WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:01.420 --> 00:00:04.800 Hi everyone and welcome to NOAA's Greater Farallones National Marine 00:00:04.993 --> 00:00:06.569 Sanctuary off of San Francisco. 00:00:06.569 --> 00:00:11.279 I'm, Sara Heintzelman and today I'm joined by Carol Preston and MaryJane Schramm. 00:00:11.469 --> 00:00:14.494 The three of us will be your naturalists for your adventure into 00:00:14.494 --> 00:00:16.858 Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary today. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:21.899 You're joining us as part of the annual Get Into Your Sanctuary celebration. 00:00:22.449 --> 00:00:25.905 All 14 marine protected areas in the National Marine Sanctuary System 00:00:25.905 --> 00:00:27.809 are offering programs all weekend long. 00:00:28.180 --> 00:00:33.120 The majority of waters in the National Marine Sanctuary System are open for recreation, 00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:36.370 and this weekend you can explore all the many ways for you to enjoy your 00:00:36.370 --> 00:00:37.589 national marine sanctuaries. 00:00:38.230 --> 00:00:42.570 Tune in throughout the weekend for all sorts of different ocean adventures. 00:00:43.300 --> 00:00:46.344 Today you'll be joining us to explore the ocean wilderness of 00:00:46.344 --> 00:00:48.539 Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. 00:00:50.649 --> 00:00:55.769 We will be starting our journey by departing from San Francisco's Marina Green. 00:00:56.199 --> 00:00:59.853 We'll head out underneath the Golden Gate and through the waters of 00:00:59.853 --> 00:01:03.900 Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary to the Farallon Islands 00:01:04.089 --> 00:01:06.209 and beyond out to the continental shelf. 00:01:06.790 --> 00:01:10.000 We'll be searching for a wildlife along the way and learning 00:01:10.100 --> 00:01:13.529 about maritime heritage and the research taking place in our sanctuary. 00:01:13.689 --> 00:01:17.999 You can skip the Dramamine today, but do keep your eyes peeled for wildlife. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.127 We never know when you might see a whale spout, 00:01:21.127 --> 00:01:22.799 a seabird, or some other exciting sighting 00:01:23.770 --> 00:01:26.130 If you have questions during our program, 00:01:26.470 --> 00:01:30.329 please feel free to type them in the chat and we'll do our best to answer them as we go. 00:01:30.909 --> 00:01:32.909 Enjoy your adventure today. 00:01:37.270 --> 00:01:42.000 - Welcome aboard the Salty Lady. I'm so happy that you can join us today. 00:01:42.670 --> 00:01:47.339 I wanted you to just take note of that little white dot on the map there in the marina. 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:51.960 That's our locator dot and that will follow us through our journey today. 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:57.000 So the Salty Lady belongs to the Oceanic Society, 00:01:57.100 --> 00:02:02.459 and they're going to be our host today as we head out to the islands, 00:02:02.979 --> 00:02:07.499 and I'd like to introduce you to Chris Biertuempfel of 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:10.019 the Oceanic Society. 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:14.502 - [Chris] Hi, my name is Chris Biertuempfel with Oceanic Society. Since 1972, 00:02:14.502 --> 00:02:17.629 oceanic has set the standards for respectful exciting and educational 00:02:17.880 --> 00:02:21.214 marine ecotourism both in the United States and abroad. 00:02:21.214 --> 00:02:25.700 As a conservation nonprofit, our wildlife cruises are not just great adventures, 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.519 but they foster deeper appreciation for the ocean with all of our passengers. 00:02:28.890 --> 00:02:32.860 Our naturalists are knowledgeable educators biologists and scientists 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:37.200 whose field experiences offer fascinating insights into all the trips and wildlife we see. 00:02:37.380 --> 00:02:39.469 Thank you for joining us and please enjoy your trip. 00:02:42.980 --> 00:02:44.980 - Thanks, Chris, 00:02:45.200 --> 00:02:48.854 and as we head out towards the Golden Gate will actually pass 00:02:48.854 --> 00:02:51.430 our sanctuary offices on the left-hand side. 00:02:51.620 --> 00:02:54.280 And this is where we work to 00:02:54.920 --> 00:02:58.180 protect the sanctuary waters through research, 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:02.290 education, conservation, and stewardship programs. 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:08.589 We're actually a part of a bigger system of national marine sanctuaries. 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:14.530 There are 14 of them plus two monuments and we'll kind of take a little quick tour 00:03:14.530 --> 00:03:19.000 starting in Thunder Bay up there by the Great Lakes. There's some freshwater 00:03:19.100 --> 00:03:23.400 sanctuaries that preserve our maritime heritage shipwrecks. 00:03:23.500 --> 00:03:28.600 And then we'll head down the east coast around the Florida Keys. 00:03:28.700 --> 00:03:32.270 There's lots of beautiful corals in that region. 