IN THIS ISSUE

OceanFest 2007

Shark Attacks

Creating Underwater Parks

Wildlife Spotlight: Shearwater

 

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OceanFest October 6th, 11-4pm at Crissy Field!

 

OceanFest raffle tickets are on sale now! Fabulous prizes include a kayaking trip to Baja, surf and sailing lessons and weekend get-aways. All proceeds benefit FMSA. Available at the Visitor Center or by calling 415-561-6625 x 307 or contacting jmohr@farallones.org or via our website.

 

Whale watching trips!  Join us on a trip to the Farallons for the amazing seabirds, whales and wildlife!

Saturday, September 22

Saturday, October 27

 

September 18 Academy Lecture - Birds and Bears of Churchill, Manitoba: A Wildlife Photographer's Vision at 2pm.

 

September 25 MLPA meeting: North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group

 

October 1 MLPA meeting Science Advisory Team

 

October 16 Academy Lecture: Exploring the Sierra Nevada as a Naturalist and an Artist, at 2pm and 7:30pm.

 

Donate to FMSA today!

 

 

OceanFest 2007

Join the free celebration on Saturday, October 6th from 11am-4pm at the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center on West Crissy Field in San Francisco.

Gourmet sustainable seafood and vegetarian food by top restaurants, live music, wine and beer, exhibitors, kids’ activities and more!

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Surfing with the Great Whites

September marks the beginning of Indian summer in the Bay Area—off-shore breezes, warm weather, dissipating fog, good surf, and of course the return of white shark season.  Last month’s shark attack at Marina State Beach near Monterey was a frightening reminder that we share the ocean with these majestic creatures.  Local Todd Endris was attacked while surfing.

Yet while many people panic at the idea of stepping into cold waters infested with 20-foot-long mammal-eating creatures, much needs to be clarified about these misunderstood fish.

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Creating Underwater Parks

Over one hundred years ago, the American people set aside special places where wilderness would be protected – places like Yosemite, Yellowstone and Sequoia National Parks – places that reflect the character of a great nation - in order to preserve them for our children and grandchildren.

Today, with the implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act, we have taken another important step in recognizing that such special places exist below the ocean’s surface as well and such places deserve our protection.

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Wildlife Spotlight: Shearwaters

When you think of taking a wildlife-watching trip in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, you might think of braving rough waters to see breaching whales and barking sea lions.  However, the nutrient-rich waters also provide food to numerous seabird species.  Fall is a great time to view these incredible birds, many which are truly pelagic—meaning they only come to land to breed.  In September, you might see several different shearwater species, flying close to the surface of the water, alternating flapping wings with long glides.

Shearwaters are a family of seabirds that are truly amazing to watch glide over the ocean waves.  They are members of the Procellariidae family—the tubenoses—aptly named for their ability to excrete salt through specialized tubes on their bills.  This desalinization system enables them to drink seawater, one of many adaptations to a life at sea. 

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