2005 Whale Sightings: Farallon Islands

WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 24-25, 05

September 24th . Our Saturday trip encountered up to 15 harbor porpoises near the Golden Gate Bridge. Near the Farallon Islands we came upon at least five giant sunfish, or Mola Mola, plus California sea lions, Northern sea lions, and harbor seals.. Our bird sightings included grebes, shearwaters, pelicans, cormorants, surf scoters, phalaropes, gulls, common terns, and murres.

September 25th. Sunday's trip encountered about 20 harbor porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge, and five humpback whales scattered around the Farallones: two groups of two and a single whale which came to within 50 yards of the boat. The whales stayed with our boat for over an hour. We also encountered California sea lions, Northern sea lions, Stellers sea lions, a great sighting of a Northern fur seal, and a small group of harbor seals. Bird sightings included loons, grebes, shearwaters, pelicans, petrels, cormorants, gulls, murres, guillemots, auklets, and puffins.

WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 10-11, 05

Our Saturday trip first encountered about a half dozen harbor porpoises near the Golden Gate Bridge. As we approached the Farallon Islands, we came upon 5 to 6 humpback whales that came close to the boat providing exceptionally good views. As we continued, we were joined by a group of up to 8 Risso's dolphins, and throughout the trip we encountered an estimated 600 or more California sea lions. . Our bird sightings included loons, black-footed albatross, shearwaters, cormorants, oystercatchers, phalaropes, pelicans, gulls, murres, guillemots, auklets, and puffins.

Sunday's trip encountered up to 4 harbor porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge. Again as we approached the Farallon Islands, we came upon 5 humpback whales, two pairs and a single, which surfaced next to the boat and stayed with us for over a half-hour. We also encountered a small group of about a dozen Risso's dolphins, along with sightings of California sea lions, Steller's lions, harbor seals, and northern fur seals. Our bird sightings included shearwaters, pelicans, cormorants, oystercatchers, phalaropes, gulls, murres, guillemots, auklets, and puffins..

WEEKEND OF AUGUST 20-21, 05

Our Saturday trip aboard Huli Cat first encountered up to 25 harbor porpoises near the Golden Gate Bridge. Near the Farallon Islands we came upon 22 to 30 humpback whales feeding on bait fish and accompanied by at least 100 California sea lions and numberous gulls. We stayed in the area for nearly two hours watching the whales breaching and lunge feeding. On this trip we also encountered northern elephant seals Steller ea lions, northern fur seals, and harbor seals. Our bird sightings included Laysan albatross, shearwaters, storm petrels, pelicans, cormorants, oystercatchers, gulls, terns, murres, guillemots, auklets and puffins.

Sunday's trip aboard Wacky Jacky also encountered harbor porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge, and at the Farallone Islands we came upon two groups of humpback whales; one group of about 10 was lunge feeding and we stayed with them for about 45 minutes; the second group was estimated at 40 whales accompanied by many sea lions and numerous gulls. On this trip we also encountered California sea lions, Steller sea lions, and harbor seals. Our bird sightings included shearwaters, pelicans, cormorants, phalaropes, murres, guillemots, auklets, and puffins.

WEEKEND OF AUGUST 13-14, 05

Saturday's trip aboard Huli Cat first ensighted up to 30 harbor porpoises near the Golden Gate Bridge. Just as we arrived at the Farallon Islands we came upon one California gray whale that stayed close to us for about 20 minutes. A few miles west of the Farallones we sighted a small group of humpback whales which stayed with us for about 20 minutes. Our trip also encountered up to 40 Risso's dolphins and 10 Northern Right Whale Dolphins, all of which rode the bow for some period. Near the Farallones we also encountered an ocean sunfish, 2 northern elephant seals, California sea lions, and a variety of birds including Black-footed albatross, shearwaters, pelicans, cormorants, oystercatchers, phalaropes, gulls, murres, guillemots, auklets and tufted puffins.

