humpback whales – FOREST KNOLLS NEIGHBORHOOD

The last time I wrote about humpback whales in Pacifica – and the last time I saw them – was in August 2016. This year, I thought I’d try again, so I went down to Pacifica Pier. And sure enough, there they were.

It’s the spouts that are easiest to see from the shore – or even from Highway 1 sometimes. If you look carefully, you see a spout, followed by the actual whale surfacing briefly. Sometimes they breach or slap their tails on the water.

There are lots of fish close to shore. Everyone’s fishing – whales, pelicans, gulls – and of course, people.

A chunk of Pacifica Pier is blocked off now with chain-link fencing. It’s apparently been damaged in recent storms. The reduced area plus the bountiful fishing opportunity made it crowded when I visited.

This makes it more difficult to get out there and whale-watch; but on the upside – the blocked-off section has become a roost for brown pelicans and cormorants and gulls.

The Pier’s far end is blocked off – up to that point, it’s people fishing, and beyond, it’s pelicans

Pelicans are fun to watch, as they fly in lines and V-formations – and especially when they’re plunge-fishing.

I’m not sure how long either the whales or the pelicans will be around – but they follow the fish, and right now, there are a lot of them.

Someone also photographed a great white shark! But I didn’t see it myself.

One of the delights of living where we do is being so close to wildlife. I don’t mean just the raccoons or the hawks – but actual whales! I’d been seeing Youtube video of humpback whales in Pacifica, barely 15 minutes south of us.

So I went out to Pacifica Pier around 4 p.m. on a sunny Saturday afternoon, hoping that I’d maybe see a whale. I was disappointed to find access is truncated – the pier is shaped like a shallow L, but the short arm was closed off after a big storm damaged the parapet. (In the picture below, you can see the concrete slab of the wall has been pushed in by the waves. I wish they’d repair it!)

In the fine weather, the Pier was crowded. Lots of people were fishing, lots of others walking around. My hopes rose when I saw a couple of people armed with cameras with lenses as long as my forearm… maybe they were seeing whales? I only had my iPhone camera, but thought maybe I’d get some distant sightings.

I didn’t have to wait long. Almost immediately, I could see the puffs of whale-spouts in the distance, north of the pier.

whale spout of Pacifica Pier 4782 — Humpback whale spout off Pacifica Pier

Soon I could even see the whales when they surfaced. Flocks of birds surrounded them. As they fed, the fish that escaped them fed the gulls and other sea-birds. After I’d been there an hour or so, I wanted to leave. Except, I couldn’t. Every time I started to leave, more whales swam by.

Finally, one came in so close, it was inside the surf line. Someone next to me was explaining to a friend that it was likely a calf, and the shallow water was easier to breathe in. It was almost alongside the pier. After a minute or two, it turned around and swam back out.

Tag: humpback whales

Whales and Pelicans in Pacifica

Humpback Whales in Pacifica