Humpbacks Are Back

Photo by Naturalist  Ghislaine Alix Loree

After spending the winter in tropical waters, Humpback Whales migrate north to feed in food-rich northern seas. We miss them when they're south, so spotting the first Humpback in the spring is a delight. Humpback Whales are a favorite of many whale watchers, probably due to the show they put on - deep-dive flukes displays, flipper-slapping the surface ("whap!"), and, most thrilling - breaching (with what seems like bravado and joyful playfulness, although scientists have yet to figure out why they do these things).

Photo by Naturalist  Ghislaine Alix Loree

Photo by Naturalist  Ghislaine Alix Loree

SFBay Whale Watching naturalist Ghislaine Alix Loree, who also took these images, narrates a recent trip:

 "On our way out to the Farallon Islands, we enjoyed the lounging Harbor Seals and the many birds like Cormorants, Western Grebes and Gulls. Once we got to the Islands, we encountered a Gray Whale that we enjoyed watching for a while. 


The Islands and the surrounding water were teaming with birds like Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Tufted Puffins and lots of Surf Scooters. A small pod of Dall's porpoises followed underneath our boat for a minute or two. Then we noticed far off in the distance a Whale that seemed to be breaching over and over again." 

Photo by Naturalist  Ghislaine Alix Loree

"The boat took off in that direction to get a better look. What followed was a show of all shows. It was two Humpback Whales and one seemed to be "showing off" to the other. The one Whale would roll on its back and do what seemed like the backstroke, slapping it's enormous flippers down on the surface. After about a minute of that, the Whale would dive down with a spectacular tail flip and soon come bursting out of the water with a spectacular breach! 

This was repeated over and over again to the delight of everyone. As we all thought that it couldn't get much better, we were silenced by the magical sound of Whale song! It didn't last long but we all knew that we just experienced something really special. To have such a unique experience is something that I will never forget!...Ghislaine Alix Loree"

Photos and narration by Ghislaine Alix Loree. Blog by Kathleen Jacques.

SFBay Whale Watching Highlights - Winter 2011-2012 (part 2)

Photo by Ghislaine Alix Loree

Winter whale watching at the Farallones - always a surprise.  A nice surprise indeed when the ocean takes on the reflected blue of the sky.  A different kind of surprise when a White Shark is spotted lunching on a sea lion. It's not so common to spot sharks in the winter; soon they'll move away from the island for another feeding area.

Photo by Juli Elliot from aboard the New Pete out of Half Moon Bay

Our SFBay Whale Watching naturalist, Ghislaine Alix Loree, recalls a memorable winter trip:"January 15, 2012 Sunday morning: a super clear but chilly morning and out we went again for another adventure out to the Farallon Islands and beyond! We stopped for a while to watch the lazy Harbor Seals just lounging about on the rocks outside the Golden Gate Bridge. There were many Gulls following our boat as we headed out to the Islands and lots of Brown Pelicans too. It was a bit choppy and wet getting out there, but nothing that we haven't seen before. Just then a quickly moving pod of Harbor Porpoises darted by us so quickly we could barely get a shot of them."

Photo by passenger Julie Joliat from Switzerland

"Although it took a little bit longer to get out to the Islands, we were richly rewarded with Whales, glorious Grays. At first just a spout, then more spouts and then more. It's hard to tell how many there were, but there had to have been at least 8-10 individuals. The Captain then noticed a small group that he respectfully followed around for a bit while we all got some great tail and spout shots. They then just disappeared. Only for us to come across another group of 3."

SFBay Whale Watchers as photographed by Juli Elliot from aboard the New Pete

"Even the Captain thought that we were watching some unusual behavior. One of the smaller Whales was just kind of rolling around, sticking it's flipper out of the water, generally looking like it was just having fun! There were also some Sea Lions that we saw, but many more that we heard there barks on the wind. Cormorants and Murres seemed to be everywhere, but no Puffins, Aucklets or Albatrose this time. The weather cleared up as the waves continued to swell. It made for a wet and wild ride on the way home, but the clear sky made the Golden Gate Bridge look even more spectacular! Another beautiful day out on the Bay and beyond!

