The san mateo county coast is part of the monterey bay national marine sanctuary and offers many opportunities for ocean adventures, including whale watching tours and eco tours. This three to fourhour tour is your opportunity to see some of the most exciting wildlife in the bay up close and personal from the comfort and safety of the boat. Whale watching ocean safari trip for one, two, or four adults from sea. The boat will take you from half moon bay through the reef along the western shoreline where encounters with turtles, flying fish, and dolphins are quite frequent.
As the marine ecosystem in monterey bay has improved, there has been a population explosion of great white sharks. We create memorable getaway experiences to half moon bay, ca and the san mateo coastside. Good for 3hour whale watching tour at half moon bay. All of these tours are highly suitable for families, and any youngsters will be warmly welcomed on board too. The half moon bay coastside is just an hour and a half from my hometown and stretches along northern californias highway 1 from montara to pescadero and inland, for a total of 280 breathtaking square miles. Contact sportfishing in half moon bay, ca today by calling us at 650 7288433. Set sail on your destinations toprated boat tours and cruises. Queen of hearts can be an exciting and educational experience for everyone. The ohlone people lived here for thousands of years before spanish missionaries set up shop in the late 1700s.
Oceanic society whale watching tours in san francisco groupon. March 2015following are the naturalists sightings reports from our half moon bay gray whale watching programs during march 2015. Where to go whale watching on the san mateo coast bay area. Half moon bay state beach offers a yearround program for junior rangers for children aged 6 to 12. Mooch better fishing 1 johnson pier, half moon bay, ca 94019 650 8885125. Visit half moon bay state beach on your trip to half moon bay. Whale watching at half moon bay my wife and i are travelling to san francisco for the first time in january for our anniversary. The whale watching season half moon bay is the perfect spot for witnessing the journey of these. Whale watching tour boats leave san francisco, half moon bay, moss landing and. How about a whale watching trip from half moon bay. See 1 photo from 12 visitors to the salty lady whale watching tour. Founded with the intention to provide a healthy, educational, historic look at half moon bay through the many adventures one can have all in one day.
On each trip you may have the chance to see whales. Let half moon bay coastside tours develop your perfect itinerary, so all you have to think about is getting here. Half moon bay whale watching will take you out of the pillar point harbor in search of humpbacks, blues, grays and the occasional pod of killer whales. Pillar point is in moss beach, just north of half moon bay. Rock fishing and tuna during the open seasons and salmon when there is a season. May 10, 2015 while visiting half moon bay beach, california on may 9, 2015 we caught on camera a few whales swimming along the shoreline. Whale watching with queen of hearts, sportfishing, half moon. Whale watching has a long tradition in california with the first tours taking place in the. Whales are common in our waters for most of the year.
California the best tips for whale watching in california whaletrips. Half moon bay whale watching deals in half moon bay, ca. Led by expert naturalists, full and half day boat tours are available almost every weekend, with opportunities to see blue, humpback, and gray whales, dolphins and porpoises, seals and sea lions, rare seabirds, and other marine life up close. Oct 27, 2015 in the afternoon, we walked along miramar beach in half moon bay. Discover the world of sea kayaking, paddle boarding and biking in half moon bay. From north to south it comprises roosevelt, dunes, venice, and francis beaches. Half moon bay trips are usually three hours, up to two trips a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon.
Gray whale watching half moon bay, california oceanic. Private individual trips or charters for whale watching, naturebird cruises and coastal viewing cruises are available as well, both whole day and half day. Enjoy this family day trip to half moon bay, calfiornia. Gray whale watching half moon bay, california oceanic society. When we say half moon bay adventures, we really mean it. Whale watching at point reyes point reyes national seashore. Your threehour half moon bay whale tour tracks the migration of the grey whale. Many of the towns historical buildings now house upscale restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques, but the coast is the real draw here. Limited public transportation is available via samtrans. Theres nothing more relaxing than a half moon bay vacation. Half moon bays mild temperatures paired with the fertile valley soil make it a prime growing region known for its abundant crops, particularly artichokes, pumpkins and christmas trees. Neighbor news half moon bay whale watch by allison ogrady, neighbor feb 18, 2011 4.
