Greater Farallones, Cordell Bank, and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries are destination feeding areas for whales including endangered and threatened blue, fin, and humpback whales. Though protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and West Coast national marine sanctuaries regulations, whales are vulnerable to human impacts including entanglement in lost gear, vessel strikes, underwater noise, and feeding disturbance impacts. The sanctuaries build partnerships with the maritime transportation industry, fisheries, scientists, academia, conservation groups, and other governmental agencies to reduce human impacts to whales. Current sanctuary programs that aim to reduce threats to whales include efforts to slow vessels down, reduce entanglements and prevent disturbance by recreational ocean users.
