Whale Watching - Farallon Island Eco Tours, San Francisco Bay California

Great White Sharks at the Farallon Islands

Great White Sharks, properly known as “White Sharks”, are seasonal feeders at the Farallon Islands from approximately August through November. Elephant Seals and California Sea Lions are abundant Farallon Island prey, and evidently easy pickings. During these months there is a possibility of spotting a White Shark feeding in the waters near the Farallones.

Great White Shark, Farallon Islands

Great white shark spotted off of the Farallon Islands feeding on a seal September 9th 2007. Photo: Joseph Chung

Great White Shark, Farallon Islands

Photo: NOAA Department of Commerce - A large white shark cruising underwater offshore from the Farallon Islands. White Sharks have unique marking by which they can be individually identified.

Our trips are not shark watching expeditions, they are natural history whale watching expeditions - no promises of a shark sighting, but if nature happens to oblige you with a shark feeding, we won't charge you extra, promise.

The Gulf of the Farallon waters are home to many types of sharks, not just White Sharks. But it's the White Sharks that get most of the press; every time a short board surfer has the bad luck of a close encounter we start hearing the music from "Jaws" - our phones ring steady with queries "will I see a Great White Shark on my trip?!"

White Sharks are the world’s largest meat-eating fish, with females (larger than the males) growing to 20 - 22 feet and weighing over 4,000 pounds (average sizes may be more in the 10 - 16 foot, 1,500 - 2,450 pound range). A pregnant female carries from 2 to 14 pups at a time, each around 5 feet long and weighing around 60 pounds each. All those pups look and behave like miniature adults as soon as they are born - off they go immediately capable of hunting and self feeding.

With life spans of 20 years or more and many years of carefully documented sightings in the waters surrounding the Farallon Islands, the annual arrival of White Sharks is welcome news. White Sharks are on the threatened species list so the seasonal appearance of any of the regulars is significant.
Scientific studies based at the Farallones have revealed much about the sharks. The Islands provide a platform for observation and study of White Sharks in a natural habitat, and it is hoped that the research will yield understanding and protection.

Great Great White Adventures provides scuba divers with the opportunity to observe Great White Sharks up close in their natural environment. They have trips to the Farallones running throughout shark season. Check out their website for more information about White Sharks.

Great White Adventures
875 A Island Dr. #338
Alameda, CA 94502-6768
510-814-8256
dive@greatwhiteadventures.com

Near by is the Cordell Bank National Marine Santuary. This Sanctuary was set aside in 1981. It protects an underwater mountain range and one of the richest marine habitats on the West Coast. The Cordell Banks marks the edge of the Continental Shelf.

For More Information on the Farallon Islands:
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Sanctuary Visitor Center at Crissy Field in San Francisco.
The Presidio, Building 991
San Francisco, CA 94129
phone: 415-561-6622
fax: 415-561-6616
web: http://farallones.nos.noaa.gov
email:farallones@noaa.gov
or their main web site at: Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association The Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association (FMSA) is a non-profit, cooperating association that helps protect the resources managed by the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary through collaborative education, interpretation, outreach, and research.