Last Thursday, a group of migrating humpback whales were spotted near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay. Wanting to get a better look, two Crissy Field kiters came dangerously close. We know it’s a beautiful sight, but is it really worth spearing a cetacean?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration guidelines prohibit whale watchers from getting too close to whales and and require people to restrict their activities within 100 yards of marine mammals.
The spokesperson for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Mary Jane Schramm, says they’re asking kitesurfers to keep their distance. “We can’t physically go out there and intervene, so what we can do is get the word out that the responsible thing to do is to resist the impulse,” she said. Not only is it dangerous for the whales, but being in such close proximity to them put’s the kiters at risk for being swamped and landed on while breaching.
It’s not worth the GoPro shot… especially if you can’t hold it together like this guy. Keep your distance and use some common sense.