Whale Watching, Wildlife & Ecology
The San Francisco Bay is an internationally acclaimed location known for its natural scenery and ecological abundance. It is an extraordinary estuary that contains 90% of California’s remaining coastal wetlands, drawing humans and wildlife from near and far.
Plentiful marine mammals, wildfowl, amphibians, invertebrates and fish make the protected waters that lay just inside or beyond the Golden Gate Bridge a spectacular place to observe the natural world. The Bay invites diverse life from both the ocean and inland rivers to intermingle, creating inter-dependent ecosystems.
Famously, the Bay is an important step on the Pacific Flyway, wherein millions of birds use it as a refuge on their epic migrations from Alaska to South America. This sets us apart as one of California’s most important ecological habitats.
Remarkably, in the past ten years, we have seen a return of the harbor porpoise – a historically native species- a testament to the improving health of the Bay’s waters! Bottlenose dolphins also began visiting our waters for the first time recently due to El Nino influencing the local water temperature.
Biologists, locals and tourists have all begun to notice an increase in migrating whales visiting the San Francisco Bay in recent years. Gray Whales are seen in the winter and early spring. In summer and fall, Blue Whales and Humpback Whales visit, the latter of which have been increasingly spotted inside the Bay itself!
SF Bay Adventures offers a variety of excursions to respectfully observe and learn about the marine wildlife in their natural habitat. Excursions include weekly Eco-Sails along the Marin Headlands to Point Bonita Lighthouse, seasonal Whale Watching, Birding on the Bay, Farallon Islands expeditions, and custom events led by one of our professional, local naturalists.
Grab your cameras or binoculars and step aboard a US Coast Guard certified vessel to learn more about the exciting and diverse eco-systems of the San Francisco Bay.
Call or email us today to discuss your options for a private ecological adventure!
