Important note: Please make sure to call 415.331.6267 after 7:00 PM the night before your scheduled trip for weather related cancellations.

Whale watching expeditions depart from "Gas House Cove Marina" in San Francisco, a private marina located just outside the gated entrance into Fort Mason, at the corner of Buchanan St. & Marina Blvd., directly across from the Marina Blvd. Safeway Market.


Park in the open, unattended lot outside the walls of Fort Mason, where parking is generally free (Fleet Week and big events bring parking fees, but normally the open lot, as opposed to Fort Mason's attended lot, is free on weekends) Look for the blue and white "City Yacht Harbor" sign on the chain-link fence along the waterfront. Follow the footpath parallel to the chain-link fence onto the grounds of Fort Mason. We meet just inside the grounds of Fort Mason, at the picnic tables right in front of "Building A".

CLICK HERE FOR A PRE-SET LINK TO MAPQUEST or go to www.mapquest.com - enter:10 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA, 94123-1221, US.

Please meet us for check-in at 7:30 AM at the picnic table in front of "Building A" at Fort Mason. Please bring your email confirmation as this will be used as your ticket. Your boat will leave at 8 AM, but first the Naturalist will give a pre-boarding talk about the day's trip.

We have a Naturalist on board who will narrate the trip and describe what we see, talk about whales, sharks, birds, seals and other points of interest. Feel free to ask questions.

We look forward to seeing you! In the mean time this will answer some of your questions:

A child weighing less than 60 pounds MUST wear a life vest at all times. Please talk to children in advance about this. And please, keep children from running on the boat, we want them safe. Tell them in advance that rule #1 aboard the boat is "one hand on the boat at all times" - hang on to a railing, Mom, Dad, or any helping hand, boats are bouncy!

Please bring snacks, drinks, lunch, water, and thermoses of tea/coffee/hot chocolate, anything you might wish to eat or drink. We do not provide food or beverages. You can bring a cooler onboard but storage space is limited so please, no Buick-sized 4-wheeled models (thanks in advance!)

Dress warmly. A hat and gloves are a wise idea. Just because it's mild in the Bay doesn't mean it'll be the same outside the Golden Gate. Wear layers and you can always shed some if need be, better to have an extra fleece or sweater than to lack for warmth if an ocean breeze kicks up.

Consider bringing rain gear, both for actual rain and for the occasional feisty splash.

Bring your camera and/or binoculars. If you get any good photos you want to share, we'll happily put them on our whale blog after your trip. Just send your trip photos to us at www.sfbaywhalewatching.com.

If you need to cancel, please cancel the Wednesday before your weekend trip. We cannot refund your money after Wednesday. We do not cancel the trip for rain or fog. We do cancel the trip for storms and high seas. Remember to call 415.331.6267 after 7:00 PM the night before the trip to check that the trip is going out as scheduled. When you call you will hear a recording informing you if the trip is cancelled due to weather conditions. This is most important if you are from out of town or if the weather is turning. Even if things look okay out your window, we may be getting marine reports that necessitate cancellation, so be sure to call the night before!

Regarding seasickness: We cannot give you seasickness medicines, it is against the law. If you want to take seasickness medicines you might consider taking Bonine well before departure. Dramamine may put you to sleep. Ask a pharmacist if there is a non-drowsy formula. We've noticed that once seasickness takes hold, it's too late to medicate - please talk to your doctor or a pharmacist for recommendations regarding medication. And take it from us - your experience inside the Bay or out on a lake will differ greatly from your experience outside the Golden Gate (unless Neptune becalms the sea), nobody is seasick-proof. Along with a trip to the pharmacy you might consider a Google search for some tips on what foods might help (ginger; get it in candied form, or sliver some raw ginger), or aggravate your stomach (acidic foods.)

Whale watching involves a lot of, um... watching. We will be using the clock system to alert each other when we see whales with the bow of the boat being 12 o'clock; yelling is encouraged: "whale at 2 o'clock!!"

Each trip brings a surprise, and when we're lucky enough to see one or two or ten whales, well, now that's really something - humbling, thrilling, and unforgettable . We're in this business because we love to share these experiences with you, and we genuinely hope that you enjoy sharing your day at sea with us. Thank you for choosing SF Bay Whale Watching.


We look forward to seeing you.

www.sfbaywhalewatching.com

vern@sfbaywhalewatching.com