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By Sharon Gray -
Photographer and author, Sharon Gray reports on San
Francisco savvy lifestyles, neighborhoods, getaways
- and some of the best of attractions, events,
shopping, restaurants, home decor, gardens, and
local news in and around San Francisco and the San
Francisco Bay Area - through the lens from Z to A.
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feature after each posting. |
Sharon Gray Whale Watch
PhotoLog,
Humpback Whales near Farallon Islands Part II
June 4, 9:07 AM
Photos © Sharon Gray/Gray & Gray Media
Click to visit
HULICAT Sportfishing & Charter Boat website
The Farallon Islands are located
within the boundary zone between two of the Earth’s
major tectonic plates, the North American and Pacific
plates. The rugged, stark granite cliffs of the Farallon
Islands are parts of continental plates slowly pushed up
above the surface of the water over several million
years. The water around the Farallon Islands, The Gulf
of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, plunges to
depths of 6,000 feet and serves as a summer feeding area
for humpback whales off Northern California. The
islands' 211 acres of rocks, reach to 350 feet on the
southern island, and for decades have been off-limits to
all humans, except for a handful of biologists.
The Farallon
Islands
A Franciscan friar
named the desolate rocks "Farallon," meaning "jagged
rock".
WHALE
WATCH LOG - OUT TO THE GULF OF THE FARALLONES NATIONAL
MARINE SANCTUARY AND BACK
To
learn more about Humpback Whale behavior and in hopes of
spotting Delta and Dawn, I went on a whale watching
expedition out in the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of the
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary with the Oceanic
Society. I saw six humpback whales, but could not see
all of their flukes nor identify whether or not they
belonged to Delta and Dawn - who may have returned to
this area after leaving the San Francisco Bay.
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Humpback Whales in the Gulf of the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary
These baleen whales use the Gulf and Cordell Bank to the
north as feeding grounds during the summer and fall
months. Their prey consists primarily of krill. These
massive acrobatic whales can be seen blowing, diving
and leaping from the sea. Humpback whales have unique
flukes and dorsal fins, and long white pectoral fins.
The
whale watchers said "Wow" and "Ohhh!" as the powerful
yet graceful tail of a humpback whale raised and poised
a moment before the whale glided deeper below the
surface in search of food. Raising the tail at the start
of a deep dive saves swimming energy by helping to push
the whale into a long underwater glide - perhaps a body
length below the surface. When a humpback whale surfaces
for air, the distinctive hump by which it receives its
name, is visable. It is only on the deep dives that the
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) displays its
tail flukes.
Humpback Whale
Flukes
All whale flukes
- whale tails - are unique. These humpback whale fluke
photos (above and below) were taken for ID purposes on
our whale watching trip by Oceanic Society marine
biologist and whale expert, Isidore
Szczepaniak. The photos,
taken today, show the wide variation in markings and can
be used to identify these whales again.
Humpback whales' flukes
are very powerful and efficient. They have to be; they
are the humpback's main defense against predators like
sharks or orcas, and must allow the whale to swim many
thousands of miles a year. The humpbacks have the
longest known migration of any mammal (from Antarctica
to Columbia).
Humpback flukes can
reach a width of up to 18 feet. The shape and color
pattern on the humpback whale's dorsal fin and flukes -
tail - are as individual in each animal as are
fingerprints in humans. The
humpback whale's black and white color pattern extends
to the flukes. When the humpback whale "sounds" - goes
into a long or deep dive - it usually throws its flukes
upward, exposing the black and white patterned
underside. This pattern is distinctive to each whale.
The flippers range from all white to all black dorsally,
but are usually white ventrally. The humpback whale is
one of the rorquals. Rorquals have two characteristics
in common: dorsal fins on their backs, and ventral
pleats running from the tip of the lower jaw back to the
belly area.
In the mid
1960's researchers began to photograph and catalog
individual marine mammals, including whales, with the
intention of the identification of individual animals by
their unique physical markings and scars. Locations of
the sightings, along with the time and date of sightings
were also noted with the photograph for purposes of
tracking the life-cycle of the mammals.
