Farallon Islands Whale Watching

Oceanic Society Naturalist Susan Sherman aboard Salty Lady—highlights include excellent sightings of 2 Great White sharks, 1 Gray whale, and 25+ Harbor porpoises.

Participants enjoyed a thrilling day with the sighting of two Great White sharks over 15 feet in length and weighing approximately 1500-2000 pounds each. The first shark was at the surface for 10 minutes and then dove showing its dorsal fin and tail fin. The second shark stayed at the surface for 35 minutes and kept circling the boat, showing its white mouth, eye, dorsal fin and tail fin.

Also sighted was one Gray whale by Saddle rock. Participants enjoyed the blows, back, and flukes of the whale for 30 minutes. Other marine mammals sighted included 25+ Harbor porpoises, California sea lions, and Harbor seals.

Birds sighted on this trip included: Pacific loons, Common loons, Western grebes, Clark's grebes, Northern fulmars, Pink-footed shearwaters, Sooty shearwaters, Brown pelicans, Double Crested cormorants, Brandt's cormorants, Black scoters, Surf scoters, White-winged scoters, Heerman's gulls, California gulls, Western gulls, Elegant terns, Common murres, Pigeon guillemots, Cassin's auklets, and Rhinoceros auklets.

Naturalist-led trips to the Farallon Islands and, weather permitting, the Continental Shelf depart from San Francisco on weekends May through November. Saturday, November 26 is our last trip this season. Make your reservations today! Call (415) 474-3385. Or simply download our registration form and fax it to our office, (415) 474-3395. Or register via Acteva as offered at the bottom of the Farallon Islands schedule.