Whale Watching at the Farallon Islands

Please join SF Bay American Cetacean Society chapter and The Oceanic Society for a whale of a time Whale Watching at the Farallon Islands!

The Farallon Islands, just 27 miles off San Francisco, lie amid the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, a food-rich marine ecosystem that attracts whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds each summer and fall, to feed and to breed. Researchers have catalogued hundreds of individual humpbacks and blue whales as seasonal feeding residents. Twenty three species of marine mammals, including eighteen  species of whales and dolphins, can be found here.

The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is the largest seabird rookery in the contiguous United States with nesting Tufted Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murres and other species. Migratory seabirds such as Shearwaters, Jaegers, and Phalaropes are also attracted by these nutrient-rich waters.  Island coves and beaches are covered with sea lions, including massive Steller's sea lions, currently on the Endangered Species List and recently proposed for delisting.

Each trip is led by an expert naturalist who assists with locating whales, identifying seabirds and other marine life, and who provide informative presentations throughout the trip on the islands and marine ecology of the area.

Go to http://www.oceanic-society.org/whalereservations to sign up and for full Trip Information. Oceanic Society is being very gracious in giving SF Bay ACS members a 10% discount and 10% will go to SF Bay Area American Cetacean Society chapter Student Travel Grant Awards fund!  800-326-7491,   415-256-9604 (San Francisco area)

You MUST TELL THEM you are with SF BAY ACS chapter to receive the 10% DISCOUNT. Whale watching cruises depart from San Francisco at 8:00am, and from Sausalito at 7:15 a.m. aboard the 56-foot Salty Lady, a Coast Guard certified boat.  Free parking is available from both departure points. Farallon Islands whale watching participants will receive a free DVD, FarallonIslands: Past, Present and Future. Produced by the Oceanic Society in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the film provides a virtual walking tour of the islands, introducing the viewer to the islands' researchers, refuge staff and former residents as they provide first-hand insights about the wildlife, history , and current conservation efforts. The DVD will be distributed aboard the vessel.

Look forward to seeing you on the water!