20, May 2026
RAK Central Square hits major milestone as demand grows for Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah
Significant structural works completed with construction progressing on target for Q4 2027 opening
Ras Al Khaimah, May 20: Major structural works have been completed at Ras Al Khaimah’s first luxury Grade A office complex, RAK Central Square, with construction progressing in line with the delivery programme. The development will deliver 2.27 million sq ft of high-quality workspace across five buildings, providing modern, flexible floors designed for tier-one businesses.
Superstructure works remain on schedule and are expected to top out (reach full structural height) in Q4 2026, marking a key milestone toward the planned Q4 2027 opening. This construction progress aligns with rising demand for premium Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah among regional and international businesses.
RAK Central Square will bring a new generation of Grade A office space to Ras Al Khaimah, featuring large, efficient floorplates of around 16,000 sq ft, modern building systems and high-specification workspace for international companies. The five-building development is designed to meet tier-one occupier requirements, supported by F&B and retail offerings, and a LEED Gold certified design.
Arch Abdulla Al Abdouli, Group CEO of Marjan, said: “RAK Central Square embodies our vision for a new generation of high-quality, Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah. It will sit at the heart of RAK Central, a community that integrates regional and international corporates, lifestyle and hospitality to create a future-ready centre. As we deliver this landmark project, we are laying the groundwork for a city that competes on a global stage, attracts world-class companies, enhances livability and supports the emirate’s long-term growth ambitions.”
As part of the wider RAK Central masterplan, the complex is being developed as a mixed-use destination combining Grade A offices with residential, hospitality and retail components in a connected, walkable environment. This growth is supported by new hospitality and residential developments that expand accommodation and amenity capacity for corporate tenants and visiting delegations. Recent announcements include the Radisson Blu Hotel and Radisson Blu Residences by BNW Developments, alongside projects such as One RAK Central by Pantheon Development, Colibri Views by Major Development and Juna by Dara Development.
Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), said: “RAK Central Square is a critical step in addressing the growing demand for prime office space in Ras Al Khaimah. As investor activity accelerates and more regional and international companies look to establish a presence in the emirate, developments like this will play a central role in supporting business growth and strengthening Ras Al Khaimah’s position as a competitive investment destination. This momentum comes as the emirate continues to attract significant investment across tourism, hospitality, and industry, driving increased demand for premium commercial infrastructure.”
RAK Central offers direct access to key destinations across the emirate, including Al Hamra Golf Course, Al Hamra Mall, The Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra Beach and Wynn Al Marjan Island. The complex is also well connected to regional and international gateways such as Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and Dubai International Airport, aligning with the emirate’s broader economic and tourism ambitions, including its target of attracting 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030.
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- By Neel Achary
20, May 2026
ASUS Celebrates One Year of Free Service Camps, Brings Customer Experience Initiative to Indore
The service camp will be held at ASUS Exclusive Store – Sigma Peripherals, UG 8, Silver Block, Silver Mall, RNT Marg, Indore, Madhya Pradesh – 452001 and will be open to customers from 11 AM to 5 PM.
Indore, 20 May 2026: ASUS, a Taiwanese tech giant, will hold a one-day free service camp in Indore on May 23rd as part of ASUS Assurance, which is ASUS India’s promise of worry-free ownership, combining quality engineering with dependable support, protection, and service (the 4As) across the entire device lifecycle. ASUS Service camp, now marking its one-year milestone, will deliver hands-on technical support, comprehensive device health checkups, and expert guidance to help customers optimize performance and extend the life of their ASUS devices.
The service camp will be held at ASUS Exclusive Store – Sigma Peripherals, UG 8, Silver Block, Silver Mall, RNT Marg, Indore, Madhya Pradesh – 452001, and will be open to customers from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
As part of the initiative, ASUS customers can avail a wide range of complimentary services designed to enhance device performance and longevity. These include professional dust cleaning, heating issue checks, and overall system health evaluations. ASUS experts will also assist customers with MyASUS app setup, troubleshooting, and performance optimization, ensuring a smoother and more efficient user experience.
The service camp is designed as a VIP care experience for ASUS laptops, offering hands-on technical support and proactive maintenance completely free of cost. Customers will also receive expert guidance on best practices for device care, helping them maintain optimal performance over time. As ROG is also celebrating its 20th Anniversary, a special initiative this time has been included in the service. Each attendee especially ROG customers will receive a complimentary Liquid Thermal Paste replacement, a professional grade upgrade that significantly improves processor cooling and overall system efficiency.
