Crossing the Gulf of the Farallones is always an eventful experience. Currents and tides aggregate plankton and planktivorous (plankton-eating) fish, which in turn attract harbor porpoises, seabirds and humpback whales. The rich seawater upwelled from the deep waters, feeds a proliferation of plankton, attracting marine life from across the Pacific into the Sanctuary waters. One of the most unusual fish is the giant ocean sunfish.
Read MoreMissing Swimmer off Pt Reyes, White Shark Suspected
Missing Swimmer off Pt Reyes, Possible Shark Attack
If Confirmed, the Event Would be the First Fatality to a Shark in Marin County
The Islands of the Dead: Exploring the Farallon Islands
Located close to San Francisco, one of the world’s most recognizable metropolises, there is a series of desolate, fog shrouded, wind and wave-sculpted islands. Known as the “Islands of the Dead” by the Native Miwok, and the “Devil’s Teeth” by Spanish mariners, these islands have a fascinating history of human exploitation, killing and loss.
Read MoreSharktober 2023 News and Events
Sharktober is a celebration of white sharks to our Sanctuary offshore, and to educate and motivate the public to save endangered sharks and rays. Our first Sharktoberfest events were intended to drive support for the now successful California Shark Fin Ban introduced by Shark Stewards, and the USA shark fin trade ban passed in 2022. Since that time we have used these events with our partners at the California Academy of Sciences, the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, the California Ocean Protection Council and other NGOS and agencies to reach over 100,000 public and youth directly in the Bay Area and beyond to celebrate and save sharks. Join us for our 15th year celebrating and saving sharks!
Read More“Depredation” US Representatives Introduce SHARKED Act
The SHARKED Act sponsors widely represent the fishing industry including fishing guides and tournament organizers, who decry the partial or loss of their catch to a shark. The evidence that there is an increase in shark’s taking fish is anecdotal and not quantified.
Tell the House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries to base decisions on Science and Management, Not Emotion.
International Whale Shark Day-respecting the ocean’s largest living fish.
According to the IUCN, the Indo-Pacific population of the whale shark is thought to have reduced 63 percent over the past 75 years. These magnificent sharks are now endangered globally. Join us for a live webinar tonight and learn how to observe, document and save sharks.
Read MoreSharktober Adventures
FARALLON ISLAND EXPEDITIONS- EXCLUSIVE WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES SEPTEMBER- NOVEMBER, 2024 Experience and adventure in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary with Shark Steward’s expert naturalists. Visit the Devil’s Teeth, the home of […]
Read MoreNOAA seeks public comment on Chumash Heritage sanctuary draft proposal
Following input from tribal nations, state and federal agencies, conservationists and the public, NOAA has released a proposal to designate a 5,617-square-mile area offshore of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in central California as Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
Read MoreHave You Seen A Shark? Shark Week News
Sharks are also in the news since summer months bring more people in contact with waters where sharks swim. Warmer waters bring rays and juvenile sharks closer to shore, with an increased odds that humans and sharks shall meet.
Read MoreThe Tigers of the Sea
While the tiger shark ranks second on the list of number of recorded shark attacks on humans, behind the great white shark, such attacks are few and very seldom fatal. Known as Mano Niuhi in Hawaiian, these sharks are well documented in oral history and Hawaiian cultural lore. There are between two to four shark bites in Hawaiian waters every year, most on the islands of Oahu and Maui.
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