Humpback Whale Makes Rare Appearance in Sacramento River
Fishermen report sighting a massive humpback whale in the Sacramento River near Rio Vista, identified as a whale studied for over two decades.
A rare visitor has been spotted in the Sacramento River: a massive humpback whale. Fishermen on a trip south of the Rio Vista Bridge on Wednesday, September 16, encountered the marine mammal, initially mistaking its spray for a smaller creature.
Denny Glover, one of the fishermen, recounted his disbelief to KCRA, stating he thought his companion had mistaken a dolphin or porpoise. However, subsequent spouts confirmed the presence of a whale, with a breaching section observed to be longer than their 21-foot boat.
The whale has been identified by The Marine Mammal Center as CRC-11620 and has been named Rio. Researchers have been studying this specific whale for over two decades, with 15 documented sightings along the California and Mexico coast in the past 24 years. Its earliest recorded sighting was in 2002 off the California coast.
Prior to its appearance in the Sacramento River, the whale was observed in the San Francisco Bay earlier in the week, before traveling eastward into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
Kathi George, Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology at The Marine Mammal Center, emphasized the importance of maintaining a respectful distance from the animal. "While it’s unknown whether this whale is just passing through or if there is an underlying, unknown ailment, the best thing people can do is experience this adult whale’s presence from a respectful distance," George told the Post. "This whale is in and out of normal habitat area. Our team is actively monitoring the situation, and we kindly ask the public to please avoid changing the whale’s course and let the animal decide where it wants to go."
This is not the first time a whale has ventured into the region. In 1985, a humpback whale named Humphrey spent several weeks in the Rio Vista area, attracting national attention before returning to the ocean. More recently, in 2007, a mother and calf humpback whales, known as Delta and Dawn, were observed in the area for 20 days before continuing their journey.