U.S. Coast Guard boat shown speeding over whales off California
A Southern California-based photographer on Thursday shared footage showing a U.S Coast Guard boat speeding over two gray whales off Laguna Beach.
Mark Girardeau, who has spent countless hours on marine mammal excursions off Orange County, shared the footage to illustrate that vessels of all types pose a threat to whales that feed or migrate in California waters.
'One of the challenges gray whales face is boat traffic, especially along the California coast where there is no shortage of cargo ships, oil tankers, personal yachts, ferries, jet skiers, search & rescue operations, etc.,' Girardeau stated via Instagram. 'All which are not actively watching for whales.'
Girardeau explained that in this case, which he described as a close call, the Coast Guard vessel did not strike either of the whales, one of which can be seen diving to avoid being struck.
The Coast Guard crew, Girardeau added, had been searching for a swimmer who had been pulled to sea by a current and did not survive. It's likely that the crew did not even see the whales.
Girardeau told FTW Outdoors that he captured the footage in 2019 with a drone that he piloted from shore.
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