00:03:32.270 --> 00:03:37.233 We'll head out to American Samoa, one of my favorite sanctuaries, 00:03:37.233 --> 00:03:41.100 and then up to the Hawaiian Islands and over to 00:03:41.200 --> 00:03:46.539 Papahānaumokuākea national monuments and over to Olympic Coast 00:03:46.600 --> 00:03:51.100 and then we'll head down to...You'll notice that there's four 00:03:51.170 --> 00:03:54.850 sanctuaries right here in California on top of each other and that's 00:03:54.920 --> 00:03:59.199 because this is really truly one of the richest areas in the world, 00:04:00.380 --> 00:04:04.239 in the ocean and so it needs that much protection. 00:04:04.310 --> 00:04:10.000 Let's go close in and see Greater Farallones where we'll be exploring today. 00:04:11.480 --> 00:04:19.100 So the Greater Farallones protects about 3,295 square miles of ocean, 00:04:19.200 --> 00:04:23.000 and that's about the same size as Yellowstone National Park. 00:04:30.200 --> 00:04:33.264 - Okay, as we cruise under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge 00:04:33.264 --> 00:04:35.079 our adventure has already begun. 00:04:35.630 --> 00:04:40.100 The Pacific tide surges through this one-mile narrow strait 00:04:40.200 --> 00:04:42.279 where it collides with the powerful outflowing 00:04:43.130 --> 00:04:45.300 Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:49.630 This massive movement of waters has gouged out deep trenches at the gate, 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.520 depositing rippled sand fields and treacherous shoals 00:04:53.520 --> 00:04:54.370 just beyond it. 00:04:55.610 --> 00:05:00.508 Currents here can reach a swift seven knots or roughly eight miles per hour 00:05:00.508 --> 00:05:02.140 making navigation tricky. 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:06.009 But this dynamic also concentrates shoals of fish here, 00:05:06.380 --> 00:05:09.455 creating great foraging for porpoises, sea lions, 00:05:09.455 --> 00:05:11.589 and sometimes even humpback whales. 00:05:17.380 --> 00:05:21.700 - So the Golden Gate is a great habitat for lots of wildlife 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:23.519 because of all those currents that 00:05:23.830 --> 00:05:28.710 MJ just described and all the fish that get caught up in the whirlpools in that area. 00:05:28.870 --> 00:05:34.500 We see lots of harbor porpoises there. I always can recognize them by 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:38.500 their dorsal fin on their back, it looks like a little, Hershey kiss. 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:42.000 And they're out chasing all that fish and 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:45.659 it's really great to see them back here in this region in the bay 00:05:46.419 --> 00:05:50.594 because during World War Two, when we were protecting our port, 00:05:50.594 --> 00:05:55.000 we put some nets across the bay and they took off. 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:57.900 And they returned though in 2008. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:02.000 So it's really a great spot to watch for them. 00:06:02.100 --> 00:06:05.500 And the Marine Mammal Center has actually been researching 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:10.000 them since their return, and they use the Golden Gate Bridge 00:06:10.100 --> 00:06:15.500 as their observation site. And you can see their study area below. 00:06:20.830 --> 00:06:24.210 - Great, and as we head out a little past the Golden Gate Bridge, 00:06:24.220 --> 00:06:27.400 if you look to your right, you can see the Marin Headlands. 00:06:27.500 --> 00:06:31.700 and the structure that you see is the historic Point Bonita lighthouse. 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:37.500 It was built in 1855 to guide boats through the treacherous Golden Gate straits. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:39.960 Despite lighthouses all along our coast, 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:42.700 there are over 400 known shipwrecks in 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:45.179 Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 00:06:45.179 --> 00:06:47.400 and we have a very rich maritime heritage. 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:52.109 If you take a closer look among the rocks below the lighthouse, 00:06:52.210 --> 00:06:55.769 you might spot some of these guys- the black oyster catchers. 00:06:56.050 --> 00:06:59.520 These birds will forage along the rocks looking for food to eat. 00:06:59.520 --> 00:07:03.852 And if you keep your eyes peeled, you might even spot a harbor seal, 00:07:03.852 --> 00:07:05.190 sneaking a peek at us. 00:07:08.520 --> 00:07:14.100 Did you just feel that bump? We just passed over the famous San Andreas fault. 00:07:14.310 --> 00:07:18.409 This is where the North American and Pacific tectonic plates meet. 00:07:18.780 --> 00:07:25.200 The Pacific plate is very slowly creeping north, at a rate of about two inches per year. 00:07:25.400 --> 00:07:27.139 And in the very, very distant future 00:07:27.330 --> 00:07:30.889 LA will actually be San Francisco's offshore neighbor. 00:07:35.889 --> 00:07:38.918 - As we move forward look for flocks of birds. 00:07:39.650 --> 00:07:42.000 That's always a good indication that 00:07:42.100 --> 00:07:44.259 something's happening below the surface of water. 00:07:44.479 --> 00:07:48.320 Maybe a huge school of fish is there. 