Photo by Ghislaine Alix Loree

Carol Keiper, senior naturalist, provides a detailed report of another winter trip: "At the very beginning of our trip today we had epic weather conditions - sunny, warm, very little wind and swell, and excellent visibility!  It was so great to be able to see our spectacular California coastline and to see the Farallones almost all the way out!"  

3 photos above by passenger Sandra Weins 

"Heading out under the Golden Gate Bridge is always a great adventure and on our way out on our Sunday trip we were treated to a predator/prey event just beyond the bridge. We first sighted some western and Heermannn’s gulls soaring around some splashing and as we glued our eyes to the splashing we saw an adult male California sea lion fully engaged in shaking a large salmon held tightly in his strong jaws and teeth!  They don’t have teeth for chewing, only for gripping and tearing prey that are too large to swallow whole. He thrashed and shook its head with the fish held in its vice-grip teeth and the gulls were swirly overhead to be ready to feast on some small pieces.  How do we know it was a large male? Mature males have a sagital crest on top of their head that gets lighter in color as they get older. This has muscles attached to it that anchor their strong jaw muscles used to seize and dismember their prey which we saw that in action!"

Photo by Ghislaine Alix Loree

"Our next highlights were a few harbor porpoise and spectacular views of the Southeast Farallon Islands with a wonderful view of jagged rocks and arches.  We were able to see hundreds of seals and sea lions along with a seasonal resident gray whale.  As we headed further offshore, towards the continental shelf break, we had a few humpback whale sightings. Two of the humpbacks were on a mission – following a highly directional heading with extreme precision and as they were traveling southeast we were able to parallel their ‘straight as an arrow’ course. We also saw a few Mola molas and jellies and seabirds most of which were local year-round residents, except for the species from New Zealand – the Buller’s shearwater!"  

Photo by Ghislaine Alix Loree

"We saw western grebes, western gulls, California gulls, Heermann’s gulls, brown pelicans, a black oyster catcher, common murres, Cassin’s auklets, double-crested cormorants, Brandt’s cormorants, pelagic cormorants, and peregrine falcons!  As we were heading towards the mainland coast, just a bit east of Southeast Farralon island, our grand finale was being in the company of about a dozen Risso’s dolphins that were milling about and then proceeded in a chorus-line swimming behavior, traveling side by side, as they were most likely searching for the favorite prey – octopus and squid. Risso’s dolphins occur in waters 400 to 100 meters in all of the world’s oceans both in tropical and warm temperate seas"  

Photo by Ghislaine Alix Loree

"We were able to have excellent views of their very broad pale and heavily scarred body, including their tall dorsal fins and bulbous heads.  From the side views they appear to have a permanent smile with a distinct similarity to beluga whales.  It was truly a wonderful adventure beyond the Golden Gate!"

Photo by Ghislaine Alix Loree

Thank you to all our passengers who were kind enough to share their wonderful photos, and to our naturalists for bringing  us along for the ride, even when we reluctantly stayed ashore.

Blog by Kathleen Jacques. Photos and narration as attributed.

SFBay Whale Watching Highlights - Winter 2011 - 2012 (part 1)

October 2011 - From SFBAY Whale Watching naturalist Alisa Keenan (all photos courtesy of passenger Tom Roth "I had SUCH A GREAT TIME! I had a couple of dolphins completely out of the water. Thanks!"):

“Yesterday's trip was sensational in terms of sightings! We had fantastic weather at the islands; saw a pod of Risso's dolphins, along with our resident gray whale. The water was teeming with jellyfish and we saw a variety of Mola mola [ed note; Kate Jacques: “Ocean Sunfish”, can grow to 3 meters in length and weigh over 2 tons!] ranging in size from just larger than a dinner plate to 2-3 feet across!”

“At the shelf we were fortunate to spot about 5 or 6 black-footed albatross, along with another incredibly rare sighting- a critically endangered leatherback sea turtle! I had never seen one, and Bob said it's the first time he'd seen a turtle of any kind in 4 years. It was large- about 3 feet across the shell and had a head the size of a football. The water temperature was a balmy 58 degrees, which may explain why we saw so many temperate-tropical water species out there.”

