Wh?n S?n F??ncisc? ?h?t?????h?? Elk? T?ichm?nn ?n? h?? ???mm?t? w??? w?lkin? th?i? ???s ?l?n? th? sh???lin? ?? F??t F?nst?n l?st w??k?n?, n?ith?? ?? th?m ?x??ct?? t? st?m?l? ?c??ss th? sk?l?t?l ??mn?nts ?? ? m?ssiv? s?? c???t???. B?t, ?cc???in? t? ??l??nt?l??? ?x???ts, th?t’s ?x?ctl? wh?t h????n??.

“M? ???mm?t? ?n? I w??? w?lkin? ??? ???s ?n th? ???ch, ??s??vin? ?ll th? ??i?tw??? th?t h?? w?sh?? ?? ???m th? st??m, wh?n I s?w s?m?thin? th?t c???ht m? ???,” T?ichm?nn t?l? SFGATE in ?n ?m?il. “F??m m? v?nt??? ??int, it l??k?? lik? s?m? l???? whit? it?m ???kin? th????h ?ll ?? th? sc?tt???? ???nch?s.”

A?t?? ??????chin? th? ??j?ct ?n? t?kin? ? ??w ?h?t?s, sh? th???ht it w?s m???? ???t ?? ? wh?l? v??t???? — ?n? ??t?? ??vi?win? th? im???s, B?? A??? ??s???ch??s c?n?i?m?? sh? w?sn’t t?? ??? ??? th? m??k.

“Th?t’s ? ???inc?s? ?? ? m????n ???? wh?l?, Esch?ichti?s ????st?s,” c?n?i?m?? R????t B??ss?n?ck??, ? ??s???ch ?ss?ci?t? ?t UC B??k?l??’s M?s??m ?? P?l??nt?l???. Th?i? n????w, ?istinctiv? sk?lls m?k? th?m ??s? t? i??nti??, ?n? th???h th?s? wh?l?s h?v?n’t ???n ????n? ??? v??? l?n?, B??ss?n?ck?? t?l? SFGATE, th?? h?v? ? t?m?lt???s hist???.

B? th? l?t? 17th ?? ???l? 18th c?nt???, B??ss?n?ck?? s?i?, ???? wh?l?s livin? in th? w?st??n N??th Atl?ntic h?? ?l????? ???n ??iv?n t? ?xtincti?n.

Th?? h?v? liv?? ?l?n? th? W?st C??st ??? ?nl? th? ??st 1.5 milli?n t? 2 milli?n ????s, h? ?x?l?in??, ?n? w??? n???l? ??iv?n t? ?xtincti?n th??? ?s w?ll ?? wh?l??s lik? Ch??l?s M?lvill? Sc?mm?n, ?n Am??ic?n s?? c??t?in wh? ?isc?v???? th?i? ?i?thin? ????n?s in B?j? C?li???ni? in th? mi?-1800s. Th? ???? is still ???????? t? ?s “Sc?mm?n’s L????n,” ?cc???in? t? th? in????n??nt sci?nc? li????? Lin?? H?ll Li?????.

F?? m??? th?n ? ??c???, Sc?mm?n c?ntin??? t? h?nt th?s? wh?l?s ?l?n? th? C?li???ni? c??st

Th???h wh?lin? is n?w ill???l in th? U.S. ?n? h?s ???n sinc? th? 1970s, th? ???? wh?l? ????l?ti?n is ??clinin?, ?n? sci?ntists ??? sc??m?lin? t? ?i???? ??t wh?.

Th? ??st??n N??th P?ci?ic ???? wh?l? ????l?ti?n ???k?? ?t n???l? 27,000 in 2016, ??t ?win?l?? t? ????t 16,000 ??ll?win? ?n “?n?s??l m??t?lit? ?v?nt,” th? N?ti?n?l Oc??n ?n? Atm?s?h??ic Ass?ci?ti?n s?i?. Sinc? 2019, m??? th?n 300 ???? wh?l?s h?v? ??c?m? st??n??? ?l?n? ???ch?s in th? U.S., NOAA ??t? sh?ws. N?c???si?s ??v??l?? th?t s?v???l ?? th? ??c??s?? wh?l?s ?xhi?it?? si?ns ?? ?m?ci?ti?n, ??t m??? ??s???ch still n???s t? ?? ??n?, th? NOAA s?i?.

Th?s? m??t?lit? ?v?nts h?v? ?cc????? in th? ??st, ?n? NOAA s??ms t? ?? ??timistic th?t th?s? m?ssiv? s?? c???t???s will ??t??n. Th?t m?? m??n th?t ?isc?v??i?s lik? T?ichm?nn’s will c?ntin?? t? ?? ?nc?mm?n. As sh? t?l? SFGATE, “I t?k? m? ??? t? F??t F?nst?n ??????ntl? ?n? h??n’t ?v?? s??n s?m?thin? lik? th?t ??????.”