SF BAY ADVENTURES Trip to the Farallones and Beyond, 18 July, 2004

Vessel "Superfish".With less than a ¼ mile of visibility on our journey to the Southeast Farallon Islands we were able to smell the islands before even seeing them! Although they were enshrouded in fog we were still able to see the multitudes of birds, seals and sea lions covering the rocks. Just as we were about to leave we sighted a Gray whale and after spending some time with this whale we ventured off into more fog and much deeper water. Suddenly, the fog lifted and we were treated to incredible vistas of bright sunshine and deep blue water. We searched for wildlife heading north for awhile and then looped around and headed south and when we were about five nm from the Farallones (still completely enveloped in fog) we were treated to one of nature's most spectacular sights - six blue whales! The spectacular colors of the water and the reflections of the light off the light gray bodies of the blue whales while submerged just beneath the surface were truly unforgettable! Just as we thought we had seen all there was to see for one day, we encountered yet another large whale, the Humpback, on our way back to San Francisco!

Report By: Carol Keiper, Marine Biologist/Naturalist

We have added 3 special longer trips out past the Farallon Islands on July 25th and August 1st and 22nd. They will be narrated by Carol Keiper and we will be looking for Blue Whales. Full Schedule resumes in August.(see expedition schedule)


SIGHTINGS TRIP REPORT:

SEABIRDS MARINE MAMMALS OTHER
Brown pelican Steller sea lion Ocean sunfish
Caspian tern California sea lion Moon jelly
Forster's tern Elephant seal Brown jelly
Western gull Harbor sealLion's mane jelly
Heerman's gull Harbor porpoise
Double-crested cormorant Gray whale
Brandt's cormorant Humpback whale
Pelagic cormorant Blue whale
Common murre
Cassin's auklet
Rhinoceros auklet
Pigeon guillimot
Tufted puffin
Parasitic jaeger
Red-necked phalarope
Northern fulmar
Sooty shearwater
Pink-footed shearwater
Black-footed albatross