00:07:48.320 --> 00:07:51.339 Oh and you can see that big humpback surfacing, 00:07:52.009 --> 00:07:56.348 coming up and I think over on Sara's side of the boat. We can see some more. 00:07:56.900 --> 00:08:00.516 - Yeah, and ^to communicate humpbacks will sing and slap the water 00:08:00.516 --> 00:08:04.299 as you can see this humpback doing right now with its long, long fins. 00:08:04.909 --> 00:08:07.539 ^The patterns on the underside of their tails 00:08:08.270 --> 00:08:12.490 ^make it possible to identify individual whales, just like a human fingerprint. 00:08:14.520 --> 00:08:17.600 ^With one of the longest migrations of any animal, 00:08:17.700 --> 00:08:21.499 ^humpback whales travel through many of our national marine sanctuaries 00:08:24.330 --> 00:08:28.000 ^These special places give whales the safe spaces they need 00:08:28.100 --> 00:08:29.599 ^to feed and raise their young. 00:08:39.329 --> 00:08:42.529 - Well, it looks like we captured some great photos today. 00:08:43.169 --> 00:08:47.751 Notice that humpback breech you can see on the front of them those pleats. 00:08:47.751 --> 00:08:50.800 Those actually can expand when they swallow 00:08:50.900 --> 00:08:52.338 a whole school of fish. 00:08:52.338 --> 00:08:55.200 And check out their long pectoral fins. 00:08:55.300 --> 00:08:59.472 They use those to steer as they go through the ocean, 00:08:59.472 --> 00:09:03.500 as well as corral fish and actually communicate. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.500 So humpbacks really are highly intelligent, 00:09:06.930 --> 00:09:10.399 social animals that we're just beginning 00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:13.790 to understand more about their complex 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:16.789 language, the sounds that they make, 00:09:16.789 --> 00:09:19.880 and the physical movements that they make. 00:09:26.180 --> 00:09:30.500 - All right, we're now coming to the spot where in 1953, 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:32.260 the freighter SS Jacob Luckenbach 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.600 collided with its sister ship, the Hawaiian Pilot, 00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:38.590 and sank 17 miles off San Francisco. 00:09:39.500 --> 00:09:41.500 Thankfully, no lives were lost. 00:09:41.990 --> 00:09:47.000 But decades later mystery oil spills during severe winter storms 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:49.630 were killing thousands of seabirds and marine mammals. 00:09:50.990 --> 00:09:53.799 Farallones Beach Watch volunteers collected evidence 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:57.609 tracing these leaks to the Luckenbach shipwreck. 00:09:58.790 --> 00:10:02.349 In 19, sorry, in 2002 a multi-agency effort 00:10:03.290 --> 00:10:07.000 removed 100,000 gallons of fuel from the Luckenbach, 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:09.099 and the leaks dropped dramatically. 00:10:10.040 --> 00:10:12.849 Successfully preventing many more wildlife casualties. 00:10:14.030 --> 00:10:17.000 This sonar image sweeps from the Luckenbach's bow, 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:18.400 past the wheelhouse. 00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:22.900 Revealing the split between the stern and the main hull. 00:10:30.670 --> 00:10:33.840 - Oh, look, there's the Huli Cat! 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:34.989 That's a sport fishing boat. 00:10:35.870 --> 00:10:39.100 It might be fun for us, I don't know if we can do this Sara, 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.100 to radio over to captain Tom Mattusch. 00:10:43.760 --> 00:10:44.800 - Yeah. Hey Tom. 00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:46.789 Do you think you could tell us a little bit more 00:10:46.789 --> 00:10:47.950 what you do on the Huli Cat? 00:10:52.820 --> 00:10:54.820 - Hello, I'm Tom Mattusch with Huli Cat Sportfishing 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:59.000 We offer the best possible fishing adventure to our clients, 00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:02.900 with a crew trained in responsible fishing practices, 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:05.120 who are always there to help. 00:11:05.850 --> 00:11:08.480 Salmon, rockfish, dungeness crab, 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:13.680 albacore, research trips, we do it all and we do it right. 00:11:13.680 --> 00:11:17.000 As a harbor commissioner, I promote sustainability 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:19.520 and as part of the dungeness crab task force 00:11:19.520 --> 00:11:20.840 whale entanglement group, 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:24.155 to help prevent whale entanglement in crab gear. 00:11:24.155 --> 00:11:26.389 Count on us for a great day at sea. 00:11:30.670 --> 00:11:34.000 - Going fishing is always a great way to experience 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:34.800 the sanctuary. 00:11:34.900 --> 00:11:37.050 It looks like they got some great catches today. 00:11:38.110 --> 00:11:40.350 Rockfish and even a salmon. 00:11:46.870 --> 00:11:49.260 Ooh and there's a common murre. 00:11:51.010 --> 00:11:52.260 Actually, they're not that common, 00:11:52.260 --> 00:11:54.938 you have to go offshore to see the common murres. 