KCRA’s previous coverage of humpback whales in the Delta: Remembering Humphry, Delta and Dawn
RIO VISTA, Calif. —
A humpback whale was spotted near the Rio Vista bridge in the Sacramento River this week, with a fisherman capturing the sighting on video.
Experts at the Marine Mammal Center said the whale is an adult that has been seen 15 times since 2002 off the coasts of California and Mexico.
KCRA 3 covered previous humpback whale sightings in the Delta dating back decades, including Humphrey the whale in 1985 and Delta and her calf Dawn in 2007.
In 2007, Delta and Dawn traveled more than 90 miles up the Delta, reaching the Port of Sacramento. Scientists were concerned the whales were developing infections in the freshwater and administered antibiotics to help them.
Scientists played whale noises underwater and banged metal pipes, hoping to guide the whales back to the ocean.
Eventually, the mother and calf swam under the Golden Gate Bridge and returned to the Pacific.
See previous reports from our archives in the video above.
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