Lost whales make progress toward ocean

SAN FRANCISCO -- Rescuers were encouraged by progress in returning two lost whales to the ocean but were concerned about encounters the whales might have with large ships as they neared the San Francisco Bay.

A mother humpback whale and her calf on Sunday made it down the Sacramento River as far as Honker Bay, about 50 miles from the sea, said Bernadette Fees, deputy director of the California Department of Fish and Game.

The whales had been lingering for a week near a bridge about 70 miles from the sea.

Thus far, the U.S. Coast Guard boats guarding the whales as they swim down river only have had to deal with recreational boats and windsurfers. But as the whales get closer to the bay, they will encounter larger vessels that could harm them.

"These larger vessels are a real concern to us," said Greg Hurner, a senior adviser with the California Department of Fish and Game. "We will try to keep a safe zone around them, and our enforcement vessels will reach (larger boats) on the marine channel."

The whales are also at risk of taking a wrong turn and swimming up a number of tributaries and sloughs, where they could get stuck in shallow mudflats. Fees said rescuers will position boats to block the whales from heading in the wrong direction.