Our Sunday trip aboard Wacky Jacky encountered nearly a dozen harbor porpoises, a Dallls porpoise, and 3 miles S.E. of the Farallones, we came upon up to 10 humpback whales feeding with a group of gulls and California sea lions. Our bird sightings included shearwaters, pelicans, cormorants, phalaropes, gulls, murres, guillemots, auklets, and tufted puffins.

WEEKEND OF JULY 30-31, 05

Saturday's trip encountered up to 30 harbor porpoises near the Golden Gate Bridge, and shortly thereafter, a small group of Dall's porpoises rode the bow of our boat for some distance. At the Farallon Islands, we came upon two California gray whales, one of which circled the boat while fluking, giving everyone an excellent look. Shortly afterwards, we encountered 13 humpback whales in small groups, including a mother with her calf. Some of the whales breached high out of the water. Our sightings also included blue sharks, and a rare sighting of a basking shark. Our bird sightings included shearwaters, cormorants, oystercatchers, phalaropes, wandering tattlers, gulls, terns, murres, guillemots, auklets and puffins.

Our Sunday trip encountered up to 500 harbor porpoises just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. At the Farallon Islands we came across a single gray whale, then a group of 8 humpback whales tail-lobbing and slapping the water with their large flippers. We could see up to 20 more humpbacks in the distance. Our sea bird sightings included shearwaters, petrels, cormorants, oystercatchers, jaegers, skuas, gulls, common murres, guillemots, suklets, and puffins.

SPECIAL REPORT

Whale watchers on Oceanic Society’s Farallon Islands excursion boat Salty Lady received a once-in-a-lifetime view into a killer whale predation "episode". On a routine week-end whale watching trip, the Salty Lady came across a pod of five killer whales (orca) in the midst of harassing a dying juvenile sea lion.

The orca pod included one large female with two juveniles and two calves. "It appeared an adult female was teaching the young orcas how to pursue and kill their prey," theorized trip leader Peter Winch. "It was an unforgettable experience."

The sea lion appeared almost dead but with no open wounds. Some members of the pod tail-slapped in the direction of the sea lion, and then individual orcas charged up to the sea lion and nudge it repeatedly. The orcas would also "spyhopped" repeatedly, slowly rising out of the water head first, to about the lever of its pectoral flippers, and then gradually sinking back down under the surface in order to take a quick look at the surroundings. The orcas repeated this activity for over 50 minutes. Participants on the boat did not witness the actual killing and eating of the unfortunate sea lion which may have happened after the vessel departed.

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the largest members of the dolphin family. They are easily distinguishable from other dolphins by a prominent dorsal fin, up to five feet high in adult males, and a large white saddle behind the dorsal fin. They inhabit all oceans, and females grow to 21 feet while males to 28 feet. They are adept a locating and consuming a wide range of prey, even other whales much larger than themselves, although a group effort is usually required to successfully feed on large prey.

In the eastern North Pacific, there are three recognizable types of killer whales: "resident," "transients," "offshores". Each type exhibits different home ranges, vocalizations, foraging patterns and dietary preferences. Naturalist Peter Winch and whale watchers on board the vessel were able to obtain photographs of the group of five. Unless one has an extensive knowledge of killer whales, it is not possible to conclude which group an individual belongs to without clear photographs. Over the next couple of weeks, killer whale experts will review these images and try to classify the type the group may belong to.

Killer whales are rarely sighted in the Gulf of the Farallones but records of seasonal sightings do exist. The whale watchers also spotted five endangered humpback whales, which typically migrate to the area to feed on krill and schooling fishes. Thirty-three species of marine mammals thrive in surrounding nutrient rich waters of the Farallon Islands including blue whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Risso's and northern right whale dolphins.

