California whale watching tours are a dime a dozen up and down the coast, but the Oceanic Society leads one of the state’s most unique such trips all the way out to the Farallon Islands.
They tend to take groups out during humpback season between April and November, but a tour group in May was lucky to spot an enormous pod of about 20 killer whales in an extraordinary occurrence. The encounter lasted about 40 minutes, plenty of time to get some exciting photos and even identify several of the animals for research.
“Suddenly, in the distance we saw several dark dorsal fins rising above the ocean’s surface,” said naturalist Michael Pierson. “We knew right away we were seeing orca. They were also moving north and doing so at speed, so we initially struggled to catch up to them. Once we did, we realized what a special sighting we were witnessing as the size of the group became apparent.”
The killer whales ranged in size from small calves at their mothers’ sides to massive male orca with 6-foot dorsal fins. Using photographs from the encounter, researchers were able to identify several of the animals by their unique white markings and dorsal fin characteristics, which aids in monitoring family groups and populations over time.
Whale watching with the Oceanic Society
The Oceanic Society has run tours from San Francisco out to the Farallon Islands since 1972. If you want to make the trip, be prepared for a full 7.5 hours aboard the 60-foot Salty Lady vessel. They only book at about 67% capacity, meaning passengers will have plenty of space on board to enjoy the day.
Between April and November, you’ll have a 96% chance of spotting whales on the 27-mile journey to the Farallones. Keep an eye out for a huge variety of animals including harbor porpoises, harbor seals, nesting seabirds, gray whales, northern fur seals, albatross, blue whales… and if you’re lucky, killer whales.
Ticket proceeds go to fund the Society’s conservation programs including marine life research and removal of plastic pollution.