October 2011 – From SFBAY Whale Watching naturalist Ghislaine Alix Loree:

“It was foggy at first, but we had a nice view of the Bridge. There was an abundance of Harbor Seals loafing on the rocks just past the bridge. Alongside them were many birds such as pelicans, Cormorants and Gulls. It was unusually smooth getting out to the Islands and when we did we spotted a beautiful Gray Whale. I believe it was the same one that I saw last time. Rumor had it that this whale had decided that she liked it there and was going to stay a while.

We followed around a couple of small Sunfish (Mola mola) having fun on the surface, but I was wondering where all the Sea Lions were. The Captain laughed and replied, "they're smart, it's Great White season!" We never saw a shark, but we were lucky enough to see a few Humpback Whales playing in the distance, a few close enough to hear there blow-hole sounds, and we even got the gift of a breaching whale! Who could ask for more?”

October 2011 - From SFBAY Whale Watching naturalist Alisa Keenan:

“Sunday's trip blessed us with seas that were flat as a pancake. We crossed our fingers, hoping the wildlife would cooperate just the same. We were fortunate to be leaving the Golden Gate as the tide was coming in, and the pesky marine fog was nowhere to be seen. An incoming tide usually attracts Harbor Porpoise, and we were almost instantly surrounded by a multitude of these small cetaceans. After a brief stop in Bonita Cove to check out the Harbor Seals, we were on our way to the Farallon Islands.”

“Upon reaching the islands after a smooth and steady 2-hour journey, we almost immediately encountered our resident Gray Whale. The normally shy whale ventured within twenty yards of our boat, giving us a good look at his charming barnacle-encrusted features. Suddenly, we caught word on the radio about a pair of Humpback Whales traveling by the North Farallones- and were soon on our way to find them.”

“Up ahead, two familiar jet-black dorsal fins simultaneously pierced the glassy ocean surface, and towering blows roared from gasping blowholes. Two large Humpbacks were on the move, and we followed them from a distance- watching as they surfaced and dove over and over, exposing their fantastic dark gray and white flukes.”

“Off to the north, a small splash caught my eye. Others saw glimpses of several dorsal fins, gone almost as quickly as they had came. Within fifteen minutes, we found ourselves surrounded by pod of about thirty Pacific White-Sided Dolphins! This gregarious species loves to seek out boats in order to ride their bow waves, so we momentarily left the humpbacks and kicked the Outer Limits into gear. Playful dolphins rode all around us, surfacing just close enough to touch, much to the delight of the passengers.”

“In addition to the Pacific White-Sides, a large flock of Pink-Footed and Sooty Shearwaters encircled us, and a feisty California Sea Lion approached our boat, twirling and surfacing in an effortless acrobatic display. The ocean around us was teeming with multiple marine species on or above its surface. Just imagine how many more creatures were dwelling just beneath the waves! One final go with the dolphins, and we turned to head back to the mainland.”

“Not to be outdone, a Black-Footed Albatross soared overhead; a group of about five dinner plate-sized ocean sunfish slapped the surface with their pectoral fins, and a large group of California Sea Lions porpoised by, likely to be heading out to sea to forage. Our whale watching journey, embellished with taxa of all shapes and sizes, was yet another unforgettable journey within the diverse and flourishing waters of the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary.”

September 2011 – From SFBAY Whale Watching naturalist Ghislaine Alix Loree:

“As we set out to sea, our boat was most pleasantly surprised by three of the cutest Harbors Seals just hanging out on the docks, checking us out as we left the marina. There were also plenty of Sea Lions, frolicking about along our way out to the Farallon Islands. A real treat was a small pod of Risso's Dolphins that went by us very quickly. They looked like tiny orcas! But the day was really "for the birds"! No, really, it was like all the players were there. The puffins, auklets, albatrosses, murres and many, many more! We did see a few whales, mostly Humpbacks in the distance and also a graceful Gray that just sort of lingered about! It's always magical just to get a glimpse!”

Back in port after the adventure. Special thanks to passenger Tom Roth for his terrific images!

