2005 Whale Sightings: Gray Whales

WEEKEND OF MAY 14-15, 05

Our Saturday San Francisco trip had excellent sightings of a pair of gray whales with a young calf, and the boat was able to stay with them for nearly two hours. We also had sightings of California sea lions and harbor seals, and many species of seabirds, including loons, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, scoters, oystercatchers, gulls, terns, murres and guillemots.

WEEKEND OF MAY 7-8, 05

Saturday, May 7th. Our San Francisco trip aboard the Silver Fox had flat seas, beautiful weather, and a variety of marine mammals. We sighted a single gray whale near the Farallon Islands and a short time later came upon four humpback whales west of the Farallones, one of which breached several times near the boat. We also had excellent sightings of California sea lions, a sunfish, and a half dozen harbor porpoises, along with a variety of seabirds including loons, grebes, brown pelicans, cormorants, gulls, murres and auklets.

WEEKEND OF APRIL 31 - May 2, 05

Our morning trip from Half Moon Bay was outstanding: excellent weather, great visibility, and many marine animals. Our sightings included a minke whale that was feeding on baitfish, eight to ten harbor porpoises that crossed our bow, a humpback whale, and a large group of feeding Risso's dolphins that approached to within 20 feet of the boat. The humpback did a full breach and while we headed in his direction, two more humpbacks surfaced in front of the boat and we stayed with them for over 45 minutes. We also encountered a group of at least several thousand common murres.

The afternoon trip encountered the same group of three humpbacks, spaced about a mile apart and feeding on small fish. One surfaced several times raising its head out of the water with water rolling from its mouth; typical feeding behavior. Few birds were sighted during this trip. California sea lions were sighted on both trips.

WEEKEND OF APRIL 23-24, 05

Saturday's San Francisco trip had great sightings of three gray whales, plus up to eight harbor porpoises, California sea lions, and harbor seals. We also encountered several thousand Pacific loons, hundreds of western grebes, plus white pelicans, Brandt's and pelagic cormorants, surf scooters, Bonaparte's and California gulls, Caspian and Forster's terns, common murres and pigeon guillemots. Our Saturday Half Moon Bay trips encountered 8 to 12 humpback whales, and one trip stayed with a mother and calf for up to an hour and a half. Many sea birds were encountered as well, but the humpback sighting was outstanding.

WEEKEND OF MARCH 12-13, 05

Saturday morning's Half Moon Bay trip had excellent sightings of six gray whales, while the afternoon trip encountered eight gray whales. On both trips, the calm seas allowed us to stay with the whales for up to an hour. The bird sightings on both trips were fantastic, and included loons, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, scoters, oystercatchers, gulls, murres guillemots, and auklets. Saturday morning's Bodega Bay trip had great sightings of up to eight gray whales, while the Sunday morning trip had at least three gray whales, 75 California sea lions, 2 Steller Sea Lions, and 35 harbor porpoises, with a variety of sea bird sightings including loons, grebes, cormorants, scoters, gulls, murres, guillemots, and auklets.

The Sunday afternoon Bodega Bay trip encountered a dozen gray whales, with several breaching from the water, plus up to 10 California sea lions, a harbor porpoise, and about as many sea birds as the morning trip, including 10 Brandt's geese. The Saturday San Francisco trip had terrific sightings of up to ten gray whales, along with 5 harbor porpoises, 3 California sea lions, 4 Steller sea lions, and one harbor seal. The Sunday San Francisco trip had close sightings of up to 20 gray whales, and also came upon an ocean sunfish. Both San Francisco trips had great bird sightings, including loons, grebes, fulmars, pelicans, cormorants, scoters, gulls, guillemots, auklets, and up to 800 murres.

WEEKEND OF MARCH 5-6, 05

Participants on Saturday mornings Half Moon Bay trip had excellent sightings of three gray whales, one of which we stayed with for over 40 minutes, watching it blow and observing its barnacles up-close. The afternoon Half Moon Bay trip encountered between three and five gray whales, several of which we stayed with for over 40 minutes. The whales engaged in lots of breaching and spyhopping activity.

Saturday's San Francisco trip encountered at least three gray whales and up to fifteen harbor porpoises. The Sunday San Francisco trip encountered seventeen gray whales, some approaching on their own as close as 30 feet from the boat. All weekend trips had outstanding sea bird sightings, including loons, grebes common murres, western gulls, cormorants, surf scooters, and auklets.

WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY 11-13, 05

All combined, participants on San Francisco and Half Moon Bay trips encountered great sightings of at least eight gray whales, all moving north at 3 to 5 knots, with approaches to the boats as close as fifty feet. Most of the trips also had excellent sightings of harbor porpoises, and Friday's Half Moon Bay trip encountered a single sea otter feeding on crabs just south of Pillar Point. All of our trips encountered a variety of marine birds, including brown pelicans, western grebes, common loons, surf scooters, common murres, gulls, rhinoceros auklets, shearwaters, pigeon guillemots and Brandt's cormorants.

WEEKEND OF JANUARY 15-16, 05

This weekend we had excellent sightings of ten humpback whales milling about some 50 yards from the boat as they cruised slowly in a southernly direction. The whales put on quite a show for everyone on board. The whales swam slowly, undisturbed, allowing everyone excellent viewing with lots of blows, and fluking too, where they raise their fifteen-foot wide flukes high in the air prior to a longer dive.