To enhance the overall experience, souvenirs will be provided to participants attending the service camp.
This initiative reflects ASUS continued focus on strengthening its after-sales ecosystem and delivering accessible, high-quality service experiences across key markets. Backed by its robust 4A framework, Assured Quality, Always-on Support, All-around Coverage, and Added-value Experience, ASUS continues to expand its service footprint with over 200+ service centres, on-site support capabilities, and comprehensive customer care programs.
ASUS has successfully held free service camps across Chennai, Pune, Bhilwara, Hazaribagh, Shillong, Delhi, Calicut, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and Surat demonstrating commitment to nationwide continue future camps scheduled in other cities.
20, May 2026
Consistent Expands Product Range on Government e-Marketplace
New Delhi, May 20 : Consistent Infosystems, a fast-growing Indian IT hardware and security solutions brand,has announced the availability of its Graphic Card and Pen Drive range on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). This initiative will enable government departments, public sector undertakings (PSUs), educational institutions, and authorized buyers across India to conveniently procure its products through the official digital procurement platform.
Government sector organizations are focusing on digital transformation and infrastructure improvements. To support this, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) helps make buying products easier, faster, and more transparent. Through its latest GeM onboarding, Consistent Infosystems aims to expand access to its high-performance Gaming solutions and storage solutions and strengthen its presence across government and institutional sectors nationwide.
Consistent graphics card range is designed to deliver stable visual performance, enhanced productivity, and seamless computing experiences, making it suitable for professional workstations, institutional systems, and day-to-day operational requirements. Complementing this lineup, the Pen Drive range offers portable, secure, and high-speed storage solutions designed to meet the growing data transfer and storage demands of offices, educational institutions, and government organizations.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Yogesh Agrawal, CMD and Co-Founder, Consistent Infosystems, said:
“At Consistent Infosystems, our vision has always been to make quality technology products more accessible across every segment of India. The availability of our Graphic Cards and Pen Drives on GeM is another milestone towards supporting public sector and institutional technology needs with dependable, affordable, and future-ready technology solutions backed by strong nationwide service support.”
With a rapidly growing portfolio, expanding national presence, and continued focus on innovation, Consistent Infosystems remains committed to delivering technology solutions that combine performance, reliability, and value for customers across India and global markets.
20, May 2026
TSF Investments (Formerly Sundaram Finance Holdings) posts 28.66% increase in consolidated net profit for the year ended 31st March 2026
Chennai, May 20: TSF Investments Limited (“TSF Investments”) has registered a consolidated net profit of ₹530.21 crores for the year ended 31st March 2026, which includes gain of ₹40.99 crores from fair valuation of previously held equity interest in Axles India Limited on account of business combination, as compared to ₹412.09 crores registered in the previous financial year, resulting in an increase of 28.66%
The increase in consolidated net profit is partly because of Axles India Limited, becoming a subsidiary during the year on account of TSF group acquiring shares held by Dana Global Products Inc. for a consideration of ₹365.37 crores.
TSF Investments operates as a core investment company, investing in a portfolio of automotive businesses including foundries and manufacturers of wheels, brakes, turbo chargers, axles and distribution of spare parts. As a result, dividend from portfolio companies forms a substantial part of the financial results. Dividend received from portfolio companies is ₹207.67 crores for the year ended 31stMarch 2026.
Name change:
Reflecting the consolidation of the T.S. Santhanam Family group, Sundaram Finance Holdings Limited has been renamed TSF Investments Limited with effect from 23rdSeptember 2025. This change reaffirms the group’s strategic alignment and century-old legacy.
Dividend:
The Board of Directors have recommended a final dividend of ₹4.45/- per share (89%) for FY 25-26. This together with the Interim Dividend of ₹6.70/- per share (134%) paid during February 2026 aggregates to a total dividend of ₹11.15/- per share (223%) for the F.Y. 25-26.
Dis-investments:
As part of the company’s strategy to exit from non – core investments and invest the proceeds in the core investments in group companies, the company had during the financial year 2025 -26 exited the following investments,
1.TVS Holdings Limited (partial exit)
2.Fettle Tone LLP (partial exit)
3.Sundaram Composite Structures Private Limited
The realized gain (net of tax) from the exit of these investments was ₹461.18 crores which was transferred from OCI to retained earnings.