Blog by Kathleen Jacques

Pacific White-Sided Dolphins Steal the Show

A breaching Humpback Whale, leaping up and out of the water seemingly for sheer joy, is a sight you'll never forget. But a breaching Humpback Whale surrounded by a leaping pod of Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, now that takes your breath away! Naturalist Alisa Keenan, describes this very scene on a recent trip; phenomenal photos thanks to Chester Clark (wow Chet!)

"The further we ventured out into deeper water, the more wildlife appeared out of the blue to greet us. As we parted ways with our resident gray whale just outside of Maintop Bay on Southeast Farallon island, we were greeted with a large pod of Risso's dolphins, a rather large ocean sunfish, and several brightly colored tufted puffins."

"Further out towards the continental shelf, a magnificent black-footed albatross soared overhead, amongst the hoards of sooty shearwaters and porpoising California sea lions. The real treat was catching up with an enormous pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins, who cruised off of our bow wave for nearly an hour as we searched the horizon for whale blows."

"After tracking down a pair of humpbacks, we all saw something that I've not yet seen but always dreamed of witnessing: transiting humpback whales with Pacific white-sided dolphins frolicking off of their bow. Seeing these two very different cetacean species interacting was truly a delight."

"To top off an already wonderful trip, we encountered an excited humpback, who breached about four times in an impressive display of power and beauty. The pictures are incredible, as well as our experiences on the trip as a whole. Great weather, great wildlife sightings, and great people truly made this day unforgettable!"

Narration by Alisa Keenan. Photos by Chet Clark. Blog by Kathleen Jacques.

Four Blue Whales Sighted!

Senior Naturalist Carol Keiper narrates a spectacular recent Sunday trip. Lucky us, a terrific photographer, Joan Robins was on board to capture it all - special thanks to Joan! (www.joanrobins.com).


"Each adventure offshore always proves to be quite exciting! As we headed out under the Golden Gate Bridge we started our ocean adventure to the Farallon Islands with some spectacular sightings of dramatic plunge-diving brown pelicans! After capturing the fish they drain the water from their pouch, point their bill up and swallow the fish whole. Close by were Herrmann’s gulls and Western gulls waiting to steal some fish from the pelicans and several other surface divers, Brandt’s cormorants and common murres, and large flocks of Western grebes were also taking advantage of this patchy fish feast just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. "

"Next we started heading out to the Farallon Islands and about half way out, we were treated to one of nature’s most spectacular sightings – endangered blue whales! There were four blue whales, all about 70-80 ft, and changing direction frequenting (known as milling behavior) and Capt. Jim reported seeing krill on his depth sounder which indicated these whales were having a krill feast! Very tall blows (up to 30 ft!), very long backs, and then they also did some fluke-up dives which is rather rare for these whales, especially in relatively shallow water (<200ft)!"

"We had another exciting sighting when we arrived at the Southeast Farallon Islands! We saw thousands of nesting common murres on the very rocky slopes and cliffs. This is the time of the year when the adults and chicks will be getting ready to leave their nest site and start living on the ocean so they won’t be on the Farallones too much longer."




"Another whale sighting! This time we saw a seasonal resident gray whale very close to the shore near Saddle rock, and hopefully this juvenile was finding food because this is the time of the year when the large whales spend much of their time feeding in food-rich waters. Ocean conditions allowed us to circle the islands and cruise along the spectacular ocean carved north side and we headed further offshore towards the edge of the continental shelf where we found some breaching and fluke-up diving endangered humpback whales!"

"We also saw large flocks of Cassin’s auklets and half a dozen North Pacific Ocean wanderer, the Black-footed albatross! These masters of the wind did their dynamic soaring close to our boat and we were able to have a great view of their wing span which is over 6 ft! As we started heading back to the coast, our grand finale was sighting more blue whales! We were all so grateful about our timing, being in the right place at the right time, to witness the wonders of the marine environment. Marine birds and mammals are expert navigators and oceanographers, as well as amazing hunters that seek their shifting, very patchy prey resources across a seemingly faceless ocean. What a great pleasure to see the ocean in action!"

Narration by Naturalist Carol Keiper. Photos by Joan Robins. Blog by Kathleen Jacques.