Whale of a Day on the Bay

[rardiH36]

Yesterday while sailing from Sausalito towards San Francisco, in a position just to the west of Alcatraz, a sound that I didn't recognize from the direction of the Golden Gage Bridge caught my attention. I turned my head just in time to see a whale's steam spout a couple of hundred yards away and a brief second of its back before the creature submerged. Then a slightly longer view and another spout a couple of minutes later. I've been out on a two organized whale watching tours off the California coast with no sightings. So seeing a whale actually inside SF Bay was a good surprise.I was sailing solo. So it might be reasonable to question if I'm spouting a whale's tale. Whales are occasionally reported in SF Bay and last week the Coast Guard over the VHF did advise boaters to exercise care off of San Francisco's Crissy Field water front because a whale had been cited.Surely most sail boaters will have memorable sea creature encounters. Care to share?

 

[caguy]

I saw one in Santa Monica Bay.

I know how you feel. It was just off shore between Venice pier and S M pier. It looked to be a small grey that poked its head above water and just looke around. He was only about 100 yds from me. It was mid week and ther was only one other sailboat was out besides myself. I was only going out for a couple of hours. It was one of the few times I didn't have my ever present camera with me. I was so dumbfounded I didn't even thnk to use my phone. He breached 3 times rising out of the water with such ease and grace. It was like something out of a National Geographic movie. I too have been on whale watch tours and were lucky to see spouting a mile away. My wife and I did see a lot of orcas out of the Victoria BC tour.Seeing a gray like that from so close is what being out on the water is all about.

 

[Brian D]

Interesting...

Haven't seen anything yet, but I will give it time.Isn't there some rule that keeps you from approaching whales? But I guess if the whale comes over to you, then it is OK. That's so cool to have such beautiful creatures come along side and share the ride with you. Just like dolphins. I still want dolphins to grace my journey.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Whale Rules

Yup, there is one: don't go chasing them. There was one in SF Bay last weekend and as we were coming back in from a trip to the Farallones and Drakes Bay, just a mile outside the Golden Gate the whale came up no less than a boat length off our port beam! Majestic! Way cool, etc.... We'd been out two days, saw nothing in the ocean, but dolphins and this whale right in our backyard. Awesome!

 

[Steve Dion]

Stu, keep that SOB outside the gate!

Stu:We made a trip to Benicia last year and the two whales that ended up in the Delta were right outside our Marina. We were rounded up the the Coasties & sheriff for about an hour before we could leave the marina. Then we encounted them again on our return trip.I think it best if you herd them back outside the gate!

 

[Terry Cox]

Yup. We were under sail across the bottom...

end of Queen Charlotte Strait in 2006 heading toward our next anchorage when a huge (bigger than our boat) hump back whale came up beside our boat and blew unexpectedly. Scared me half to death. After I regained my wits I dashed for the camera and got a shot of him, but by then he was about 100 feet away. He was so close I could have touched him with our boat hook. Saw many other hump back whales that day.Terry

 

[Stu Jackson]

Steve, he was heading west when last sighted

and blowing off his steam! We'll keep him heading that way by intense meditative thoughts, no boat barging from us! We're closer to Berkeley than you are!

 

[Steve Dion]

Stu, did you mean

Steve was heading west and blowing off his steam when last sighted! Actually that will happen again this Memorial Day!

 

[Bay Sailor]

I saw several humpbacks

when I brought my boat up from San Diego in September. One surfaced about 10' off the starboard beam. No spout fortunately. No gray whales though.