TSF: A Century of Legacy
TSF Group represents the T. S. Santhanam family’s businesses, with its heritage dating back to 1911. The group traces its lineage to the erstwhile T. V. Sundram Iyengar & Sons, under the leadership of Late Shri T. S. Santhanam, a pioneer of India’s non-banking financial services industry. TSF Group carved out its independent identity consequent to the partition of TVS Group.
The journey began with the acquisition of Madras Auto Service (MAS) in 1936, followed by the founding of Sundaram Finance and India Motor Parts & Accessories Ltd. (IMPAL) in 1954. Over the decades, the group diversified into manufacturing through companies such as Brakes India and Wheels India, building a strong presence across automotive components, distribution, car dealerships, and financial services. With more than ₹30,000 crore in revenues, a ₹3,556 crore bottom line, over 42,000 employees, 1,200+ branches, and 36 factories, TSF Group is a trusted partner for marquee customers across India, North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
20, May 2026
Gati 2026: A Grand Celebration of Indian Classical Dance and Music in Siliguri
May 20 | Siliguri, West Bengal: Hakimpara NrityaMalancha Siliguri proudly announces the 42nd edition of GATI 2026, a prestigious Festival of Indian Classical Dance and Music, to be held from 5th to 7th June 2026 at Dinabandhu Mancha, Siliguri, from 5:30 PM onwards each evening.
Organised under the visionary guidance of Guru Vidushi Sangita Chaki, Founder of Hakimpara NrityaMalancha Siliguri, the festival has been celebrating the rich heritage of Indian classical arts for over four decades. Derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “movement” and “rhythm,” GATI embodies the spirit of India’s timeless artistic traditions while offering a vibrant cultural platform for artists, students, and connoisseurs of classical dance and music.
The three-day festival will feature an extraordinary line-up of renowned dancers, musicians, and guest artists from across India, presenting a diverse repertoire of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, folk performances, instrumental recitals, vocal music, and thematic productions.
A special segment of Indian classical instrumental and vocal music will showcase performances by eminent artistes including:
- Sitar: Pt. Sandeep Neogi
- Sarod: Pt. Sunondo Mukherjee
- Tabla: Pt. Subir Thakur, Pt. Subir Adhikari & Shri Riju Saha
- Harmonium & Vocal: Pt. Sourav Chakraborty
Gati Festival 2026 | Day 1 | 5th June 2026
The inaugural evening will begin with traditional invocations including Ganesh Vandana, Maha Ganapati Shlokam, Pushpanjali, and Nagendra Haray Shiva Stotram, followed by classical dance presentations such as Jatiswaram and Tillana. The audience will also witness provincial folk dances representing different states of India.
The special guest performance of the evening will feature renowned Kathak artiste Shri Rahul Dev from Agartala.
Gati Festival 2026 | Day 2 | 6th June 2026
The second day will present an elaborate Kathak repertoire including Guru Charanam in Trital, Jhaptal Shudhonritya, Darbari Tarana, Ektal Shudhyonritya, Rupak Shudhyonritya, and Thumri. Folk dance performances from various Indian states will further enrich the cultural experience.
The evening’s guest artiste will be acclaimed Kathak exponent Shri Shuvojit Dutta from Kolkata.
Gati Festival 2026 | Day 3 | 7th June 2026
The concluding day promises a grand culmination with performances including Kalyani Jathiswaram, Prabhumpranath Keertanam, Vasant Jathiswaram, and Niratata Shankara. Distinguished performances by eminent artistes include:
- Kathak: Guru Sangita Chaki
- Odissi: Smt. Pushpita Misra
- Bharatanatyam: Guru Vidwan Praveen Kumar
- Kathak: Guru Vidushi Gouri Diwakar
A special highlight of the evening will be “Ganga – A Musical Journey”, conceptualised and musically arranged by Shri Subrata De with choreography and dance direction by Vidushi Sangita Chaki.
The festival will conclude with a stirring presentation of “Vande Mataram”, featuring voice and script by Shri Anshuman Paul and Ms. Sanchita Bhattacharya, with dance direction by Guru Vidushi Sangita Chaki.
