Whale Watching - Farallon Island Eco Tours, San Francisco Bay

Whale Watching Expeditions, + "Devils Teeth" Farallon Island Natural History Tours

SF Bay Whale Watching provides whale watching natural history expeditions from San Francisco Bay to the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The full day excursion unfolds as you pass underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, cruise by the 1877 Point Bonita Light House, then head out 27 miles toward the Farallon Islands.

Join Seaflow on a daylong whale-watching trip to the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Come listen to the underwater world of sound, learn about ocean noise pollution and the impact large vessels have on our Marine Sanctuary!

Trip Dates: May 4, June 15, July 12, and August 3

Four very special “Vessel Watch Project” trips will be made aboard SF Bay Whale Watching as part of Seaflow’s Sanctuaries Campaign - a hands-on, citizen-action program which inspires participants to take action to advocate for the reduction and regulation of ocean noise pollution in our National Marine Sanctuaries.

The Vessel Watch Project will educate trip participants about marine acoustic pollution produced by large vessels in the Sanctuaries and the dangers these ships pose to our marine environment. Daylong trips to the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will bring you a closer connection to the whales and other marine life endangered by commercial vessels and oil tankers that use our Sanctuaries as a superhighway.

On these special trips, in addition to whale watching, you will monitor the acoustic environment with hydrophones; listen to the natural sounds of the sea (including whales!), as well as noise pollution generated by large vessels. You will also learn how to monitor vessel speed using “AIS” while monitoring transiting vessels.

After the trips Seaflow will post a record of our observations and the speed of observed cargo vessels, issue a press release, and produce a public notice concerning vessel traffic. The report, documenting the trip, will be posted on www.vesselwatchproject.org

For more information see Whale Trip Blog dated March 11, 2008. For reservations please call Seaflow at 415-229-9366 or email them at info@seaflow.org, or call SF Bay Whale Watching at 415-331-6267 or order online with SFBayWhaleWatching.com

Trip dates are: May 4, June 15, July 12, and August 3

The Farallon Islands are a National Wildlife Refuge, sparsely inhabited by scientists. To this day few humans have set foot on the islands because surrounding waters are rough, conditions are harsh, and there is not a natural cove in which to safely disembark. Yet the islands provide critical habitat for more than a quarter million breeding seabirds, the largest concentration of breeding seabirds within the contiguous United States.

The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. The sanctuary contains 26 federally listed endangered or threatened species, including seabirds such as Marbled Murrelets, and the Leatherback Sea Turtle. Part of the planet's only recovering Blue Whale population regularly feeds in the sanctuary. Northern Elephant Seals, California and Steller Sea Lions breed or feed here, and Northern Fur Seals have resumed breeding on the islands for the first time in over 150 years.

Gray Whales, Humpbacks, and Orcas pass through the sanctuary. Autumn brings White Sharks that famously come to the waters around the Farallon Islands to feed. The island area serves as "nursery" for the Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Rockfish, and everybody's favorite, the Tufted Puffin.

Safely aboard a Coast Guard certified vessel, your experienced captain and crew will provide part of the tour. An expert naturalist will also be on board to describe what you see. Every trip is different, nature is unscripted, but the view of the California coast is always stunning and the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge from below is unforgettable. Trips leave the dock at 8:00 am and return between 3 and 4 pm.