A Whale of a Stormy Sailing4Parkinsons Regatta
We sailed Sunday’s stormy Sailing4Parkinsons regatta with about 30 of the 48 boats that had signed up to compete. It was an iffy forecast, making every skipper question whether they should go out. The race story is a story for another day, but everyone survived, with one highlight for many being the sighting of a gray whale between Raccoon Strait and Southampton Shoal. We actually heard it blow before we saw it, and, as always, we were excited to see Mother Nature on display.
Our sighting was not unique, as it seems everyone has been excited to see whales over the past few weeks while they migrate north. So it was disappointing to read in the New York Times this morning that instead of being a sign of the health of the whale population, their presence may be a sign of the threats facing the population.
The NYTimes reported on a study that said between 2018 and 2025, about 18% of the gray whales entering the Bay died here. Of the confirmed deaths, at least 40% were caused by ship strikes, and researchers say the real number is likely higher because many carcasses are never found or are too decomposed to examine. Scientists think they may be searching for food. Gray whales normally migrate between Arctic feeding grounds and Baja calving lagoons, but climate change is reshaping the Arctic food system that sustains them. With less prey available up north, some whales may be probing the Bay mud for a meal. Evidence includes mud plumes seen near whales and stomach contents found during necropsies.
Beyond the challenge of finding food, they come to a Bay that is crowded with ferries, commercial ships, marinas and fast-moving traffic, leaving little space for slow-moving whales that may already be thin and exhausted. Programs such as Whale Safe, which focuses on the Santa Barbara channel, and Blue Whales Blue Skies are working to alert mariners and encourage slower speeds. It’s part of the tension when nature meets commerce in crowded urban environments.
According to the story, the gray whale population near North America has been declining, with the population estimated to be half of what it was a decade ago. So, like all sailors, we are excited to see whales visiting the Bay but distressed to find these visits are another canary in the coal mine regarding the impacts of human-enhanced climate change on our shared planet.
We’ll share news on the regatta and its results later this week. Until then, we’ll leave you with this photo of the Norwegian flag looking a little worse for wear after the wildish weather on the course. The flag was flown aboard Latitude publisher John Arndt’s 1989 Sabre 38 MkII Finistere to represent the grandmother of our resident Viking, Latitude sales manager Maddy Garcia. Maddy’s Norwegian grandmother is one of the many people dealing with Parkinson’s disease.
Maddy,
This Norwegian sailor in Monterey sends best wishes to your Grandmother!
I lost my childhood friend to Parkinson’s…
Flying under the Norwegian flag and stormy weather were my reason for sending in a donation to Sailing4Parkinson regatta. A week of sailing on the beautiful Statsraad Lhemkuhl from Brest to Dublin last week, through hurricane David, with a crew mostly of Norwegians and surprise, our very own Larry Hitchcock of Intrepid Marine, had me feeling guilty for not having my vessel, Kaze, out in the local weather. I couldn’t be in two storms at the same time. Next year, I won’t miss this regatta! Thank you to Shelly and those who made it happen!!’
Liz, if ANYONE could weather 2 storms at a time, it is you 🙂 Thank you for your support of Sailing4Parkinsons – next year see I’ll either see KAZE on the water or be on her!
We missed this regatta for lack of a mast (4 months so far waiting for parts!). I’m making up for it by riding my bicycle 75 miles to support the MJF Foundation.
https://give.michaeljfox.org/2026-jonathanhowell
I’ll be there for the regatta next year! Assuming, of course, Parkinson’s has not been cured by then.
Thank you John for Latitude 38’s great support of our project! And the whales – they deserve our love. It was an epic day on the Bay. Glad to see everyone supporting the cause and thanks so much for your leadership.
We are all so very grateful that the sailing community has come together in force to support the S4P to beat on this awful disease. Can’t wait to see you all soon and next year.!! All our 💙