Half moon bay travel california, usa lonely planet. Opportunities to see blue, humpback, and gray whales whale watching trip. In addition to aviation, cairns has a worldclass allweather waterfront city port facility which provides facilities for reef operations, pleasure craft and superyachts, complemented by a. Annual migration of the gray whale is currently underway. Grab your binoculars and head westits whale watching season in the bay area.
What drives the gray whale to undertake this incredible annual round trip from alaska to baja. The 10 best things to do in half moon bay 2020 with photos. Trips run on saturdays and sundays from late december through midmay. Trips run on saturdays and sundays from january through midapril. Half moon bay is a pristine three quarter mile 1200 meter beach thats found between the uninhabited islands of little water cay and water cay. Back to main attractions page to select another fun attraction in half moon bay. Whale watching from the queen of hearts can be an exciting and educational experience for everyone. Bay area half moon bay attractions deepsea fishing charters, sportfishing and whale watching tours. The queen of hearts is known for specializing in shallow water fishing along the san mateo coastline of california, between montara to the north and ano nuevo to the south, as well as salmon mooching, salmon trolling, rockfishing both deep. The urban area had a population of 20,7 at the same census. Jan 30, 2015 fulland half day boat tours are available almost every weekend. Specializing in whale watching and shallow water light tackle fishing off the san mateo, california coast.
Half moon bay whale watching charters and eco tours by boat. Our three hour trips are typically scheduled on the weekends departing at 10. Take a leisurely stroll down this main drag and enjoy the towns relaxing, slow pace. Where we spend a day with the kids on a beautiful sunny day at gray whale cove state beach. Pillar point harbor princetonbythesea north of half moon bay whale watching tours if youre planning on taking a whale watching tour, the best time to observe these magnificent gray whales along the pacific coast is during their annual.
We have a limited time there but wanted to check out the whale watching tour at half moon bay lasts about 3 hours. Times are tough for the travel community right now. Jul 09, 2016 40 ton humpback whale leaps entirely out of the water. The queen of hearts is a 50foot sportfishing vessel operating from pillar point harbor in half moon bay, california, about 20 miles south of san francisco. Half moon bay is about 30 minutes south of san francisco. San franciscos wild coast walking tour with local guide. Oceanic society half moon bay gray whale watching, half. Boat or ferry in half moon bay, ca foursquare uses cookies to provide you with an optimal experience, to personalize ads that you may see, and to help advertisers measure the results of their ad campaigns.
The 10 best things to do in half moon bay 2020 with. If youre in the half moon bay, ca area, call us now at 650 7288433. Considered northern californias premier whale watching destination, the bay area offers the opportunity to witness majestic gray whales as they migrate south. See all photos taken at the salty lady whale watching tour by 12 visitors. In the afternoon, we walked along miramar beach in half moon bay. Prices are per person, with a minimum cost for the boat to go. The multimilliondollarestatelined stretch of beach draws surfers and picnickers throughout the year. Flowers grow yearround in the fields and in greenhouses and nurseries, a number of which are private but open their doors to the public for tours in july for. Blue whales bones may help pescadero students sfgate.
For visitor information, the half moon bay coastside visitor center is located at 235 main street, half moon bay, ca 94019 open weekdays 9am 5pm closed for lunch 12pm 1pm, weekends 10am 3pm phone. Oceanic society is a nonprofit marine conservation organization that was founded in 1969. Huck finn sportfishing huck finn sportfishing 65072673 fishing, charter boats and whale watchingtours. Whale watching with queen of hearts, sportfishing, half moon bay. This annual roundtrip migration is believed by scientists to be the longest. The queen of hearts also runs whale watching tours and offers some very competitive rates compared to other fishing charters at half moon bay. We are a nonprofit organization and have been leading whale watching trips in the bay area since 1972. Located 25 miles south of san francisco, near half moon bay in. Whale watching cruises depart from princeton harbor and venture 10 to 15 miles away from shore toward the migratory paths of these majestic mammals.
