Below is a list of whales seen in our area and the general migration patterns they have historically followed. Links are provided to the American Cetacean Society for additional species information. The sitings vary from trip to trip. If you are trying to see all the species possible, you may want to purchase a series of tickets.

• Blue Whales (Migrate July through October)
  Click here for the "Blue Whale ACS Cetacean Fact Sheet"
  Blue Whales travel alone or in pairs
  Blue Whales blow up to 30 feet
  Blue Whales dive under for 10 to 20 minutes between surfacing
  When these whales surface, they may blow 8 to 15 times making shallow dives at 12 to 15 seconds between blows and before surfacing.
  Blue Whales raise their flukes or tails before diving
  Blue Whales have a U shaped head.
• Humpback Whales (Migrate July through November )
  Click here for the "Humpback Whale ACS Cetacean Fact Sheet"
  Humpback Whales travel in groups of 1 to 10 whales
  Humpback Whales blow 4 to 8 times between dives
  Humpback Whales blow up to 10 feet in short bushy balloon shaped blows
  Humpback Whales are nick named "Ballerinas of the sea" for their graceful breeches
  Humpback Whales raise their flukes or tails before diving
  
• Gray Whales (Migrate November through May)
  Click here for the "Gray Whale ACS Cetacean Fact Sheet" Gray Whales travel groups of 1 to 5
  Gray Whales blow 5 to 14 feet in V shaped blows
  Gray Whales are not migrating as far north or as far south as they used to
  This is because they are finding nutrient waters on the coast of California and Oregon
  For this reason, Gray Whales are sometimes "resident" to certain areas
  Gray Whales raise their flukes or tails before diving
  
• Sperm Whales (Migrate November through April)
  Click here for the "Sperm Whale ACS Cetacean Fact Sheet" Sperm Whales are up to 50 feet in length
  Sperm Whales have a low blow up to 8 feet and forward
  Sperm Whales have a dorsal lump and bumpy spine
  Sperm Whales do not have a dorsal fin
  Sperm Whales raise their flukes or tails before diving
  Sperm Whales have a box car shaped head.
  Sperm Whales are EXTREMELY rare to see in this area, and require a lot of whale watching patience. They have been spotted however out at the Continental Shelf and beyond.
  
• Pacific White Sided Dolphin (California Coast June through November)
  Pacific White Sided Dolphin are about 7 feet in length
  Pacific White Sided Dolphin have 2 white body streaks
  Pacific White Sided Dolphin have a tall falcate fine
  Pacific White Sided Dolphin travel in groups of 5 to 100 dolphin
  Pacific White Sided Dolphin are often in the company of other dophins or marine life
  
  
• Dalls Porpoise SEE American Cetacean Society Fact Sheet www.acsonline.org
  
• Risso's Dolphin See American Cetacean Society Fact Sheet www.acsonline.org
  These Dolphin usually are found off shore.
  We have spotted them on our trips in groups or chorus lines.
  They are very playful and curious.
  They have blunt heads and usually have lots of scars or markings.
  On a particularly unusual event, when there was a shark watching crowd at the island, about 14 or so of them came into Moraga Bay at the SouthEast Farallons and went from boat to boat, then breeching in the surf at the point, circling back by every boat and leaving the area in the same fashion. A white shark even breeched to observe this. Many naturalists present can confirm this event.
• Northern Right-Whale Dolphin Northern Right-Whale Dolphin have no Dorsal Fin.
  Northern Right-Whale Dolphin are Dark in Color sometimes with a white hourglass shape on underside.
  Northern Right-Whale Dolphin like bow riding.
  Are often found offshore.
• Orca (Killer Whale)
  See American Cetacean Society Fact Sheet www.acsonline.org
  Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Chordata
  Class: Mammalia
  Order: Cetacea
  Suborder: Odontoceti
  Family: Delphinidae
  Genus: Orcinus
  Species: O. orca