WEEKEND OF JULY 23-24, 05

Four California gray whales feeding at the islands were encountered on Saturday, and our vessel WACKY JACKY stayed with them for over an hour. During the trip we also came upon a huge herd of Pacific whitesided dolphins, estimated at over 120 animals, many of which leaped from the water as they swam within thirty feet of the boat. As we traveled under the Golden Gate Bridge, we encountered up to 25 harbor porpoises and at the mouth of Yacht Harbor we came across a lone sea otter as well. During this trip, we also came upon at least 40 California sea lions, 30 Steller sea lions, 5 elephant seals, and 15 harbor seals. Sea bird sightings included fulmars, shearwaters, brown pelicans, cormorants, a variety of gulls, over 1500 common murres, pigeon guillemots, auklets, and puffins.

Our Sunday trip aboard SALTY LADY was the most spectacular we have had all season. We encountered a small group of animals that our naturalists Nicole Kleinsinger and Peter Winch identified as Dall's porpoises. On our way to the Farallon Islands, we observed eleven feeding humpbacks, broken into three small groups, plus a gray whale within 50 feet of the island. Within three miles of the North Island, we encountered five killer whales, including two calves. See above special report of the orca episode. We also encountered five Steller sea lions, two black-footed albatross, shearwaters, petrels, pelicans, cormorants, gulls, murres and auklets.

The trip also benefited from the expertise of a Point Reyes Bird Observatory biologist who participated in the program providing first hand information about current Farallon Islands research on seabirds and pinnipeds. The nonprofit Oceanic Society serves as a partner to the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, provides logistical support for scientific research personnel traveling to and from the field station on Southeast Farallon Island, and provides a sea platform for International Bird Rescue and other wildlife rehabilitation centers. All OS proceeds from Farallon programs are applied to conservation research and education.

WEEKEND OF JULY 9-10, 05

Our July 10th trip on the Wacky Jacky was one of our best trips so far this year, both for weather and wildlife. Shortly after passing under the Golden Gate bridge on route to the Farallon Islands, naturalist Juan Carlos Solis spotted several harbor porpoises. Then as we approached to within 3 miles of the islands, we were surrounded by at least fifteen humpback whales, five of them at close range, as they were feeding and very active. We stayed with them for over an hour, then as we approached closer to the islands, we encountered three gray whales, and a large group of up to 200 Risso's dolphins, mixed in with a few Pacific whitesided dolphins and northern right whale dolphins. We stayed with the gray whales and dolphins for more than half of the trip.

At the islands we also saw over 200 California sea lions, and over a half dozen Stellerâ€^TMs sea lions. Our bird sightings included western gulls, Brandt's cormorants, oyster catchers, tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, rhinocerous auklets, Cassin's auklets, pelicans, sheatwaters, and common murrres, several of which had anchovies in the beaks as they flew back to the islands.

WEEKEND OF JULY 2-3, 05

On route to the Farallon Islands, our vessel Huli Cat encountered a group of ten harbor porpoises, and a short time later we came upon a small pod of up to ten Pacific White-sided dolphins that rode our bow for some time. Three miles south of the Farallones, four gray whales surfaced next to our boat and we stayed with them for nearly 45 minutes as they repeatedly raised their flukes high into the air prior to a longer dive. On this trip we also sighted California sea lions, harbor seals, and Steller sea lions, as well as a variety of seabirds including shearwaters, cormorants, oystercatchers, ,gulls, murres, guillemots, auklets, and puffins. A rare sighting of five Black-footed Albatross was one of the many highlights of the trip.

WEEKEND OF JUNE 18-19, 05

Trip Report: Sunday, June19th. Participants on our Farallon Islands trip from San Francisco enjoyed excellent sightings of two California gray whales at the Islands that we stayed with for nearly a half hour, with lots of blows and fluking. Just south of the Islands, we also sighted a lone blue whale at a distance that soon disappeared. The highlight of the trip came when we encountered two separate groups of Risso's dolphins feeding; the first comprised of about ten animals; the second of an amazing 70 or more.

On this trips, we also encountered several small groups of harbor porpoises, about a dozen California sea lions, and a variety of seabirds including a fulmars, cormorants, gulls, murres, guillemots, and a rare sighting of a Black-footed Albatross.