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APRIL 2026
create a safer space for both the animals and maritime op-
erations. He brought attention to additional benefits of the 
initiatives underway which are the strengthened bond and 
reciprocal efforts among maritime industries that share 
the San Francisco Bay. Heeter emphasized that numerous 
people from a myriad of organizations have recognized like 
interests and put in countless hours of effort into this col-
laboration thus far. 
He’s seen times that the ferries ask for support and the 
tugs and bar pilots groups help out with ferry protocol 
lanes and getting initiatives approved. “We get the votes 
we need. We have the meetings where we go over the text 
of the guidelines. And now all of a sudden, I’m like, ‘How 
can I help you guys?’,” Heeter said. “Then that just spreads 
around. You can see it with the Marine Mammal Subcom-
mittee. Everybody’s on it and everybody’s really into it and 
passionate about it even though some of these folks, it just 
doesn’t play much of a role in their lives. It’s just a real recip-
rocal kind of give and take benefit.”
The long-term goal is  
to have that data also  
appear on the electronic 
chart systems (ECS)  
computers as electronic 
aids to navigation  
(ATONs) so that vessels 
would see the location  
of whales in the area right 
on their screens. 
crowley.com/engineering
• Vessel Design & Engineering
• Construction Management
• Vessel Conversions & Repower
SERVICES THAT 
CARRY THE WORLD. 
FORWARD.

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