Curious gray whale visits Morro Bay — Harbor Patrol shoos it away

A gray whale made multiple trips into Morro Bay Tuesday.

Jeremiah Jacobs with the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol said the whale entered the bay at about 10 a.m. and then again in the early afternoon. In both instances, the Harbor Patrol sent a boat out to try and deter the whale from going into the back bay.

Normally, whales do not like the engine noise from a boat and that is enough to induce them to leave the harbor, Jacobs said. However, the whale did not seem to be deterred by the Harbor Patrol boat and left the bay of its own volition.

Jacobs said kayakers and paddle boarders should not approach a whale if it is in the harbor.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Curious gray whale visits Morro Bay — Harbor Patrol shoos it away."