Hakimpara NrityaMalancha Siliguri warmly invites art lovers, students, cultural enthusiasts, and patrons of Indian classical traditions to witness this magnificent celebration of rhythm, grace, devotion, and artistic excellence.
RSVP: 9434006943
Vidushi Sangita Chaki
Founder, Hakimpara NrityaMalancha Siliguri
Media Partner: Shreyas Webmedia Solutions
20, May 2026
Caspia Technologies Significantly Expands Agentic Silicon Security Verification with New Release of CODAx
GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 20: Caspia Technologies announced a significant expansion of its flagship security verification product CODAx. New features were described along with the impact on agentic workflows and associated customer momentum. Some details of Caspia’s security audit of the open-source Caliptra root-of- trust were also disclosed. And the company provided a preview of its communication plans over the next two months.
CODAx, Caspia’s RTL security analyser, was updated with two new AI- driven features, Asset Assist and Report Assist. These features significantly enhance the usability for wider deployment across all design teams, without requiring security expertise.
Security analysis begins with understanding what needs to be protected. Current practices in identifying security assets are manual and require expert assistance. This results in limited identification of security assets and limited scope and coverage for security analysis.
Asset Assist performs automated asset identification on the target design using design-specific details to find a much broader list of security-relevant attributes. The result is a more targeted and comprehensive security analysis. Examples of security assets include untrusted signals, protected states, and critical control signals.
Report Assist addresses the process of understanding the impact of violations to develop a prioritised solution strategy. Current practices can be extremely time-consuming and also require expert assistance. Report Assist delivers AI-driven analysis of CODAx security violations with context- driven insights, design-specific severity ratings, and tailored impact scores. This automated violation triage delivers much faster and more effective strategies to address key issues.
These new features can reduce weeks to months of security verification to minutes to hours, allowing existing design teams to perform advanced security verification at scale.
“Report Assist and Asset Assist are paving the way for automated, agentic security verification,” said Stuart Audley, VP and GM of product management at Caspia. “We are seeing significant traction across first-tier CPU, GPU, and memory providers. I am delighted to see our agentic vision begin to take shape.”
The Caliptra root-of-trust represents a production-grade, open-source security IP developed to serve as a foundational trust anchor in SoC designs. It contains over 700 design files, amounting to more than 300,000 lines of RTL code.
The analysis identified 10 critical items and over 50 high-priority findings. These vulnerabilities are exactly the kind of footholds an attacker needs to wedge into a device and take control.
Caspia shared the details of errors associated with one directive related to fault injection susceptibility for sensitive controller states. This directive analyzes the fault injection feasibility metric for finite state machine (FSM) state encodings. Caspia explained that violating this directive makes glitches or fault-induced jumps into protected behavior more feasible, impacting integrity and resulting in potential information leakage.
“The Caliptra design sees widespread use in the industry,” said Beau Bakken, VP of products at Caspia. “We are working with the appropriate contacts in the industry to share these results and assist in developing appropriate corrective action.”
On May 22, 2026, a podcast with Stuart Audley will be released that discusses agentic workflows for security verification on the Semiconductor Insiders podcast series. On June 24, 2026, SemiWiki.com and Caspia will present a webinar entitled Scaling Security Verification Across Design Teams with CODAx Static Analyzer. Beau Bakken and Dr. Zahin Ibnat will present. And on July 27-29, 2026, Caspia will exhibit at the 63rd DAC Chips to Systems Conference in Long Beach, CA. Visit Caspia in booth 759.
20, May 2026
ROTORIS names Rajat Patidar face of the brand for IPL 2026
New Delhi, May 20 : Some stories build in silence. Quietly, with absolute intent, until the moment arrives that cannot be ignored. Rajat Patidar is that story. And ROTORIS has chosen to stand beside him at the summit.
Patidar went unsold at an IPL auction. He returned as a replacement. He then scored 112 not out off 54 balls in a playoff, becoming the first uncapped cricketer in IPL history to score a century on that stage. The crowd at Ekana Stadium had to look up his name. They have not stopped saying it since.
Three years, one captaincy, and one IPL title later, he stands at the top of the IPL 2026 table with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, defending a championship that broke 18 years of waiting. This season, at a strike rate of 213.46 with 21 sixes, Patidar is extending a legacy.
ROTORIS — India’s first design-led mechanical watch house — recognizes him as A ROTORIS Man for IPL 2026.
