Skip to main content
The San Francisco Standard
NewslettersNewsletters
Life

Photos: Whale watchers flock to Pacifica after surge in sightings

The massive marine mammals have been swimming closer than usual to shore as they feed on shallow-swimming baitfish.

A whale emerges from the ocean, its head above water, surrounded by splashing waves and small fish leaping around it against a backdrop of rippling sea.
A humpback whale feeds along the coast in Pacifica on a recent weekday. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
By The Standard Staff

Hungry humpback whales have drawn a daily audience to the shoreline in and around San Francisco, with a surge of sightings concentrated off the coast of Pacifica.

The mammals are often seen off the California coast during the summer, but this season has brought them closer than usual to the shoreline, making it easier to catch a glimpse.

Three people are observing the scenery: one with binoculars, one with a camera, and a woman in the foreground looking ahead. They stand by a fence, beside an ocean.
Xiao Xiao of San Leandro, center, photographs whales from a beach in Pacifica. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
A whale's head breaks the surface of the water, covered in barnacles, with a bird flying nearby against a backdrop of slightly choppy sea waves.
A humpback breaches the surface. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
A coastal scene at dusk with a dark, cloudy sky, distant mountains, waves hitting the shore, and birds flying in a V formation above a beachside town.
A view of the coastline where there's been an unusually high number of whale sightings lately. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard

Experts say the whales are drawn closer to land this summer because they’re following anchovies and other shallow-swimming fish they love to eat.

Happywhale.com, which analyzes crowd-sourced photos, tallied nearly 400 humpbacks this month in Monterey Bay — a considerable jump from the 202 sighted in June and 112 in April.

Two people with cameras look at the ocean; one holds binoculars and points while the other carries a camera with a long lens. They're on a cliffside path.
Matt Bryant and Sophia Yao, whale watchers from San Francisco. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
A whale's large head breaches the surface of choppy, gray water, creating splashes. A small bird floats on the water's surface in the foreground.
A humpback spotted from Pacifica State Beach. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
A group of people stands along a fenced path, taking photos with smartphones and cameras, with a green field and residential buildings in the background.
Whale watchers make a sighting. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard

Facebook groups dedicated to documenting whale sightings have seen a huge uptick in members that coincides with the mammals’ more frequent appearances closer to land.

Pacifica Whalespotting, for one, skyrocketed from 5,000 or so members in July to about 18,000 this month.

A whale's head emerges from the water at sunset, surrounded by splashing fish and flying seabirds.
Whales aren't normally seen this close to the shore. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
The image shows a vast ocean under a dusky sky with an orange hue. A few birds are flying above the water, and a whale’s tail is emerging from the sea.
Summer sightings are frequent from Monterey up to San Francisco. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard
Four people stand beside a fence, gazing at an ocean during sunset under a cloudy sky, their silhouettes highlighted against the dusky backdrop.
Four people stand beside a fence, gazing at an ocean during sunset under a cloudy sky, their silhouettes highlighted against the dusky backdrop.
Observers try to catch a final glimpse before sunset. | Source: Loren Elliott for The Standard

Anyone who wants to catch a look should visit the shoreline soon, because it’s unclear how long the whales will stick around.

Filed Under

LifeNatureNewsOcean BeachPacificaWildlife