Blue, Humpback, Gray Whales, Hundreds of Dolphins AND a Black-Footed Albatross!

Last Saturday and Sunday's trips were record breakers for us. Saturday we saw 22 Humpback Whales and 9 Blue Whales. Sunday, naturalist Alisa Keenan reported another astounding trip, her narrative follows. Enjoy these phenomenal photos from Richard Ross Aquatic Biologist from the Steinhart Aquarium - truly amazing scenes!



"The California Academy of Sciences passengers had an excellent ride out to the Farallones weather-wise- just some early morning fog and overcast skies that persisted throughout the trip. As we cruised through the Gate, some passengers spotted a harbor porpoise- our usual first cetacean of the day. As we approached the islands, the seas were calm enough for Captain Jimmy to cruise by the northwestern end and allow us to get a good look at the beautiful Murre Arch. Immediately overhead flew a pair of puffins- breeding plumage fading but still noticeably bright- and the wildlife spared me not ten minutes to talk about the islands' history before a gray whale blow was spotted in Maintop Bay, not far from where we were drifting."


"As we slowly made our way around the eastern end of the islands, another gray was spotted, this one a much smaller juvenile. The whale was very elusive and we did not stay with it long. Among the birds we saw by the islands were our usual suspects- pigeon guillemots, common murre, Brandt's cormorants, Cassin's auklets and western and California gulls."


"As we headed past the islands towards the Continental shelf, we suddenly saw activity on the horizon. As we approached, we quickly found ourselves surrounded by a fast moving, mixed pod of hundreds of Risso's and Northern right whale dolphins. The Northern right whale dolphins were a sight to behold- they are a very unique species of "finless" dolphin (lacking a dorsal fin) and humored themselves by riding our boat's bow wave."


"The larger Risso's dolphins also kept our attention by periodically breaching in an acrobatic display that revealed their beautiful gray skin and multiple scratches- a defining characteristic of this species. The large pod disappeared as quickly as it had come, but the excitement was only just beginning!"


"As we approached the drop-off, we spotted two to three humpbacks that appeared to be resting as they were neither diving nor traveling in any particular direction. As we watched them, a black-footed albatross soared overhead, a real delight for our passengers. As I began to talk about the rarity of these magnificent birds, another two albatross appeared! It was remarkable. One even landed on the water just yards from our boat, another truly rare sight as these birds are famous for their extensive migrations during which they seldom land."


"Joining the humpbacks and albatross came a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins- our third dolphin species sighted that day. They rode our bow wave as we took in the incredible sight of whales, dolphins, albatross and open ocean."


"As it came time for us to head back to the mainland, it was merely miles east of the islands where we witnessed our most incredible sighting thus far- a feeding frenzy involving a dozen or more humpback whales. Everywhere we turned we saw humpbacks, surfacing with gigantic mouths agape. So close were we to the whales that one could easily see the barnacles on the tips of their flukes, or the baleen plates hanging from their open and engorging jaws."


"Feeding activity is among the most entertaining of humpback whale behavior in the Gulf of the Farallones, as it involves a lot of rolling, lunging and tail slapping which allows us to see parts of the whale which are otherwise submerged. During this feeding frenzy, the whales were regularly waving their long pectoral flippers in the air, splashing, lifting their incredible flukes and surfacing with mouthfuls of seawater and krill. Even a large container ship that cruised by, slicing through a field of feeding humpbacks, only altered their behavior briefly before they continued feeding. This trip was truly one for the record books. I hope that the experience was just as enjoyable for our passengers as it was for me!"


Photos by Richard Ross. Narration by Alisa Keenan. Blog by Kathleen Jacques.