00:11:54.938 --> 00:11:57.839 Beautiful bird, they look a little bit like a penguin. 00:11:59.560 --> 00:12:03.360 They actually nest on the Farallon Islands 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:06.119 right on the rock and they have one chick. 00:12:06.910 --> 00:12:10.500 And the female, the mom, actually after having laid 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:13.700 this big beautiful egg and fed the chick for a week, 00:12:13.800 --> 00:12:14.519 she actually takes off. 00:12:14.520 --> 00:12:16.000 She's exhausted. 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:19.400 And it's the dad that takes care of the chick. 00:12:19.500 --> 00:12:21.800 And when the chick gets to be about as big 00:12:21.900 --> 00:12:23.600 as the one that you can see flapping there, 00:12:23.700 --> 00:12:26.840 little, little guy before they can even fly, 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:29.279 kind of bounce down those rocky ledges 00:12:29.680 --> 00:12:33.810 to follow their dad into the water where they spend, 00:12:34.390 --> 00:12:37.800 actually right now you can watch this, July through August 00:12:37.900 --> 00:12:41.940 what the dad actually teaches the chick how to fish 00:12:42.400 --> 00:12:45.480 and hunt. And it's really an amazing sight. 00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:54.000 Oh, and there's the Kitty Kat. 00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:57.500 So, this is another whale watching boat 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.819 that you can take out to the Farallon Islands, 00:13:00.340 --> 00:13:02.500 some other day on a journey. 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:05.489 And they're operated by the San Francisco Whale Tours. 00:13:06.190 --> 00:13:07.950 You know, in San Francisco 00:13:07.950 --> 00:13:13.280 we're lucky because we can always be super savvy consumers 00:13:13.280 --> 00:13:15.390 in that we have many, or several, 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:19.590 companies to choose from that really respect 00:13:20.290 --> 00:13:22.709 wildlife when they take us out on those journeys. 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:31.290 - Now here's another kind of seabird, a tufted puffin. 00:13:32.140 --> 00:13:36.160 Puffins have huge bright orange bills only in breeding season 00:13:36.160 --> 00:13:39.150 and a long feathery plumes that adorn their heads. 00:13:39.970 --> 00:13:44.000 Their beaks can hold up to 20 small fish crosswise, 00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:46.499 mostly anchovies, sardines, and squids. 00:13:47.080 --> 00:13:49.432 They fly underwater like dive bombers 00:13:49.432 --> 00:13:53.700 chasing their prey to depths of over 200 feet. 00:13:54.280 --> 00:13:58.170 Now currently about 120 puffins call the Farallones home. 00:13:58.780 --> 00:14:01.539 Nesting deep inside the tunnels and crevices 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:03.420 in these islands' rocky slopes. 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:10.580 Hey Sara, what's that? 00:14:10.580 --> 00:14:14.260 It looks like a fin flapping at the surface on a flat round body, 00:14:14.260 --> 00:14:16.449 like a seagoing frisbee? 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:19.400 - MJ. I think you just spotted one of my 00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:21.960 favorite things to see out here. 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:25.030 That looks like you've found an ocean sunfish, 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:27.100 or a mola mola. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.679 Let's see if we can take a closer look. 00:14:34.640 --> 00:14:36.640 So, meet the mola mola. 00:14:37.070 --> 00:14:42.000 These very unusual fish are one of my favorite things to spot out here. 00:14:42.170 --> 00:14:46.400 They are so strange looking and really fascinating. 00:14:46.790 --> 00:14:49.800 ^Mola mola are also known as ocean sunfish 00:14:49.900 --> 00:14:52.021 for their habit of lying flat on the surface of the ocean 00:14:52.021 --> 00:14:54.300 in order to warm themselves in the sun. 00:14:54.400 --> 00:14:56.700 A pelagic fish, they can grow up to 00:14:56.800 --> 00:15:00.039 5,000 pounds, heavier than a typical SUV. 00:15:00.650 --> 00:15:03.542 ^These bony fish are sometimes seen schooling, 00:15:03.542 --> 00:15:06.999 but as they get larger, they often become more solitary. 00:15:07.400 --> 00:15:09.400 What a great sighting today. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.900 - Ohh, it looks like we arrived at the Farallon Islands! 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:23.179 One of the most exclusive neighborhoods in San Francisco. 00:15:23.580 --> 00:15:26.869 Note, there's just two houses on the island, 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:32.800 and only eight researchers can spend the night at any one time. 00:15:33.150 --> 00:15:38.100 At the top up there, in 1853 is when the lighthouse was built, 00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:41.000 and those houses were also built shortly thereafter 00:15:41.100 --> 00:15:43.900 to house the lighthouse keepers families. 00:15:44.610 --> 00:15:47.500 And as we move around the island, 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:50.800 we can see some different views. 