A new federal bill dubbed the “Save Willy Act” would create a Coast Guard “whale desk” in San Francisco Bay, aimed at tracking whale movements and warning ships in an effort to reduce a growing number of fatal vessel strikes.
The bill — named the “Save Willy Act,” in a nod to the 1993 movie “Free Willy” — would implement a “whale desk” at the U.S. Coast Guard’s San Francisco station. It would be tasked with tracking whales moving through the bay and warning vessel operators of their locations to prevent collisions between the cetaceans and boats, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, a Democrat who authored the bill.
“We all could play a role to help save ‘Willy,’ and that includes those of us who are visitors, recreational boaters and commercial mariners — anyone with both eyes and attention to the plight of these beautiful creatures can play a role in helping us reduce whale deaths,” Liccardo said. “People are understandably concerned. We are a community that cares deeply about the environment (and the) protection of beautiful species like these gray whales.”
Liccardo said he is aware that “Free Willy” involved an orca.
It was their water first. Doing what we can to stay out of their way seems pretty reasonable.
Do whales show up on SONAR?