“I never needed the shortest path. I needed the right one. There were years when nobody was watching and those were the years that built everything that came after. ROTORIS speaks the same language. Every timepiece they make carries the weight of something done the right way, not the fast way. That is why this feels true. Not just to a campaign or a season, but to something that actually lasts.”
Rajat Patidar, Captain, Royal Challengers Bengaluru
A ROTORIS Man is a rare designation. It belongs to those who did not simply arrive at greatness, but earned it in the years before anyone was handing out titles. Patidar spent those years in Indore, in Bhopal, on domestic pitches the cameras rarely visited. He scored a Ranji Trophy century in a final. He was released. He went unsold. He came back.
On a ROTORIS wrist, that journey does not just make sense. It is the entire point.
“We built ROTORIS for a very specific kind of person. Someone who is always becoming more. Rajat Patidar was released by the same franchise that would one day make him captain. He came back and gave them a title they had waited 18 years for. If that is not a ROTORIS Man, nothing is.”
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Aakash Anand, Founder, ROTORIS
“ROTORIS has always believed that the most beautiful things take time. You can see it in every dial we design. Rajat’s story is the most human version of that belief. He did not rush. He did not break. He kept going, and he arrived exactly where he was always meant to be.”
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Prerna Gupta, Co-Founder, ROTORIS
The brand enters the IPL 2026 playoffs having already written a year of firsts. In March 2026, Alpine F1 Reserve Driver Kush Maini wore the Astonia Sports Chronograph at the Melbourne season opener — the first time an Indian watch house appeared on an F1 grid. In April 2026, ROTORIS attended Watches & Wonders Geneva, the foremost gathering in the global watchmaking calendar. This summer, a second drop arrives — the Astonia and Manifesta collections, available by invitation to a waitlist that numbers in the tens of thousands.
Through the IPL 2026 season, Rajat Patidar will wear ROTORIS on and off the field. RCB has a captain. India has a timepiece. They were always going to find each other.
20, May 2026
Perpetuals Launches UpsideOnly, the Trading and Market Prediction Platform Where Users Can’t Lose
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / May 20, 2026 / Perpetuals.com Ltd (Nasdaq: PDC), on May 19 launched UpsideOnly, the first risk-free trading and market prediction platform that uses a proprietary AI algorithm combined with crowd intelligence to ensure users never lose money.
The problem is real: retail traders lose more than $12 billion a year to platforms structurally positioned against them. UpsideOnly solves that problem by creating a powerful human-AI collaboration that brings profit to both Perpetuals and its users.
UpsideOnly is built on the simple idea that AI gets smarter when it learns from human traders. As users make predictions across global financial markets such as stocks, cryptocurrencies and commodities, the algorithm folds their insights into its own analysis, producing incredibly accurate trading signals. UpsideOnly uses those signals to make market trades with its own capital and shares the winnings with the users whose predictions helped shape them.
Powering UpsideOnly is the proprietary patent-pending BayesShield AI, which is trained on more than 22 billion executed retail trades, one of the largest trading datasets ever used to train an AI model. The BayesShield algorithm learns from user predictions across global markets, combining human insight with machine-scale pattern recognition to produce trading signals neither could generate alone.
UpsideOnly lets users benefit from trading gains while eliminating risk by trading exclusively with the company’s own capital – users never put up their own money for trading. This ensures users cannot incur losses. Users make predictions about where global equity, commodity, forex, and crypto markets are heading without ever placing a real trade themselves. BayesShield analyzes each person’s prediction, and when the algorithm indicates that prediction is likely to be successful, UpsideOnly executes a trade with its own capital. If no trade is made, or if a trade is made and loses, the user loses nothing. If the trade wins, the company shares the profit with the user. UpsideOnly also offers additional ways for users to win money based on their overall performance for the week and month, among others.
Driving the creation of UpsideOnly is the belief that retail traders are being taken advantage of by existing trading platforms and prediction markets.
“The dominant retail trading model is not a tool. It is a trap, designed so the platform wins when you lose. I spent more than a decade inside this industry and watched the same thing happen over and over. Platforms engineered to extract money from the people who could least afford to lose it, sold to them as investing,” said Patrick Gruhn, CEO of Perpetuals.
“UpsideOnly completely changes this broken structure. The user brings the insight, we bring the capital, and we win together. This is what the next generation of financial platforms looks like: humans and AI teaming up on the same side of the table.”
No deposit is required to make a prediction and win money on UpsideOnly, but in order to reduce the presence of bots, users who choose to put down a refundable deposit of $1 or more will receive higher payouts. Users who make even small deposits are less likely to be bots and more likely to make considered and reliable predictions. The deposit is not a trading stake and is never used for trading. The deposit is held safely in U.S. Treasury Bills in an external account by a separate U.S.-based fiduciary and can be withdrawn by the user at any time.
20, May 2026
Biom Launches Cleansing Body Wipes: A Full-Body Reset Without the Shower
Plant-Based, Dermatologist-Tested Wipes Designed for Modern, On-the-Go Living
Biom, the wipe brand committed to clean ingredients, plastic-free fibers, and wipes you can actually trust, today announced the launch of its Cleansing Body Wipes: an XL, extra-strong wipe designed to deliver a full-body refresh without the need for a shower. Available at Target and getbiom.co, the wipes are formulated with clean, plant-based ingredients and are free from harsh chemicals.
Unlike conventional wipes that leave behind sticky residue or contain harmful additives, Biom No Rinse Body Wipes are dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic, and infused with aloe and vitamin E to cleanse, soothe and hydrate skin. Each wipe is large enough for head-to-toe use without tearing or drying out mid-use, making them the go-to solution for workouts, travel, and everyday life on the move.
“You can think of our body wipe as a shower alternative for the moments you simply don’t have time for one”, says Will Gahagan, Co-Founder & CEO of Biom. “Clean ingredients, no sticky residue, just an XL wipe that delivers straight up confidence. The hero ingredient in our formula is plant-derived tannic acid, which helps neutralize odor at the source instead of simply masking it with fragrance. Whether it’s post-workout, between meetings, fresh off a red-eye, or in the middle of a wedding weekend, this product was made to help people feel fresh and confident wherever life takes them.”
Key product features
- 30 wipes for just $2.99 at Target; premium quality without the premium price tag
- Full-body refresh with no shower required; removes sweat and grime in a single wipe
- XL and extra strong (large enough for head-to-toe use without tearing or drying out)
- Clean, skin-safe formula free from PEGs, sulfates, parabens, quats, phthalates, and harsh preservatives
- Hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested, infused with aloe and vitamin E
- 100% plant-based, plastic-free, biodegradable fibers
- Light, natural fragrance that leaves skin refreshed
Biom has built its reputation on a simple premise: the products people reach for every day should be made with simple, trustworthy ingredients that actually work. Since its founding, the company has expanded across the wipes category, from flushable and disinfecting to hand sanitizing and all-purpose, each time asking whether the existing options were actually good enough. Biom’s Body Wipes are the latest answer to that question. For the millions of people who work out, travel, or simply don’t have time for a full shower, Biom is betting that clean ingredients and thoughtful design shouldn’t be a luxury, they should just be the standard.
Biom Cleansing Body Wipes are available now at Target (Body Travel Pack, 30ct) for $2.99, and online at getbiom.co and Amazon.
20, May 2026
New AI System Uses Thermal Camera Sensors to Steer Ships Clear of Gray Whales in the San Francisco Bay
SAN FRANCISCO (May 20)—Last year, 21 gray whales were found dead in and around San Francisco Bay and 40% of those deaths were due to collisions with ships. Whale season typically peaks in May in the area and already seven whales have died thus far. Today, a local coalition has unveiled a near real-time, thermal camera monitoring system that detects whales’ heat signatures and “blows” (exhaled breath) in the busy waterway and then alerts nearby mariners to re-route or reduce their speed to avoid hitting them.
Currently amid a 12,000-mile migration from their Alaskan feeding ground to their Mexican mating and birthing lagoons and back, gray whales are taking an unexpected detour into the heavily-trafficked Bay, presently a new challenge for the Bay Area mariner community to address. Scientists believe the whales are impacted by the changing climate: their food sources in the Arctic aren’t sustaining them for their journey, requiring them to make unusual stops in the Bay and elsewhere to search for food.
“It is heartbreaking to see these starving whales stumbling around in the middle of the hustle and bustle of San Francisco Bay. Every day is a nailbiter. But what gives me hope is seeing how all the right partners in the Bay Area community have come together to do something. This new system will save whales’ lives. We are all proud of this.”
