Whale watching trip to the Farallon Islands
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of going on one of the first boat trips to the Farallon Islands with the Oceanic Society this season. It was an incredible, all-day voyage, just 27-miles from San Francisco, but felt like a world away.
Find out more about whale watching to the Farallons at
Oceanic Society Whale Watching Trip with the Greater Farallones Association
1/30/2016, Off the Coast of Half Moon Bay, California
The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Greater Farallones Association Sanctuary Explorations took us on a Oceanic Society Whale Watch Trip off the coast of Half Moon Bay. Although we saw no Whales we befriended a pod of 100 - 200 Common Dolphins. They were either Long-Beaked Common Dolphins, Delphinus capensis, or Short-Beaked Common Dolphins, Delphinus delphis. Enjoy!
Song: A Good Day On the African Planes, Doug Maxwell - Happy Cinematic Music
Shot with a GoPro Hero 4 Silver in 2.7k, 30 fps, Protune in GoPro Color
Oceanic Society-Blue Whale at Farallon Islands.mov
This blue whale surfaced next to our whale watching boat near the Southeast Farallon Island, Saturday, June 16, 2012. We saw five blue whales, plus humpback and gray whales, and over a dozen harbor porpoises on this trip.
Huge blue whale. Close encounter near Farallon Islands, CA
oceanicsociety.org/whale. On one of our Saturday whale watching trips out of San Francisco to the Farallon Islands (June 16, 2012), we came across this enormous blue whale and enjoyed a close encounter as the whale swam directly under our boat. This was one of five blue whales seen on that whale watching tour. We also encountered humpback whales, gray whales, harbor porpoises, elephant seals, and dozens of seabirds including tufted puffins and thousands of common murres. An incredible day trip, just a few miles off the coast of San Francisco!
Whale watching at the Farallon Islands with Sue, Gary, Eve, Glenn.
Whale watching in the Gulf of the Farallones, on the boat OUTER LIMITS from SF Bay. Whale Watching... Gray Whales, Humpback Whales Playing, and Dolphins. These guys put you right on the action. Great crew, great day!!!
The Best Places for Whale Watching in California
Come and experience California’s year-round whale fest!
From the far north to the Mexican border, California’s pristine waters play center stage to much-loved visitors such as humpbacks and orcas, as well as gray whales, who follow the entire coast on their yearly migration.
California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Each year, about 20,000 gray whales make an epic 6,000-mile journey between Alaska and Mexico—and then back again. These massive, itinerant mammals travel from feeding grounds in the Bering Sea to mating and breeding lagoons along Baja California in Mexico. It’s one of the most amazing wildlife migrations on the planet, and also relatively easy for humans to witness, especially if you join a guided whale-watching cruise with knowledgeable crew on board. (In some locations, you can see whales spouting, breaching, and fluking from ocean bluffs, especially if you have binoculars.) While gray whales get the spotlight along the California coast, other cetaceans—including orcas, humpbacks, porpoises, dolphins, and gigantic blue whales—ply the waters at different times of year, bumping up your chances of seeing something amazing out there in the sea.
California is one of the few places where you can see whales year-round. From San Francisco in the north to San Diego in the south, these giants of the deep migrate up and down the coast, providing humans with one of the greatest shows on Earth. It’s easy to spot passing whales with the naked eye from California’s many points which jut out into the Pacific Ocean, however, nothing comes close to the thrill of seeing these majestic beasts up close out on the water. The most common species in Californian waters are gray whales, which make an astonishing 10,000-mile (16,090-kilometer) round trip each year between their feeding grounds in the Arctic and the warmer breeding and calving lagoons of Mexico. Off San Francisco and Monterey Bay, humpback and blue whales appear year-round, while blue, sperm, beaked, minke whales and orcas appear seasonally.
1. Eureka
Located on the shores of Humboldt Bay, Eureka, CA is the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland. Outdoor recreation is abundant, with activities like boating, sport fishing, kayaking, and whale watching all available close by. To see the whales from the water, charter a boat or take a kayak tour out of Trinidad Harbor. There are also countless sites to whale watch from land. The best ones are located high on the cliffs of Shelter Cove, Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, Patrick’s Point State Park, and Table Bluff.
2. Mendocino
The quaint, coastal village of Mendocino is a beloved whale watching destination. There are plenty of great lookout points in the area, including Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, Point Arena Lighthouse, and Mendocino Headlands State Park. You can even whale watch at the annual Whale Festival in March. It’s a wonderful event that features whale exhibits, educational lectures, and delicious fare from local restaurants.
3. The Bay Area
The waters bordering San Francisco are a seasonal hotspot for whale migrations. Humpback whales, blue whales, and gray whales have all been spotted here. The Oceanic Society offers full and half-day guided tours to the Farallon Islands, and San Francisco Whale Tours provides whale watching adventures year-round. It’s always a good time to visit!
