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Oceanic Society
30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
P.O. Box 437
Ross, CA 94957
415-256-9604 (local)
800-326-7491
Recorded recent whale & marine life sightings:
415-258-8220
Whale Watching Farallon Islands
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BLUE & HUMPBACK WHALES
Each trip is led by an expert naturalist who assists with locating whales, identifying seabirds and other marine life, and who provide informative presentations throughout the trip on the islands and marine ecology of the area. Bird and Marine Mammal CalendarSpring- Summer (May-Aug): Western Grebes; Black-footed Albatrosses; Northern Fulmars; Pink-footed, Buller’s, Sooty Shearwaters; Ashy Storm-Petrels; Brown Pelicans; Double-crested, Brandt’s, Pelagic Cormorants; Black Oystercatchers; Red-necked, Red Phalaropes; Pomarine, Parasitic Jaegers; South Polar Skuas; Heermann’s, Herring, Western, Sabine’s Gulls; Caspian, Elegant, Common, Arctic, Forster’s Terns; Common Murres; Pigeon Guillemots; Xantus’s, Craveri’s, Marbled (rare) Murrelets; Cassin’s, Rhinoceros Auklets; Tufted Puffins. Tufted Puffins and general bird diversity better in May/June/early July. Fall (Sep-Nov): Red-throated, Pacific, Common Loons; Eared, Western, Clark’s Grebes; Black-footed Albatrosses; Northern Fulmars; Pink-footed, Buller’s, Sooty, Black-vented Shearwaters; Ashy, Wilson’s (rare) Storm-Petrels; Brown Pelicans; Double-crested, Brandt’s, Pelagic Cormorants; Black, Surf, White-winged Scoters; Black Oystercatchers; Red-necked, Red Phalaropes; Ruddy Turnstones; Pomarine, Parasitic Jaegars; South Polar Skuas; Bonaparte’s, Heermann’s, Mew, Ring-billed, California, Herring, Western, Glaucous-winged, Sabine’s Gulls; Caspian, Elegant, Arctic, Forster’s Terns; Cassin’s, Rhinoceros Auklets; Peregrin Falcon. Marine mammals are found both in the summer and fall. Blue, Humpback, Minke Whales; Risso’s Dolphin, Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Northern Right Whale Dolphin; Harbor and Dall’s Porpoises. California and Steller Sea Lions; Northern Elephant Seal, Northern Fur Seal, Harbor Seal, Sea Otter also possible. Note: August 28 and September 11 is co-sponsored with the American Cetacean Society as a fundraiser to support the collaborative "Whale Science in the Classroom" program. TRIP INFORMATIONFull-day whale watching cruises depart from San Francisco at 8:00am, and from Sausalito at 7:15 aboard the 56-foot Salty Lady Coast Guard certified vessel on Saturdays and Sundays from mid-May through November. Free parking from both departure points. Farallon Islands whale watching participants will receive a free DVD, Farallon Islands: Past, Present and Future. Produced by the Oceanic Society in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , the film provides a virtual walking tour of the islands, introducing the viewer to the islands' researchers, refuge staff and former residents as they provide first-hand insights about the wildlife, history , and current conservation efforts. The DVD will be distributed aboard the vessel. Departure: San Francisco Yacht Harbor/Marina Green, just outside the Harbormaster's office (please do not enter the building or disturb the harbormaster). Reminder: Check-in time is 7:30 am, boat leaves 8:00 a.m. OR Sausalito Clipper Yacht Harbor on Harbor Drive.Reminder check-in time is at 7:00am, boat leaves at 7:15am. Free parking at both sites. Duration: Approximately 8 hours. In order to visit the whale "hot spots," including the Continental, and have enough time to observe the wildlife at the islands, an 8 hour trip is required. Itinerary: Under the Golden Gate Bridge and west to the Farallon Islands. Weather permitting, we visit the Continental Shelf to search for deep water whales. Vessel: Certified 56-foot Salty Lady. Our whale watching vessel offers an observation deck, indoor seating salon (limited indoor seating) and bathroom. Our captains are experienced in nature cruises. Passenger maximum: 48. Clothing: Warm, layered with water-proof outerwear for sea spray recommended. Parking: Free off-street parking. Food & Refreshments: Bring lunch and beverages. Age Restrictions: Age minimum 10; an adult must accompany youths under 15. TRIPS GO RAIN OR SHINE! Most trips will benefit from the participation of a Cascadia Research Collective researcher who will be on board to collect data on humpback and blue distribution. Cascadia's work on blue whales was recently featured in National Geographic Society's Magazine. See their website: http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/Dome.htm The Oceanic Society, a nonprofit organization, was commended by the California State Senate for its public education service through Whale Watch and Farallon Islands programs. In cooperation with Cascadia Research, the Oceanic Society sponsors long-term humpack whale research in the Gulf of the Farallones. Since 1972, Oceanic Society has sponsored educational natural history encounters for over 140,000 people. Program revenues benefit the environmental education and conservation research. For recorded information on Oceanic Society's current sightings of wildlife please call the sightings hotline: 415 258-8220 Factoids About Local WHALE WATCHING Programs RELATED LINKS |
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The Farallon Islands, just 27 miles off San Francisco, lie amid the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, a food-rich marine ecosystem which attracts whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds each summer and fall, to feed and to breed. Researchers have catalogued hundreds of individual humpbacks and blue whales as seasonal feeding residents. Twenty three species of marine mammals, including 18 species of whales and dolphins, can be found here.
The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is the largest seabird rookery in the contiguous United States with nesting Tufted Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murres and other species. Migratory seabirds such as Shearwaters, Jaegers, and Phalaropes are also attracted by these nutriet reach waters. Island beaches are covered with sea lions, including massive Steller's sea lions, now on the Endangered Species List.