— Professor Douglas McCauley, Director, Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, UC Santa Barbara
Designed by researchers at the Benioff Ocean Science Lab, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service, whale experts at The Marine Mammal Center, the system employs Flir thermal cameras coupled with AI-powered detection technology developed by WhaleSpotter that identifies marine mammals, 24/7, detecting the heat signature of a warm-blooded whale blow at a range of up to 4 nautical miles (7 km). Each detection is instantly reviewed by one of WhaleSpotter’s credentialed marine mammal specialists before any alert goes out. Once they are spotted, UCSB scientists map out the whale detections on the Whale Safe website and share them with Bay mariners and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service, which then can radio vessels when there are whales in the area under imminent threat.
The effort comes amid a troubling new pattern in gray whale population decline: Half of all Eastern North Pacific gray whales have died in the past 10 years. Researchers point to changes in their Arctic feeding grounds as the trigger for this crisis. As Arctic sea ice declines precipitously, the food chain upon which the whales depend is under threat. Less ice means less food.
As a result, many hungry gray whales are making a detour on their migration route into the San Francisco Bay, apparently to rest and search for food. This puts them at great risk as they must navigate around the many cargo ships, tankers, ferries, speed boats, fishing boats, and tour boats that transit the Bay every day. Many emaciated and exhausted whales have become victims of ship-strikes.
“We’re relieved to have these cameras going live during this critical moment in the gray whale season. Last year was one of the deadliest on record for gray whales in the Bay, with 21 dead, and seven more have already died this year. The whale and mariner communities have been racing to get ahead of this, building new tools and partnerships we didn’t have a year ago.”
— Rachel Rhodes, Scientist leading the project, Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
The first node in the whale detection network was installed in collaboration with the Coast Guard on a USCG communication station on Angel Island. The system points across the Bay towards Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge and covers a hotspot of overlap between gray whales and vessels. The second detection system will be installed on MV Lyra, a passenger ferry operated by San Francisco Bay Ferry on a daily route connecting Vallejo to Downtown San Francisco. SF Bay Ferry, a public ferry agency that carries 3 million passengers per year, will host the first such vessel-based whale detection system in the Bay. Discussions are underway to expand the network to eventually create capacity to detect and track all whales present in all parts of the Bay. Next strategically important expansion locations based on the whale data include sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz.
“SF Bay Ferry has worked closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marine Mammal Center, the Harbor Safety Committee, our contract operator Blue & Gold Fleet and our sister agency Golden Gate Ferry to develop and elevate whale protection protocols and avoid strikes in the San Francisco Bay. This work includes ongoing monitoring, enhanced communication and education among mariners, and operating mitigations such as route adjustments and speed reductions in the presence of whales. Testing the thermal monitoring system designed and provided by the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is the next evolution of our work, and we’re thrilled to soon have one of the Bay’s two monitoring cameras on our ferry. We remain committed to bringing together fellow vessel operators to protect whales with the best available technology and protocols.”
— Seamus Murphy, Executive Director, SF Bay Ferry
The thermal camera expansion is one piece of a broader collaboration coordinated through the San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee’s Marine Mammal Subcommittee that brings together a dozen organizations, including ferry operators, Vessel Traffic Service, marine mammal specialists, and research institutions to protect gray whales while keeping vessel traffic moving safely through the Bay.
“You can open an app on your phone and instantaneously see the exact location of every Muni bus in San Francisco. We aim to soon be able to do the same thing for whales in the Bay. This would be a game changer for whale safety.”
— Professor Douglas McCauley, Director, Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
“For too long, mariners have been asked to protect whales they simply couldn’t see. We’re changing that. This deployment means ships in San Francisco Bay now have eyes on the water, day and night, miles ahead. The whales have been here for thousands of years. We intend to keep it that way.”
— Shawn Henry, CEO, WhaleSpotter
“I’m excited to see WhaleSpotter deployed in San Francisco Bay. This kind of real-time whale monitoring is a major step forward for reducing vessel strike risk and protecting gray whales navigating one of the nation’s busiest waterways. Having 24/7 visibility into when whales are present will strengthen awareness and communication across the maritime sector and support action to help keep both whales and vessels safe.”
— Kathi George, Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology, The Marine Mammal Center
