in Marine and Estuarine Science. Her thesis is looking at the scars on humpback whales in the Gulf of the Farallones to assess their interactions with fisheries, small vessels, natural predators, and more. She is also a researcher with the Marine Mammal Center Cetacean Field Research team, where she studies harbor porpoises, humpback whales, gray whales, and bottlenose dolphins. She collects much of the data for these projects while working as a naturalist for San Francisco Whale Tours.

Allison received her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley and has worked in labs around the world studying everything from squirrels to ancient whale fossils. 

"CSI Humpbacks: Decoding Whale Scars" - An Interview with Allison Payne of San Francisco State's Estuary and Ocean Science Center

by Shoshana Harlem, Terra Linda High School

Allison Payne is a graduate school researcher who works at the Hines Lab at San Francisco State's Estuary and Ocean Science Center. She also is a researcher for the Marine Mammal Center Cetacean Field Research Team and a naturalist for San Francisco Whale Tours. For her thesis, she is studying scarring on humpback whales and how it affects their interactions with other species.

1. What made you interested in studying humpbacks?

Humpback Whale

I grew up in Dana Point, California - a place that recently trademarked the phrase “Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World.” Growing up so close to the ocean meant that there were tons of opportunities for me to interact with the ocean from a young age. I have a journal entry from when I was in kindergarten where I talk about seeing dolphins while walking at the harbor and how it made me want to be an “oshin ograffer”. 

As I got older, I started to focus on other things. I was particularly interested in brains, cognition, and consciousness. I started my undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley, but wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do until I took a class called Animal Cognition. 

I was engrossed by the research, theories, and stories presented to me in that class. I couldn’t stop thinking about how other animals might perceive the world and how the differences might manifest in their experiences, communications, and relationships. I got involved with Cal Squirrels to study the abundant fox squirrels on campus and realized that field research was definitely for me. I loved solving tactile problems, being outside, and hanging out with animals. 

While studying squirrels, I started thinking about what animals I’d like to study long term. Pondering this led me to think about all the mysteries of whale brains and behaviors. Cetaceans have been evolving separately from us for over 60 million years, but in many ways we are very similar. The fact that I could see parallels between us in everything from neuroanatomy to culture was thrilling. That’s when my love of whales came full circle and I decided to pursue whale research as a career. 

2. What can a person find out about a humpback whale from their scars?

Scars tell stories about where we’ve been and what has happened to us. For whales, that means we can see when they get in fights with each other, when they encounter predators, or when human activities like boating or fishing impact their lives. Just like at a crime scene, we can use scars as evidence and work our way backwards to find out what happens to whales when there are no humans around to see them. 

3. What are the best parts of your job? What are the hardest parts of your job?

The best part of studying whales is, of course, the field work. Being out on the water is hard and thrilling work. I love working on boats, collaborating with locals, and seeing amazing natural displays. 

In my work, I often interact with the public, especially when I guide whale watching tours. Education can sometimes be the hardest part! I remember at one point last year I was on the San Francisco Whale Tours vessel Kitty Kat, and we were watching several humpback whales just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. 

When we first saw the whales, they were several hundred yards west of us. I knew we had an incoming tide, a western wind, and lots of anchovies underneath us, so rather than approach the whales, I chose to have the captain put the boat in neutral and wait for the whales to come to us. 

This wasn’t a popular decision with some of the passengers, several of whom insisted that we move closer. I started to explain to them that whales should be treated just like any other wild animals and the best way to gain their trust is to be quiet and not make sudden movements. However, I was interrupted by the giant sneeze-like sound of a humpback whale spouting only feet from our boat! 

It was pretty satisfying to see the same passengers who had been pouting become excited and awed as they got faces full of whale snot. The humpback circled around our boat, eventually giving us a beautiful fluke dive only 10 yards away. Choosing to give the whales the opportunity to come to us gave us a beautiful, safe, and ethical encounter with these gentle giants. And it all happened with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the background - pretty special!

4. What advice would you give to people who want to study humpbacks?

Get involved in research projects as early as you can. Try out all kinds of research - from pipetting in the lab, to counting animals in the field, to writing computer programs to analyze data. It doesn’t matter if the lab closest to you studies otters and you love belugas - just start somewhere. Maybe you’ll discover a love for plankton or coral and end up on a completely different path than you thought!

Some of my most valuable and formative career experiences were the learning experiences I had in different labs I volunteered in during college. It helped me figure out what I like and make connections with professionals who still support and advise me today. 

5. What current projects are you working on?

I’m currently working on my Masters thesis with San Francisco State’s Estuary and Ocean Science Center. I’m studying humpback whales who become entangled in fishing gear off the Central Californian coast. I am looking at tons of photos of these whales to see if they have scars left from being caught in the gear.

Want to learn more about Alison Payne and humpback whales? Join us on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at Terra Linda High School from 7:30PM-8:30PM in Room 207!