In the autumn of 2022, cold ocean water brought an unusual abundance of krill and anchovies to the California coast, and the humpback whales that follow such feasts came with them, close enough that people on the shore could watch them from the bay's edges. The same bounty drew the animals into the lines of crab traps, and so the Dungeness season, which fishers and diners wait for all year, was held back. It is a familiar human pattern, in which one creature's plenty becomes another's loss, and in which the shore becomes a place to witness a larger rhythm of the sea.
Humpback Whales Swarm San Francisco Bay, and Shore-Based Viewing Spots Are Open Now
A spouting, breaching, vocalizing superhighway of whales
Mark
Why are the whales so close right now?
Mimi
Abnormally cold water has produced a lot of krill and anchovies, and the humpbacks are following that food toward shore and sometimes through the Golden Gate.
Mark
And Keener saw one himself?
Mimi
In Raccoon Strait, inside the Bay, a couple hundred feet away. He called it crazy.
Luke
That's one biologist's sighting, though. The piece doesn't give a count of how many whales are in the area.
Mark
Fair. What about the crab season?
Mimi
Whales can get tangled in trap lines, and the Dungeness season has been delayed because of it.
Luke
The article links the delay to entanglement risk, but it doesn't say how long the delay is or give any entanglement numbers.
Mark
Where should someone go?
Mimi
Pacifica Municipal Pier, Fort Funston, Lands End, Point Bonita and Point Reyes are on Keener's list, plus the Golden Gate Bridge. Bring binoculars and aim for incoming or high tides.
Luke
The tide advice is Keener's impression of how whales behave. He says he thinks they use the flooding tide, so treat it as a good tip rather than a proven rule.
Le Pouls
- Cold water has summoned vast schools of krill and anchovies, and the humpbacks have followed them right to the Golden Gate.
- A whale swam within a couple hundred feet of a research biologist in Raccoon Strait, a sight he called crazy with activity.
- Entangling trap lines are a danger to the whales, and they have forced the Dungeness crab season to be delayed.
- Watchers are heading for the cliffs and piers of Pacifica, Fort Funston, Lands End, and Point Bonita, timing their visits to high or incoming tides.
- Every sighting is being logged with the Marine Mammal Center, so the frenzy on the water is turning into data for research.
In the autumn of 2022, cold ocean water brought an unusual abundance of krill and anchovies to the California coast, and the humpback whales that follow such feasts came with them, close enough that people on the shore could watch them from the bay's edges. The same bounty drew the animals into the lines of crab traps, and so the Dungeness season, which fishers and diners wait for all year, was held back. It is a familiar human pattern, in which one creature's plenty becomes another's loss, and in which the shore becomes a place to witness a larger rhythm of the sea.
Bill Keener was standing in Tiburon not long ago when a humpback whale slipped into Raccoon Strait, inside San Francisco Bay, only a couple hundred feet away. Keener is a cetacean research biologist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, and he described the scene as crazy, full of activity on every side.
The reason lies in the water. Unusually cold temperatures have produced so many krill and anchovies that fish seemed to rain from the sky. Humpbacks, with their huge appetites, have followed the food toward shore and sometimes through the Golden Gate, and the coast is now alive with spouting, breaching, and calling animals.
Not everyone is happy. Whales can become tangled in crab trap lines, and that danger has delayed the Dungeness crab season, a real disappointment for people who wait all year for it. For whale watchers, however, the same encounters can be enjoyed from land if you know where to stand.
Keener's advice is simple: bring binoculars, and go at high tide or during a strong incoming tide, times NOAA predicts. Whales seem to ride the flood closer to the coast and often use the outgoing tide on their way back. When you see one, report it to the Marine Mammal Center, since those sightings feed its research.
His favorite places begin in Pacifica, where the Municipal Pier, open daily from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., has been productive. Fort Funston, in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, offers a cliff near the hang-glider port, and Lands End, with its view out onto the Golden Gate, is what Keener calls a very good spot. The Golden Gate Bridge is also a fine place to look, and even without whales you may see seals and sea lions.
Across the strait, Point Bonita in the Marin Headlands is another favorite, with the lighthouse open Friday through Monday afternoons and the nearby trails offering the best views. Point Reyes National Seashore, Keener says, is always good, since it juts so far into the ocean that humpbacks pass by, and from January to May gray whales join them.
For now, the cold water and the feeding fish are what to watch. The same abundance that brings whales within sight of shore is keeping crab traps out of the water.
Bill Keener was in Tiburon recently when a humpback whale swam into Raccoon Strait, inside San Francisco Bay, a couple hundred feet from where he stood. Keener is a cetacean research biologist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, and he describes the scene as crazy, with plenty of activity all around.
The cause is in the water. Abnormally cold temperatures have produced an abundance of krill and anchovies, so much that fish have rained from the sky. Humpback whales, with their enormous appetites, have followed the food toward the coast, and sometimes through the Golden Gate. The result is a stretch of the California coast busy with spouting, breaching and vocalizing animals.
Not everyone is pleased. The whales can get tangled in the lines of crab traps, and that risk has delayed the Dungeness crab season. For people who wait all year for crab, it is a real disappointment. For whale watchers, it is an opening, because many of these encounters can be seen from shore if you know where to stand.
Keener offered some practical advice. Binoculars, he says, are a must. He also suggests going out at high tide or when the tide is strongly incoming, times that NOAA predicts. His reasoning is that whales seem to ride the flooding tide farther toward the coast and often use outgoing tides on their way back out. When you do spot one, report it to the Marine Mammal Center, which uses sightings in its research.
His list of favorite places starts in Pacifica, where the Municipal Pier has been good lately. It is open daily from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Farther north is Fort Funston, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, where Keener points to the cliff by the hang-glider port in the far southern part of San Francisco. The park is open daily.
Lands End, also part of the recreation area, is in Keener's words a very good spot, with a view out onto the Golden Gate. It is open daily too. The Golden Gate Bridge itself is a decent place to look right now, and even if no whales appear, you are likely to see pinnipeds.
Across the strait in the Marin Headlands, Point Bonita is another favorite, on National Park land open daily. The Point Bonita lighthouse is open from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., Friday through Monday, but Keener says the best vantage points are on the nearby trails. Farther out, Point Reyes National Seashore is open daily, and Keener calls it always good because it sits so far into the ocean that humpbacks pass by. From January to May, he adds, gray whales come through as well.
For now, the cold water and the feeding fish are what to watch. The same abundance that has put whales within sight of the shore is keeping crab traps out of the water.
Citations marquantes
Binoculars are a must.— Bill Keener, cetacean research biologist, Marine Mammal Center
Humpbacks seem to use flooding tides to ride toward the coast and outgoing tides on the way out.— Bill Keener (paraphrased)
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