Whale Deaths Along California Coast Spark Lawsuit Against Federal Agencies

Two major conservation organizations — the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth — have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of failing to address the deadly impact of California’s shipping lanes on whales and sea turtles.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, targets the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. It argues that federal agencies have neglected their legal duty to analyze how commercial vessel routes contribute to whale deaths, noise pollution, and air quality problems along the coast.

So far in 2025, at least 10 gray whales have been killed by probable ship strikes in the Bay Area alone — and scientists believe the true number could be far higher, since most whales sink after death. Studies estimate that about 80 whales are killed by ship strikes off the West Coast each year, with endangered species like blue, fin, humpback, and gray whales most at risk.

The groups are urging federal officials to adopt measures such as slower ship speeds and rerouted lanes around whale “hot spots,” including the Santa Barbara Channel and northern approaches to the San Francisco Bay.

“Whales are dying preventable deaths,” said Hallie Templeton, legal director for Friends of the Earth. “It shouldn’t take another lawsuit to make agencies do their jobs.”

Advocates hope the case will finally push regulators to update outdated shipping policies and protect the marine giants that call California’s coastal waters home.