Who is Humphrey the Whale?

Humpback whales are intelligent animals. They travel in pods, migrating south for the winter and north in the summer. Although they generally stay together and travel the same course year after year, there are the occasional mistakes. One memorable one was a whale who came to be known as Humphrey.

In October, 1985, Humphrey the Whale left his pod and swam under the Golden Gate Bridge into the San Francisco Bay. This was an exciting treat for the people of San Francisco, because humpback whales usually stay in very deep parts of the ocean. Humphrey was 45 feet (13.7 m) long and weighed approximately 40 tons (36,287 kg). Tourists and residents alike came out to see Humphrey.

Instead of swimming back out into the open sea, Humphrey the Whale swam up the Bay into Sacramento River. The Sacramento River became smaller and narrower as Humphrey traveled upstream looking for the ocean, but in the wrong direction. The river was too small for him, as well as being fresh water, not the salt water that whales need to survive.

The mission was to turn Humphrey back around toward the ocean so he would be free. However, he just kept going upstream, farther away from his food source and the environment he needed. Humphrey finally got himself stuck under a small bridge in a slough branching off of the Sacramento River.

Scientists, the Coast Guard, and others developed a surprisingly simple plan to save Humphrey the Whale. They planned to bang long pipes together underwater to scare him away from the direction he had been heading, while simultaneously playing a recording of whales eating in the other direction. They hoped this would lure Humphrey toward the ocean in search of food and his pod of whales.

Humphrey began swimming in the opposite direction of the banging pipes, but stopped when he arrived back at the little bridge. The pipes kept banging, and Humphrey seemed to become angry and confused, thrashing around in the water, but not getting anywhere. Finally, a crane was brought in to clear away some of the old pilings of the bridge and create enough space for Humphrey to swim through. Although for a moment, it seemed he would get stuck in the remaining pilings, he finally broke free and swam to the other side.

Humphrey spent a day swimming around the Bay, slapping his tail, leaping out of the water, and entertaining the people who were watching. Then he swam under the Golden Gate Bridge and out to the open water, 26 days after getting lost.

Scientists were able to identify Humphrey later during his annual migrations by his distinctive markings. He was seen in 1986 by the Farallon Islands and in Bodega Bay in 1988. In 1990, Humphrey the Whale was in trouble again, found beached in the mud near Candlestick Park in San Francisco. It took three days for rescuers from the Marine Mammal Center and the United States Coast Guard to free Humphrey, which they finally did by pumping air under him during high tide and towing him into deeper water, freeing him once again.

Humphrey was a humpback whale that gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s for his unusual migrations into San Francisco Bay. Typically, humpback whales migrate between feeding grounds in polar waters and breeding grounds in tropical or subtropical waters, but Humphrey's detours into the bay were rare for his species.

Humphrey became a celebrity when he swam into San Francisco Bay and then up the Sacramento River in 1985, which is far off the normal migratory path for humpback whales. His journey sparked a massive rescue effort to help him return to the ocean, capturing the public's attention and affection.

Rescuing Humphrey was a complex operation involving the United States Coast Guard, marine biologists, and volunteers. They used a series of underwater sounds to guide him back to the ocean, a technique that proved successful and was considered innovative at the time.

Yes, Humphrey returned to San Francisco Bay area waters several times after his initial rescue. His most notable return was in 1990 when he again required human assistance to find his way back to the sea, reinforcing his status as an endearing and recurring visitor.

Humphrey's adventures raised significant public interest in marine mammals and their conservation. His story highlighted the challenges faced by marine life due to human activities and led to increased support for marine protection efforts and the importance of safeguarding migratory routes for whales.

Humphrey's legacy lives on in the heightened awareness and affection for marine mammals he inspired. His story helped galvanize conservation efforts and contributed to the implementation of stricter regulations to protect whales from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, ensuring safer migration paths for these majestic creatures.