Farallon Islands Whale Watching From San Francisco. Overview. Our 2. 01. Farallon Islands whale watching season us underway and we are seeing lots of whales Click here for trip dates and reservations. Whale Watching Season Mendocino Ca' title='Whale Watching Season Mendocino Ca' />The Farallon Islands, just 2. San Francisco, lie amid the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, a food rich marine ecosystem that attracts whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions and seabirds each summer and fall to feed and to breed. Researchers have catalogued hundreds of individual humpback and blue whales as seasonal feeding residents. Migratory seabirds such as Shearwaters, Jaegers, and Phalaropes are also attracted by these nutrient rich waters. Island beaches are covered with sea lions, including massive Steller sea lions, now on the Endangered Species List. Your participation in our whale watching trips helps fund our global ocean conservation programs and local programs including whale entanglement response. Guide to whale watching in California includes when and where to go, what to bring with you, and what you will see. Whale watch and nature cruises with the Graham Family on Brier Island. Includes tour details, vessel and crew information, photos, and information about their guesthouse. Whale Watchers at Point Reyes. Engaging in the longest migration of any mammal, the California gray whale Eschrichtius robustus swims 16,000 kilometers 10,000. Whale_MicheleW_preview_686x885.jpg' alt='Whale Watching Season Mendocino Ca' title='Whale Watching Season Mendocino Ca' />Moreover, we use our whale watching cruises as an opportunity to collect photographic identification data on whales, which we share with a network of researchers throughout the eastern Pacific. You can see our recently photographed whales on Happywhale. Through our whale watching trips, we also help transport biologists and staff members to and from the Farallon Islands in support of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Point Blue Conservation Science. Learn more about Oceanic Society here. Trip Details. Our full day 8 hour whale watching cruises depart from San Francisco at 8 0. AM, and from Sausalito at 6 4. AM aboard the 5. 6 foot. Salty Lady, a Coast Guard certified vessel, on Saturdays and Sundays, and select Fridays, from mid May through November. The trip price is 1. Parking is free. Check in time is at 7 3. AM, the boat leaves promptly at 8 0. AM. You will return to this dock at approximately 4 0. PM. Check in time is at 6 3. AM, and the boat leaves promptly at 6 4. AM. Parking is free. You will return to this dock at approximately 5 0. PM. In order to visit the whale. At the islands we take time to observe wildlife which may include seabirds, seals and sea lions, whales, and occasional great white sharks, sea turtles. Mola molas, and more. Weather permitting, we may also visit the Continental Shelf to search for deep water whales. Our captains are experienced in nature cruises and committed to marine conservation. Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also advised. Alcohol is discouraged, but not prohibited. Backpacks are fine, but please, no coolers due to space limitations. Children under the age of 1. We also see California sea lions, harbor seals, northern fur seals, Steller sea lions, and harbor porpoises regularly throughout the season. Less frequently we encounter Pacific white sided dolphins, Rissos dolphins, Dalls porpoises, northern elephant seals, and Mola molas ocean sunfish, and occasionally we encounter great white sharks and thresher sharks. We also see orcas killer whales and leatherback sea turtles on rare occasions. Bird activity at the islands is highest from May through early July, which is the breeding season, and general bird diversity is best from early August to late October, when many migratory seabirds are also present. I can definitely recommend this trip Wow what a wonderful experienceYou will get to spend eight hours with guides who know the best places to spot whales, especially humpback and blue whales that are common in the area. SF Gate. The Farallon Islands are just 2. San Francisco and the ticket to this classic adventure is aboard the nonprofit Oceanic Societys. Salty Lady, a 5. 6 foot long whale watching boat equipped with friendly staff and a naturalist whos a virtual water borne Wikipedia. Weekend Sherpa. The Oceanic Society runs top notch, naturalist led, ocean going weekend boat trips sometimes to the Farallon Islands during both whale migration seasons. Lonely Planet. Recent Sightings. Farallon Islands Whale Watch Sightings May 2. Upon departure from the dock on our May 2. Farallon Islands whale watching trip, our captain spotted a lone humpback whale deep inside San Francisco Bay, near Sausalito, setting the stage for a great day The morning fog restricted our visibility to just a few hundred yards, but we were still able to spot another humpback just west of the. Passengers enjoyed crisp views of the Golden Gate Bridge as we passed under the northern portion of the 1. Without the usual morning fog, visibility was excellent and we made our first sighting a few miles outside of San Francisco Bay. It was a single humpback whale that surfaced several times around the boat. The whale eventually moved on and spouted behind us. At 8 4. 8am we came. We were able to tell the two apart only. After a brief description of this creature, our trip began in search of whales and the Farallon Islands. These conditions. Farallon Islands and on the way we spotted. After observing this individual surfacing and. Upon closer examination we discovered it was. This particularly. About 5 minutes in, we spotted a lone humpback whale near Alcatraz Island. It was a brief encounter and this individual appeared to move out of the area on a deep dive. However, as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge, we spotted. Were happy to report that the whales are still there. This individual continued to feed for over 1. During this sighting, we witnessed. Pt. They periodically leapt up and out of the water and. After a quick pass near Alcatraz, we made our way out of the bay toward the Farallon Islands. About 2. 0 minutes in, we saw a blow and there was a humpback whale moving south between us and the Golden Gate bridge. Within 5 minutes of leaving port, we came across two adult humpback whales feeding on anchovies near the Golden Gate Bridge. After a deep dive, they surfaced about 3. We were fortunate to have photojournalist and long time Oceanic Society friend Jaymi Heimbuch who will be leading our Southeast Alaska Cruise next July on board to capture the image below. The group first saw 2 humpbacks with a third in the distance. The boat followed the humpbacks to the islands, seeing blows and. The boat departed, circled Alcatraz and saw sea lions lounging at Pier 3. The boat headed 1. NW of Point Bonita and zig zagged around, finding a total of 6 humpback whales during two encounters. NNW of Point Bonita and the sightings were a. The skipper turned north before Pt. Bonita and found humpback whales feeding on the other side of the entrance, near the light. The whales were feeding, rolling and breaching, and the boat stayed for an. Passengers immediately saw 5 bottlenose dolphins outside the St. Francisco Yacht Club moving toward Alcatraz. There were 1. 5 humpback whales along with harbor porpoises feeding just 6 miles west of Point Bonita. At the islands, they saw fur seals, California and Steller sea lions. The wind was 1. 5 2. The captain turned off the engine just 6 miles outside the Golden Gate, when 6 humpback whales came within 5. In spite of the weather, it was a good trip. California sea lions were porpoising all the way out to the islands. The group headed out in very calm weather that started out partially overcast but cleared later. Winds were 0 6 knots, with seas of 2 4 feet. The group encountered 1. Muir Beach. Passengers had excellent views of the whales. Because the water was. Nashville Season 2 Episode 11 Tubeplus Shows. We immediately sighted a couple of harbor porpoises quickly. Captain Jared eased into Devils Cove. The whales were abundant. Passengers saw 1. The captain shut off the engine and the group watched for about 8. Saturdays boat headed straight out to Southeast Farallon Islands SEFI, with NW winds but south swell. Getting out of San Francisco Bay was choppy, but there was very little wind outside the bay and conditions improved greatly with some passengers describing the ocean conditions near the islands as glassy. High fog kept the. Passengers observed. Two very large Stellar sea lions chasing each other near Sugarloaf at Southeast Farallon Island.