00:15:53.630 --> 00:15:59.500 And whoa, look at that, nice. That is the Great Arch Rock. 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:06.800 Oh, and this is a map of the Farallon Islands 00:16:06.900 --> 00:16:08.900 that we kind of want to show you get you oriented. 00:16:09.009 --> 00:16:11.500 We are going to go up on the islands today, 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.969 and we will go by East Landing right there. 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.100 And, just to give yourself the bearings. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:18.930 There's the lighthouse, 00:16:19.800 --> 00:16:23.346 and, there's actually two islands here in this one spot. 00:16:23.346 --> 00:16:27.500 There's the main Southeast Farallon Island, 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.500 and the West End Island. 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:35.800 And they are divided by the Jordan Channel, in the middle 00:16:41.839 --> 00:16:45.799 Hey, here we are at the East Landing and you know, 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:50.600 back when MJ, and I, and Sara got off onto the islands, 00:16:50.890 --> 00:16:52.500 we went out on the Fulmar. 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:54.054 That's that silver boat. 00:16:54.054 --> 00:16:56.400 The research boat for the sanctuary. 00:16:56.500 --> 00:16:59.264 And we were picked up by that orange zodiac, 00:16:59.264 --> 00:17:02.400 that brought us over to the billy pugh 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.839 and then we climbed on to that, and then you really like, 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:08.000 hang on, and you go up to the islands. 00:17:08.100 --> 00:17:10.300 And you land, it brings you up, 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.260 and you land at East Landing. 00:17:15.470 --> 00:17:17.200 You know now, though, 00:17:17.300 --> 00:17:20.050 they usually you go up in the zodiac nowadays. 00:17:20.569 --> 00:17:23.800 So, and then once you're on the islands themselves, 00:17:23.990 --> 00:17:26.291 you're no longer in the sanctuary. 00:17:26.291 --> 00:17:29.100 We only go up to the mean high tide. 00:17:29.210 --> 00:17:32.652 So we protect the waters around the islands, 00:17:32.652 --> 00:17:38.200 but the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge protects the land. 00:17:38.300 --> 00:17:43.100 And that's managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:45.294 And, there's also another organization 00:17:45.294 --> 00:17:46.837 that's been working out here 00:17:46.837 --> 00:17:49.800 for the last 50 years or more, a little bit more. 00:17:50.059 --> 00:17:54.700 And that's the Point Blue Conservation Science. 00:17:54.800 --> 00:17:58.633 And they study elephant seals, and fur seals, 00:17:58.633 --> 00:18:01.100 and white sharks, and the seabirds, 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:05.100 and some land birds as well. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:10.200 And my favorite of all is they study a salamander and 00:18:10.300 --> 00:18:14.600 a cricket that only live on these islands, 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:15.800 and nowhere else in the world. 00:18:24.090 --> 00:18:26.090 Okay, now I want to introduce you to 00:18:27.179 --> 00:18:30.000 Ryan, who is actually a former 00:18:30.600 --> 00:18:32.929 Point Blue Conservation biologist 00:18:33.300 --> 00:18:37.700 and he'll tell us a little bit about the pinniped research 00:18:37.800 --> 00:18:40.130 out there that he did. And his name is Ryan Berger. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:47.500 - The pace of life out here slows down quite a bit. 00:18:47.750 --> 00:18:49.520 We're examining things so closely, 00:18:49.520 --> 00:18:52.310 and you just, you start to understand the animals. 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:54.450 And that's kind of neat, when you get that 00:18:54.450 --> 00:18:55.940 involved with the study species 00:18:55.940 --> 00:18:58.043 because you feel like you've become a part of, 00:18:58.043 --> 00:18:59.120 you know, their world. 00:19:00.870 --> 00:19:03.200 Pinnipeds which are seals and sea lions, 00:19:03.300 --> 00:19:05.500 they are top marine predators. 00:19:05.600 --> 00:19:07.160 They're a reliable source to 00:19:07.860 --> 00:19:09.920 indicating the health of an ecosystem. 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:10.880 With respect to climate change, 00:19:11.130 --> 00:19:14.040 this is where the value of long-term data sets comes in. 00:19:14.040 --> 00:19:16.389 You know, the island has been impacted quite a bit 00:19:16.389 --> 00:19:17.329 from climate change. 00:19:17.330 --> 00:19:19.850 We've seen sea level rise is a part of this whole 00:19:20.430 --> 00:19:22.819 increasing the intensity and frequency of large storm events. 00:19:23.010 --> 00:19:25.380 We have had a lot of sand erosion, 00:19:25.380 --> 00:19:27.540 washing away huge access areas, 00:19:27.540 --> 00:19:28.814 and the beaches themselves. 00:19:28.814 --> 00:19:31.700 And our elephant seal populations declined as a result. 