The Washington Square Inn is ideally situated in San Francisco’s legendary North Beach neighborhood. It’s just a short cable car ride from Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Coit Tower, China Town, Union Square, and Telegraph Hill. No matter where you end up, the inn’s friendly staff is dedicated to making your vacation as comfortable and relaxing as possible.
4. Monterey
The Monterey Submarine Canyon in Monterey, CA, is a deep water canyon system that provides many benefits to year-round whale watching. Killer whales use the canyon as hunting grounds throughout the year, and humpback whales, blue whales, and a variety of dolphins and sea lions feed here in the summer months. Visitors can charter a boat out of the wharf for an up-close look at these incredible species.
Blue whales are the largest mammal ever known to have lived on Earth. They can stretch up to 100 feet and can weigh more than 200 tons. Can you just take a second to imagine what that looks like to see a whale of that size spouting out air and water some 9 meters in the air? Envision this massive creature appearing on one side of your little whale-watching boat and popping up on the other. Realize how it could tip you into the water if it wanted to. And when you go whale watching in California? You don’t even have to imagine. You’ll have the chance to see this living giant, along with a host of other creatures, in real life.
More Video * Mirissa whale Watching Boat Tours -
Large number of whales spotted near San Fransisco
They are the largest animals in the world, yet they largely remain hidden. But this season, tour groups have been reporting unusually high numbers of whales close to the Farallon Islands near San Francisco. CCTV's Mark Niu set forth on a whale watching voyage.
Blue Whales at Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Blue whales off the farallon Islands. Join us on an expedition to see them and other wildlife at Sharkstewards.org
Humpback whales near San Francisco - May 20, 2017
These three humpback whales were seen between San Francisco and the Farallon Islands on our May 20, 2017 whale watching trip. For more information:
Humpback Whales - Farallon Islands, CA - May 28, 2012
6 Humpback Whales spotted *very* close to the Farallon Islands - Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary. Whale watching tour with 'San Francisco Whale Tours' - they donate a percentage of their annual profits to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as well as other local marine conservation efforts.
Great White Shark At Ocean Beach, San Francisco
Max Bernardo punching sharks and imparting wisdom in this classic Sharknado.
WEST Killer whales go on 'unprecedented' killing spree off California
Scientists called the killing spree in the area “unprecedented.” In the case of the gray whale calf, sightseers on a whale watching tour had front-row seats during the hunt. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that whale watchers have been able to see, firsthand, hunts that are usually only seen in productions.
“This has never happened in my thirty years, Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, told The Chronicle. Just to witness that out in nature when you usually see that kind of thing on television is really spectacular.
Monterey Bay historically is a favorite spot for orcas to intercept migrating gray whales
Farallon Island Marine Animals
This collection of clips was shot on Father's Day 2015, 45 miles west of the Golden Gate. In a highly unusual event a full day of watching marine animals peaked when our boat was literally surrounded by normally solitary Pacific Blue Whales. At one point the Captain just shut the boat down and 25 inidivdual Blues were identified. This clip is just a sampling of what was seen that day. My message- Support the Oceanic Society and their marine conservation efforts.
Fishing Boat Dragged For Miles By Great White Shark On San Francisco Bay
A fishing expedition on the San Francisco Bay turned into a shark thriller. Betty Yu says when they accidentally hooked a great white, it dragged their boat for miles.
Farallon Islands sailing from San Francisco - August 28, 2016
All day trip from the Marina to the Farallon Islands by The Oceanic Society. Saw ten humpbacks, two blue whales and two fin whales. Also, Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, cormorants, common murres, tufted puffins. Song from YouTube recording of Randy Dandy Oh by Johnny Colins.
Man Catches Great White Shark In San Francisco Bay
The shark was estimated to be 6-8 feet long.
Humpback Whales Surfacing Near the Farallon Islands
A pair of Humpback Whales seen just south of the Farallon Islands on May 31, 2015, with the Oceanic Society.
Whale Watching
A whale watching boat trip along the San Francisco Bay spotting a couple of humpback whales feeding along the Crissy Field area. I was able to capture one of them we were able to see the one close to the boat rising to the surface and blowing few times before lifitng the flukes and disappearing on their long dives. This naturalist expert-guided cruises are provided by the Oceanic Society.
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Farallons Tour July 2018
An adventure awaits just 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco. Welcome to the Farallon Islands!
All video C. 2018 TSZ Enterprises. All rights reserved.
Music courtesy of YouTube's Audio Library.
Gray Whale Encounter in Half Moon Bay, CA on March 22, 2015
This incredible video was captured by Bobby Gendron, a passenger aboard our Half Moon Bay whale watching trip on Sunday, March 22, 2015. After spotting a group of gray whales at the surface a couple hundred yards away, the boat stopped and cut off the engines to observe. What happened next was nothing short of amazing.
The group of whales was so deeply engaged in mating behavior that they were seemingly oblivious to our boat and drafted to within a couple feet of our vessel, the Salty Lady. The encounter lasted for a full half hour before the whales disappeared beneath the surface. Make sure to watch all the way until the end!
Learn more about our San Francisco area whale watching programs at: