DEL NORTE COUNTY, Calif. – Caltrans is urging motorists traveling along the Klamath Bridge to use caution and not make emergency stops to view whales in the area.

Just over five weeks ago, a mother gray whale and her calf entered the Klamath River and lingered below the Klamath River Bridge on Highway 101 in southern Del Norte County.

Currently, the calf has returned to the ocean, however the mother whale (approximately 50 feet long) remains near the bridge, officials said.

Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol are advising motorists to use caution when traversing

the Klamath Bridge area and to not stop on the bridge.

According to Officer Larry Depee of CHP, “It is illegal to make a nonemergency stop there, the shoulders aren't wide enough, and you can be cited for it.”

Pedestrians are advised to use caution when crossing the bridge and make sure it’s safe to do so without impeding traffic.

District 1 Director Charlie Fielder said, “I wish to urge motorists and pedestrians alike to use extreme caution and to keep your safety and the safety of others in mind.”

The Yurok Tribe and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are attempting to coax the whale to return to the ocean using boats and various other methods.