00:19:31.800 --> 00:19:33.954 We've been collecting sea surface temperature 00:19:33.954 --> 00:19:36.600 with that long-term weather data-set over time 00:19:36.600 --> 00:19:39.589 and we've seen increases in recording some the highest 00:19:39.600 --> 00:19:42.020 sea-surface temperatures that we've ever got. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:45.000 This is such a complicated ecosystem. Right? 00:19:45.300 --> 00:19:47.120 We don't know that much about our oceans 00:19:52.809 --> 00:19:55.680 - Wow, he had such an interesting work. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:59.879 Also, we do study lots of seabirds out on the islands. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:08.800 And their work usually starts pre-dawn to dark. 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:11.490 And it involves mist netting, 00:20:12.309 --> 00:20:14.309 banding, 00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:16.919 recording, 00:20:17.500 --> 00:20:18.000 and measuring. 00:20:18.800 --> 00:20:21.921 And really just overall checks of how healthy 00:20:21.921 --> 00:20:24.299 the birds are at the islands. 00:20:26.370 --> 00:20:30.600 And this is a really cool bird that you often don't get to see 00:20:30.800 --> 00:20:32.900 too much during the day. They're mostly nocturnal. 00:20:33.630 --> 00:20:36.300 And this is the rhinoceros auklet. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:39.037 And you can see on the left there, 00:20:39.037 --> 00:20:42.600 one in full breeding attire. 00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:43.840 Awesome looking, huh. 00:20:43.840 --> 00:20:46.800 They have that orange beak with the horn, 00:20:46.900 --> 00:20:50.000 and that's where they got their name from. 00:20:50.500 --> 00:20:55.413 And that horn actually glows a blue-green in the dark. 00:20:56.500 --> 00:21:01.300 They are terrific divers and hunters for fish. 00:21:09.470 --> 00:21:12.220 And sometimes at the islands, we get these fun surprises. 00:21:12.830 --> 00:21:15.400 So this is a seabird from the Atlantic, 00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:19.100 and it's been on the island since 2012 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.500 and has never left. It's a northern gannet. 00:21:29.140 --> 00:21:32.597 There are six species of pinnipeds that live around 00:21:32.597 --> 00:21:35.579 the Farallon Islands in the sanctuary waters. 00:21:37.150 --> 00:21:40.423 And we're going to meet some that haul out onto the islands, 00:21:40.423 --> 00:21:41.459 and some that breed. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.569 So this elephant seal does not actually have a cold, 00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:50.446 that white fluffy stuff by the nose is actually a good sign. 00:21:50.446 --> 00:21:51.839 It indicates that the 00:21:52.120 --> 00:21:55.050 seal is healthy and well hydrated. 00:22:02.770 --> 00:22:04.985 And this is a northern fur seal. 00:22:04.985 --> 00:22:08.307 That actually wasn't on the islands for almost 100, 00:22:08.307 --> 00:22:09.479 150 years actually. 00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:14.130 But then it came back in the, we saw traces of it and then in 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:17.759 1996 the first pup was born. 00:22:18.730 --> 00:22:22.020 And now every summer there are about 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:24.690 2,000 pups born. 00:22:31.590 --> 00:22:34.100 And this is the California sea lion that we heard 00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:37.600 this morning when we left from the Marina Green. 00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:38.957 We heard them barking. 00:22:38.957 --> 00:22:42.200 And the way you can tell a sea lion from a seal is 00:22:42.300 --> 00:22:44.500 you can see their little ear flaps there. 00:22:51.950 --> 00:22:53.830 And this is a stellar sea lion. 00:22:53.830 --> 00:22:55.900 You can see they are a true sea lion, 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:58.500 and that they also have ear flaps. 00:22:58.600 --> 00:23:00.040 And that male in the middle 00:23:00.040 --> 00:23:03.000 there, kind of the big one, is the bull. 00:23:03.100 --> 00:23:05.079 And they actually roar. 00:23:05.500 --> 00:23:09.249 And they actually have like a mane like a real "sea" lion. 00:23:15.929 --> 00:23:18.500 The sanctuary actually comes out, sanctuary staff, 00:23:18.600 --> 00:23:20.689 come out to the islands twice a year. 00:23:20.690 --> 00:23:24.460 And we've been doing that for the last 20 years 00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:27.080 to monitor the intertidal area. 00:23:31.919 --> 00:23:35.540 And this particular monitoring site is one of my favorites. 00:23:35.540 --> 00:23:39.499 You can see it's got lots of life in that beautiful pool, 00:23:39.800 --> 00:23:43.220 and mussels, and lots of algae. 00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:48.400 And you can notice those randomly placed quadrats, 00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:51.739 that's where we actually count how many invertebrates 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.970 are inside. 00:23:53.970 --> 00:23:56.148 And we can analyze our data 00:23:56.148 --> 00:23:58.730 and assess long-term changes. 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.400 And also in these islands, 00:24:00.509 --> 00:24:04.000 I just want to let you know it is just so beautiful. 