Pinnipeds and Gray Whale in Fog, Sept 13th 2007.

It was another foggy day today but that did not stop our passengers from seeing some

incredible Marine Wildlife. We saw a large number of Stellar and California Sea lions at Race Rocks both in the morning and afternoon. Harbor Seals were also seen both at Race Rocks and the Chain Islands. Our passengers in the morning were also treated to several Dalls Porpoises playing near the boat.

In the afternoon we headed to Crescent Bay after receiving reports that a Gray Whale had been sighted. Sure enough when we arrived on scene we saw the Gray Whale surface almost immediately. Gray Whales are unique because although they are part of the Baleen family they are actually bottom feeders and feed on small crustaceans and tube worms found in the mud. These large mammals can reach up to almost 50 feet long and weigh between 30-40 tons. Gray Whales have no dorsal fin but have a prominent hump about 2/3 of the way along the body and a series of 6-12 knuckles along the dorsal ridge down to the tail flukes.