Rescuers Preparing Herding Operation for Wayward Whales (VIDEO)

The whales, still lost up the Sacramento River channel 70 miles from the ocean, could be heading back to sea.

A Coast Guard 25-foot safe boat, from Station Vallejo, assists marine biologists working to direct wayward whales in a turning basin by West Sacramento. USCG photo by Petty Officer Jonathan R. Cilley

(WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. ) - Training exercises will begin on Monday in preparation for herding two wayward humpback whales, Delta and Dawn, to the San Francisco Bay.

Attempts to coax the female whale and her calf using whale sounds will not resume Monday as previously planned, officials announced.

The whales may have turned inland from the ocean during their annual migration north, and the mother and calf have been in a turning basin near Sacramento since last Sunday.

Thousands of people went out of their way to see the whales this weekend, but Lt. Gov. John Garamendi urged residents not to come to the site, but instead to follow the ongoing situation through the media.

The whales appear to be healthy, despite wounds that include a two-foot-long, deep gash on the mother, probably inflicted by the propeller of a shipping vessel or recreational boat.

There were reports Sunday that the whales had turned in the right direction and started swimming as if they were headed back to sea.

Tuesday’s herding operation will involve using several boats equipped with metal pipes, which rescuers will bang on with hammers to create underwater noises that are unfamiliar to the whales. Rescuers will position the boats behind the whales to urge them down river and block them from turning back. The Port of Sacramento is cooperating with the Unified Command in scheduling commercial vessel traffic to accommodate the safety needs of the whales.

Expected commercial ship movements include the arrival of the cargo ship SANKO JUPITER at the Agrium Dock downriver from the channel basin during daylight hours Sunday.

The cargo ship JIN QUAN, currently moored at the Port of Sacramento, is scheduled to depart on Monday during daylight hours.

Allied agencies will closely monitor the movement of these vessels to ensure the safety of the whales.

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