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:07.296 And the diversity of life is amazing. 00:24:07.296 --> 00:24:08.899 This is a hydroid. 00:24:15.340 --> 00:24:18.720 And the colors are really vibrant in the tidepools. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:22.600 Check out the purple urchins, the orange sponges, 00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:25.010 the pink coralline algae. 00:24:25.010 --> 00:24:27.090 And there's little anemones in between. 00:24:34.330 --> 00:24:37.619 And this giant green anemone is not a flower. 00:24:37.930 --> 00:24:39.860 It's actually an invertebrate, 00:24:39.860 --> 00:24:43.590 and they can live to be over 150 years old. 00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:52.756 And we sometimes monitor this one, 00:24:52.756 --> 00:24:54.500 most of our monitoring actually happens 00:24:54.600 --> 00:24:56.909 on the Southeast Farallon Island. 00:24:56.910 --> 00:25:00.300 But we sometimes go over to the West End, 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:02.550 and I just wanted to show you how we get 00:25:02.650 --> 00:25:05.129 over to that side of the islands. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:16.000 So this is the zipline that we take across 00:25:16.100 --> 00:25:18.860 you get in a harness and you push off the cliff, 00:25:19.380 --> 00:25:22.000 and you arrive on the other side. 00:25:22.100 --> 00:25:24.600 And this is Taylor and she makes it look so easy. 00:25:24.700 --> 00:25:27.746 I know the first time I did this I pushed so hard. 00:25:27.746 --> 00:25:30.168 I kind of crashed into the other side. 00:25:37.350 --> 00:25:42.049 And as we leave the islands, the water just below 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:44.070 is really full of life. 00:25:44.070 --> 00:25:47.000 And just wanted to give you a glimpse of that. 00:25:47.100 --> 00:25:49.000 There's just life on top of life. 00:25:49.100 --> 00:25:52.000 Fish, colorful fish, like this beautiful greenling 00:25:53.100 --> 00:25:55.430 in the photo here. 00:25:56.280 --> 00:25:58.040 And we can also look for Pacif, 00:25:58.040 --> 00:26:01.940 sometimes, you get to see the giant Pacific octopus. 00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:05.400 Which is the largest octopus in the world. 00:26:05.500 --> 00:26:08.038 And the longest lived, although it doesn't live more than 00:26:08.038 --> 00:26:08.960 a few, a couple, a few years. 00:26:13.470 --> 00:26:16.000 And out a little further, are shallow banks 00:26:16.100 --> 00:26:20.500 that are just covered in beautiful corals and sponges. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:24.900 So the beauty beneath the sea is really quite extraordinary. 00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:35.489 And now just for a moment, I wanted everyone to take 00:26:36.310 --> 00:26:37.870 a deep breath, 00:26:37.870 --> 00:26:39.490 and focus. 00:26:39.490 --> 00:26:42.120 Because I want you really to think about this. 00:26:43.660 --> 00:26:46.019 Here at the Farallon Islands, 00:26:46.020 --> 00:26:50.687 which is a neighborhood within the city limits of San Francisco. 00:26:50.687 --> 00:26:54.200 Is one of the most significant populations 00:26:54.300 --> 00:26:57.000 of white sharks in the world. 00:26:57.910 --> 00:27:02.100 And the females, they swim thousands of miles here, 00:27:02.800 --> 00:27:05.200 every other year. 00:27:05.300 --> 00:27:07.800 And they have, they come back to the exact same 00:27:08.170 --> 00:27:10.800 territory that they've marked. 00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:11.849 And they can live to be about 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:16.499 70 years old, and they start breeding at 33. 00:27:26.329 --> 00:27:29.439 - Alright now we've gone past the Farallon Islands, 00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:31.800 and at about 30 miles offshore, 00:27:31.900 --> 00:27:34.131 we're at the edge of the continental shelf 00:27:34.131 --> 00:27:35.619 at the Farallon Escarpment. 00:27:36.169 --> 00:27:38.700 Here the seafloor plunges down a steep slope 00:27:38.800 --> 00:27:40.898 to over 6,500 foot depths. 00:27:42.499 --> 00:27:45.500 Together the south flowing California Current, 00:27:45.600 --> 00:27:48.390 the Earth's rotation, and springtime winds, 00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:50.199 force cold nutrient-rich waters 00:27:50.509 --> 00:27:52.800 up against the escarpment to the surface. 00:27:52.800 --> 00:27:54.578 This is called upwelling. 00:27:55.219 --> 00:27:58.500 And here sunlight triggers photosynthesis in tiny sea plants, 00:27:58.600 --> 00:28:02.056 called phytoplankton and the food web goes into overdrive, 00:28:02.056 --> 00:28:03.129 bursting with life. 00:28:04.309 --> 00:28:07.800 This super abundance of food attracts huge herds 00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:09.038 of dolphins, sperm whales 00:28:09.769 --> 00:28:12.748 fur seals and the largest animals on earth, 00:28:12.748 --> 00:28:14.618 the fin and the blue whales. 00:28:21.049 --> 00:28:24.900 Now look ahead, flying low across the waves toward us 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:26.900 is the black-footed albatross. 