The Americas

A record number of whales have been spotted in San Francisco Bay over the past few weeks, making whale watching a whole lot easier in the Bay area.

 

A variety of humpback, blue and gray whales have been flocking to the area in “unprecedented” numbers.

 

 

 

The whales’ arrival has taken place earlier than usual, with whales spotted as early as May this year, compared to the usual peak in August onward.

 

The visiting whales are great news for whale watchers, who will be almost guaranteed to spot the big mammals during a whale watching boat trip in the area.

 

 

For those looking to partake in some whale watching from the comfort of dry land, head to the Golden Gate Bridge or coastal sites like Point Reyes, Pacifica Beach, Mori Point, and Lands End.

 

There are conflicting explanations for the whales’ early appearance. Some say La Niña’s cooling of sea temperatures has led to an abundance of krill and anchovies, tempting the whales to head north earlier than usual.

 

 

Humpback fluke at the Farallon Islands by Peter Winch #tharsheblows #sfbaywhalewatching #sfwhaletours

A photo posted by San Francisco Whale Tours (@sfwhaletours) on May 23, 2016 at 5:36pm PDT

Another theory is that the whales have been forced to head up north due to unfavourable feeding conditions near Central America and Mexico. Either way, the whales appear to be gathering in San Francisco for a full-on feeding frenzy.