Izzy and Tom used the
boat's sonar pictured above, to pinpoint time and
location of whale sightings.
As the image collection
grew, computerization of the images became necessary and
possible starting in the mid 1980's. Today, a humpback
whale can be identified by a high quality photo of its
flukes' patterns through a relational database of more
than 25,000 images. The new form of research known as
"photo-identification," in which individual whales are
identified, catalogued, and monitored, has led to
valuable information about such things as humpback whale
population sizes, migration, sexual maturity, calf
mortality and behavior patterns.
Baby humpbacks are born
in warm, tropical waters, travel thousands of miles back
to summer feeding areas, (including the coastal waters
off Marin County, San Francisco County and the Farallon
Islands), with their mothers - nursing frequently on
very rich milk. Many calves return as adults to these
same breeding and feeding areas for the rest of their
lives.
The
Farallon
Islands
The rugged landscape
of Southeast Farallon
The Farallon Islands, 27
miles out in the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco, lie
amid the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine
Sanctuary, a food-rich marine ecosystem which attracts
whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds each summer and
fall, to feed and to breed. Island rocks are covered
with sea lions, including massive Steller's sea lions,
now on the Endangered Species List. The
Farallon
Islands were established as a refuge in
1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Great Arch Rock,
Aulon Island, next to Sugarloaf
The islands are home to
thousands of seals and sea lions. The Gulf of the
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is a bountiful
marine ecosystem attracting endangered whales, sharks
and huge schools of dolphins. Twenty-three species of
marine mammals, including 20 species of whales and
dolphins, can be found here. Few humans have set foot on
the islands because surrounding waters are rough,
weather conditions are harsh, and there is not a natural
cove in which to safely disembark.
During June and July,
California and Steller's sea lions pup at the islands
and many more animals are seen hauled out on the rocks.
Northern Fur Seals also breed here during the summer and
are considered one of the success stories for the
sanctuary and refuge since they were almost completely
wiped out by fur traders in the late 1800's, said a
Farallon Biologist PRBO Conservation Scientist.
Whales and Other
Marine Mammals Sighted in the Gulf of the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary
The following marine
mammals have been sighted in the waters off San
Francisco County and Marin County near the Farralon
Islands:
Cetaceans
Beaked Whale (Berardius
bairdii)
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Common Dolphin (Cuelphinas delpus)
Dall’s porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli)
Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus)
Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Killer whale (Orcinus orca)
Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Northern Right Whale Dolphin
Risso dolphin (Phocoena phocoena)
Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
White sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)
There are five species of Pinnipeds that breed on the
Farallon Islands:
Pinnipeds
California sea lion (Zalophus
californianus)
Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus)
Steller's sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
Bird Watching at
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and
Farallon Islands National Wildlife
Refuge
The two largest of the
islands, Southeast Farallon Island and West End Island,
cover just 110 acres, and have been the focus of
important research on breeding seabirds and migratory
songbirds for decades. The waters around the islands are
managed as the Gulf of the Farallons National
Marine Sanctuary (National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration); and the USFWS owns the
islands and manages it as part of the San Francisco Bay
NWR Complex. Ecological research on birds is
coordinating jointly by USFWS and PRBO.
On close inspection, I
saw that the islands were completely covered with
wildlife, mostly birds. It would be difficult to take a
step on land without having to avoid a seal, moving a
bird, or breaking a bird's egg.
The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
is refuge for the largest seabird rookery in the
continental US - with nesting Tufted Puffins,
Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinoceros Auklets, Shearwaters, and
other species. The islands provide critical habitat for
more than a quarter million breeding seabirds, the
largest concentration of breeding seabirds on the West
Coast and in the
United States,
outside of Alaska. The seabird nesting season is from
March through August.
Oceanic Society marine biologist and bird expert,
Roger Harris chats about bird and seal sightings with an
enthusiast.