00:28:27.590 --> 00:28:31.600 Its leg tag tells us this albatross has flown thousands of miles 00:28:31.800 --> 00:28:33.400 from the Northwest Hawaiian Islands 00:28:33.500 --> 00:28:36.200 to forage here in our sanctuary 00:28:36.300 --> 00:28:38.800 for squid, fish eggs, and crustaceans 00:28:38.900 --> 00:28:42.900 to bring back to its chick on the nest... in Hawaii! 00:28:43.100 --> 00:28:46.300 July and August are peak season for hungry chicks, 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:48.640 so that keeps this parent busy. 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:53.100 Scientists have tracked these albatross flying 00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:57.000 more than 6,000 miles roundtrip in just a few weeks. 00:28:57.650 --> 00:29:00.700 With dynamic soaring, they half sleep on the wing 00:29:00.800 --> 00:29:03.069 and cruise at over 80 miles per hour. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:12.600 Now, we end our adventure with the largest creature ever to live 00:29:12.700 --> 00:29:14.880 on earth, the mighty blue whale. 00:29:15.670 --> 00:29:18.800 After past intensive hunting, they are still endangered 00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:21.400 but our sanctuaries are working hard to protect them 00:29:21.597 --> 00:29:22.649 from modern-day threats. 00:29:23.770 --> 00:29:29.400 The blue whale's near exclusive food is these tiny shrimp-like krill. 00:29:29.500 --> 00:29:33.700 And here, they can eat up to four tons of it per whale, per day. 00:29:33.820 --> 00:29:35.820 In fact, last June 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:39.722 47 blue whales gathered near this spot where we are 00:29:39.722 --> 00:29:41.189 for a seafood feast. 00:29:41.470 --> 00:29:45.329 A great indicator of how productive our sanctuary can be. 00:29:46.180 --> 00:29:49.563 And it's a rare place on earth that can support several 00:29:49.563 --> 00:29:53.070 apex predators, such as the blue whale and the white shark. 00:29:53.620 --> 00:29:57.500 This is why Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary exists. 00:29:57.600 --> 00:30:01.980 And this is why we work so hard to keep protecting it. 00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:10.590 Thank you so much for joining us for our adventure today. 00:30:11.020 --> 00:30:14.500 This is the time on a, on a cruise out to the Farallon Islands 00:30:14.600 --> 00:30:16.439 where most people take a nap. 00:30:16.840 --> 00:30:19.885 After a day of being in the sun, on the waves, 00:30:19.885 --> 00:30:21.209 and in the salt air. 00:30:21.850 --> 00:30:24.700 We hope that you can reflect on all that you saw today 00:30:24.800 --> 00:30:26.100 as we head back to port. 00:30:26.590 --> 00:30:29.908 Our sanctuaries are fragile areas of great importance, 00:30:29.908 --> 00:30:31.410 and need your protection. 00:30:31.929 --> 00:30:35.289 The decisions that you make when you shop, travel, 00:30:35.289 --> 00:30:37.800 and vote help protect our sanctuaries 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.676 and these very, very special places 00:30:39.676 --> 00:30:41.400 in the ocean and the Great Lakes. 00:30:41.919 --> 00:30:43.800 You can learn more about Greater Farallones 00:30:43.900 --> 00:30:47.459 National Marine Sanctuary at farallones.noaa.gov 00:30:47.980 --> 00:30:50.500 I'd like to extend a special thank you to all 00:30:50.500 --> 00:30:52.365 of our partners who helped make today's 00:30:52.365 --> 00:30:53.600 program possible. 00:30:53.710 --> 00:30:57.329 Greater Farallones Association, Huli Cat Sport Fishing 00:30:58.059 --> 00:31:01.300 Oceanic Society, Point Blue Conservation, 00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:04.139 The Marine Mammal Center, and San Francisco Whale Tours. 00:31:04.570 --> 00:31:08.220 Who provided us with video, pictures, and for supporting 00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:10.800 Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. 00:31:11.380 --> 00:31:14.700 While Get Into Your Sanctuary is virtual this year, 00:31:14.800 --> 00:31:17.339 the sanctuary waters are open. 00:31:17.470 --> 00:31:19.719 Just please follow your local guidelines 00:31:19.719 --> 00:31:21.630 and regulations before visiting. 00:31:21.909 --> 00:31:25.800 If you're participating in the park passport badge program, 00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:28.079 you just earned a National Marine Sanctuary badge! 00:31:28.270 --> 00:31:30.869 You can check out the chat for more information 00:31:30.869 --> 00:31:32.639 on this virtual passport program. 00:31:33.520 --> 00:31:36.500 We'd also invite you to share your photos in our 00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:39.209 annual Get Into Your Sanctuary photo contest, 00:31:39.210 --> 00:31:41.483 which is open through Labor Day weekend. 00:31:41.483 --> 00:31:43.695 And there's also information in the chat 00:31:43.695 --> 00:31:45.630 so you can see just how to do that. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:49.107 Please join us at the top of the hour for the next 00:31:49.107 --> 00:31:51.000 Get Into Your Sanctuary Adventure. 00:31:51.400 --> 00:31:53.919 Thank you so much for exploring Greater Farallones 00:31:53.919 --> 00:31:55.961 National Marine Sanctuary with us today, 00:31:55.961 --> 00:31:57.900 and we hope you enjoyed your adventure.