Amazing humpback action under the Golden Gate Bridge
Forget the whale-watch tours--just walk or bike the span and look down
Tourists pack the walkways of the Golden Gate Bridge this time of year, mostly to get a head-spinning view of the SF skyline and the bay. But smart locals should find a spot along the railing right now, as incredible sightings of humpback whales right under the bridge are being recorded, especially on warm still days like the ones we're having this summer. This shot, snapped just beyond the gate, was taken May 10 by a local whale-watching trip, San Francisco Whale Tours. Nope, it ain't photoshopped.
Lured by increasing numbers of anchovies and other fishy food, the humpbacks have settled into a pattern of feeding right under the span. "I've been in this game for a lot of decades, and this is the first time I've heard of this many humpbacks coming in this far," Mary Jane Schramm, the spokeswoman for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, told the SF Chronicle.
Frequent sightings near the south tower, particularly on the east side of the bridge, include tail slaps, mushrooming swirls of air bubbles (used to herd fish into tight bunches for easier gulping), flapping flippers and occasional breaches. Known for the speed and agility, they may be less prone to boat strikes, a good thing as they navigate the busy shipping lanes under the Golden Gate Bridge.
While boats, windsurfers (like the one below), kite boarders, and even the occasional SUP-er (crazy if you ask me--those currents are insane!) do aim to get close to surfacing whales, a gentle reminder that it's a federal offense to do so. That amazing Instagram post could be unforgettable--and land you in jail.
Our whales are a subspecies known as Southern Hemisphere humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae), with flippers that are dark on top and light underneath. (East Coast humpbacks tend to have all-white flippers.) The flipper patterns are as unique as fingerprints, allowing scientists and researchers--and even you if you take a few photos and make some notes--to identify and track individuals. I've noticed that one of the four that has shown up for the past few days is quite a bit lighter--almost brownish--and slimmer than the others, and he/she is a mighty and frequent tail-lobber.
