Discover your Marine Sanctuary

Humpback whales, elephant seals, hundreds of thousands of seabirds – all in your backyard!

By Linda Hunter
Published: June 2007

  Lost Humpback in the Delta.

Two errant humpback whales – nicknamed Delta and Dawn by an adoring public – garnered international attention when they meandered up the delta all the way to Sacramento a few weeks ago. It’s great news that this story had a happy ending and the humpback whales have returned to the Pacific Ocean. We’re hopeful that the attention lavished on these leviathans will encourage more Bay Area residents to consider the amazing wildlife and habitat in their own backyard.

Delta and Dawn join many other endangered marine mammals in the fertile and wild waters of the marine sanctuary just off our shore where a veritable Serengeti of wildlife feed, breed and thrive.  Since 1972, vast tracts of our nation's oceans and coastal waters have been set-aside as National Marine Sanctuaries. California is fortunate to have four marine sanctuaries that run the length of our California coastline. Think of them as large underwater national parks that are protected against over-fishing and offshore oil drilling and other threats to marine life. It’s a daunting challenge because a burgeoning human population puts increasing pressure on the ocean and its resources. This means that the safeguarding of our marine sanctuaries and the wildlife that depends on them has become a vital necessity.

Designated in 1981 because of its rich biological diversity, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary surrounds the wind-swept peaks of the Farallon Islands off of the Golden Gate. The sanctuary encompasses over 1,200 square miles of open ocean and coastal waters as well as bays and estuaries - from Bodega Head in Sonoma County all the way down along the San Mateo County coast. The islands in its midst serve as breeding grounds for 400,000 seabirds - more seabirds than any other area in the contiguous United States.

Due to its location just next to the point where the continental shelf drops off into the deep ocean, the sanctuary is in an upwelling zone, a nutrient-rich environment teeming with life. The sanctuary waters and the Farallon Islands serve as a nursery for harbor seals, elephant seals, harbor porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, rockfish and seabirds. The sanctuary is a favorite with all kinds of large marine animals, including one of the largest remaining blue whale populations and one of the world's largest concentrations of great white sharks. At least 36 species of marine mammals have been observed within its borders, including 25 endangered species such as humpback whales.

You don’t have to get wet to appreciate the sanctuary! To find out more about this incredible marine environment, come visit us at the Sanctuary Visitor Center on Crissy Field in the Presidio. The visitor center offers opportunities to encounter fascinating creatures in the aquarium, discover exciting adventures in sanctuary waters and learn how to get involved in protecting the local marine environment.  It’s a great place for kids of all ages! 

To protect the wildlife of the sanctuary in your own backyard, click here.

 

Photo Credits;  Whales: BBC. Dolphin: Tom Kieckhefer.  Sea lion: Jan Roletto