The Farallon Islands support an astounding number and
diversity of breeding California seabirds; and in
2000, recorded the world's largest breeding colonies of
Ashy Storm-Petrel (2500+ pr.), and some of largest
aggregations of breeding Brandt's Cormorant (5500+ pr.),
Western Gull (nearly 20,000 pr.), Pigeon Guillemot (800+
pr.) and Cassin's Auklet (15,000+ pr.).
Bird sightings may include: Western grebe, Brown
pelican, Double-cested cormorant, Brandt's cormorant,
Pelagic cormorant, Black oystercatcher, Brown pelican,
Sotty shearwater, Red-necked phalarope, Pink-footed
shearwater, Western gull, Elegant tern, Common murre,
Cassin's auklet, Rhinoceros auklet, Tufted puffin, and
Pigeon guillemot.
Photo of Tufted
Puffin in the Gulf of the Farallons National Marine
Sanctuary by Oceanic Society marine biologist
Isidore Szczepaniak
There are approximately
300,000 breeding seabirds on the Farallon Islands during
the summer. There are 12 breeding species of seabirds:
Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Cassin's Auklet,
Rhinoceros Auklet, Tufted Puffin, Ashy Storm-petrel,
Leach's Storm-petrel, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic
Cormorant, Double Crested Cormorant, Western Gull and
Black Oystercatcher.
Scientists and
Research on the Farallon Islands
The
Farallon
Islands are a National Wildlife Refuge,
sparsely inhabited by scientists who stay in housing
including the two houses in the photo below. Marine
scientists live on the island up to three months at a
time, isolated from the mainland, and record island
activities in their roles as wildlife guardians. Supply
boats make the trip to the
Farallon
Islands every two weeks, but if the wind
is blowing hard, and sea conditions are hazardous, the
supply boat can be canceled; it can be more than a month
between visits from boats bringing other human beings
and fresh food.
View of research
station at Marine Terrace Mirounga
Bay, with Farallon Island Light in upper right
hand corner above.
We're stewards of the
island, said a biologist for the Point Reyes Bird
Observatory, which runs a cooperative program with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our job is to monitor
and protect the wildlife here.
Return Trip
to San Francisco
Leaving the Farallon
Islands in our wake, we relaxed on the ride back to
port. We enjoyed our time together and shared stories of
sightings of whales, other marine mammals and birds.
This couple visiting
from England, chose to stay inside on the return trip.
While he napped, she looked through a collection of
photos from other trips to the Farallon Islands.
Back to Port by
5pm
Some of us were still
on deck watching for birds and marine life as we crossed
under the Golden Gate Bridge into the San Francisco Bay.
Our small group of
cetacean enthusiasts returned from our journey to the
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and
back with memorable whale and marine life encounters. We
have burned spectacular images into our memories - to
last a lifetime. And I got some great photos as well.
I am already planning on going out again with the
Oceanic Society in July when the blue whales are in
town!
Click to visit
HULICAT Sportfishing & Charter Boat website
Sharon Gray Whale Watch PhotoLog, Humpback Whales near
Farallon Islands Part I
Timeline and list of previous Delta and Dawn Humpback
Whale Saga articles:
Oceanic Society:
For recorded information on Oceanic Society's current
sightings of wildlife call the sightings hotline 415
474-0488. Oceanic Society Expeditions
is the only non-profit, professional nature tour
operator in the Bay Area specializing in educational and
research programs since 1972. For a Current Catalog or
detailed and updated trip information, including dates
and costs, call 800 326-7491 or 415 441-1106 Monday thru
Friday 9-5 PST. Photo of breaching courtesy of the
Oceanic Society.
PRBO
Conservation Science on Farallon National Wildlife
Refuge. An account of the trials and tribulations of
conducting ecological fieldwork on a small, rocky island
28 miles west of San Francisco
Gulf of the
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Photo courtesy of The Gulf of the Farallones
National Marin Sanctuary.
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