Whale watching with queen of hearts, sportfishing, half. Check out our list of mustdo water activities in half moon bay. Plan your half moon bay visit at half moon bay coastside tours, were committed to planning your ideal itinerary based on your interests, time frame, and budget. Whalewatching, deep sea fishing charters and sportfishing in. The 50 foot queen of hearts out of half moon bay, california offers whale watching trips during january, february and march, depending on availability, when the whale watching season is at its peak along the san mateo coastline. Essentially a sand bar that grew over time, this beach is about 400 feet 110 meters wide, and today the central dune supports light vegetation and casuarina trees. It accommodates up to 32 people for whale watching and tours. The airport, just 7 kilometres from the cairns cbd and less than 20 minute drive from half moon bay, also features a thriving general aviation precinct. Whether its an entertaining and informative boat tour or a relaxing sunset dinner cruise, these are the best half moon bay cruises around. The 50 foot queen of hearts out of half moon bay, california offers whale watching trips during january, february and march, depending on availability, when. Read more half moon bay gray whale watch sightings. Half moon bay coastside whale watching and ecotours. Whether youre indulging in refreshing cocktails at a local bar or flipping through a magazine by the shore, your trip to half moon bay is the perfect time to live out your beachy dreams.
Half moon the humpback whale his story halfmoon s fluke halfmoon breaching. On his social media profile, willis said hes on a sixday kayaking tour of the california coast and was in half moon bay earlier this week when he spotted the whales. Half moon bay state beach is a 4mile 6 km stretch of protected beaches in the state park system of california, united states, on half moon bay. Take off from pillar point yacht harbor aboard the distinguished salty lady vessel that will steer your gaze in the direction of whales bodyslamming and cutting through the surface of the waves. Beginning in january and running through the end of march, approximately 15,000 gray whales swim south from the icy waters of the arctic to mate and nurse their young in the warm, shallow lagoons along magdalena bay in. But the most incredible thing about this beach was the whale watching, which is a total anomaly this time of year.
He has been seen breaching 30 to 40 times with other whales. Photos at the salty lady whale watching tour 12 visitors. Queen of hearts, sportfishing, captain bob ingles, pillar point. Whalewatching, deep sea fishing charters and sportfishing. Half moon bay is a coastal city in san mateo county, california, united states, located approximately 25 miles 40 km south of san francisco. California has some of the best marine wildlife viewing in the world. Home to a long coastline, mild weather and mavericks one of the biggest and scariest surf breaks on the planet half moon bay is prime real estate. Download the pacific gray whales resource newsletter for more information about. The visitor center on main street has excellent resources about the local beaches and hikes, and for dining and shopping, main street is the place to go. Whale watching charters for the greater san francisco bay. Plan your half moon bay visit half moon bay coastside tours. Looking for nantucket whale inn, a 3 star hotel in half moon bay. Great white shark tours monterey ca sea goddess whale.
Queen of hearts pillar point harbor half moon bay, ca. Foursquare uses cookies to provide you with an optimal experience, to personalize ads that you may see, and to help advertisers measure the results of their ad campaigns. This round trip is about 1012,000 miles, the longest migration known to man. Threehour educational whale watching cruises from half moon bay to observe the annual migration of thousands of gray whales from their arctic feeding grounds to breeding and calving areas in mexico. I was looking up tours before we left and found that the season is generally december through.
Gray whale cove state beach half moon bay tripadvisor. Feb 18, 2011 this post was contributed by a community member. Oceanic society is a nonprofit marine conservation organization that was. Single passengers and smaller groups can join our boat based on space availability. In these conditions a whale can eat a ton of planktonday. It includes a handful of cute coastal towns and, of course, the city of half moon bay itself. The next stop on these boat snorkeling tours is the fabulous blue channel, a secluded snorkel spot which is ideal for both beginner and more advanced snorkelers.
More info on half moon bay half moon bay chamber of commerce. Between san francisco and santa cruz sits the sleepy beach resort community of half moon bay. Roatan island snorkeling tours roatan honduras travel guide. The onehour programs cover a variety of topics, including animals, plants, geology, history, weather, recycling, safety and park careers. Paddle among seals, birds, and other marine life in protected pillar point harbor or the wild waters of the open pacific. Oceanic society half moon bay gray whale watching 2020 all. Whale watching half moon bay, ca riptide sportfishing. The whale watching season half moon bay is the perfect spot for witnessing the journey of these spectacular creatures. He has also been seen in the dominican republic on silver bank, a breeding area nearly 1500 miles away. Operating out of pillar point harbor in beautiful half moon bay, the huli cat is 53 feet long and has an enclosed cabin. Immediately at the north of half moon bay is the pillar point harbor and the unincorporated community of princetonbythesea.