Ever yearn to see a tufted puffin without having to swim out to the Farallon Islands? See a sea otter? Gaze upon a grey whale? Well, you could quite possible see these creatures and more care of the new high-def webcam perched over on the Farallon Islands.
For those not in the know, the Farallon Islands, a restricted bastion of wildlife, are located 30 miles west of the San Francisco coastline and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Because of the important and sensitive seabird and mammal populations that use the Farallones as breeding grounds, the islands are not open to the public," notes the Academy of Sciences. "They are accessed only by a small number of wildlife biologists and resource managers."
Until now.
Today you can check out what’s happening on the islands’ jagged rocks and shoreline.
Per the Academy, here are some of the species you might see:
What to watch for:
Year-round: California sea lions, Western Gulls, beautiful island landscapes
December–February: breeding elephant seal colonies
March–August: breeding seabirds
September–November: transient wildlife like migratory birds, whales, and great white sharks
Seabirds
Cassin's Auklet*
Rhinoceros Auklet*
Ashy Storm-Petrel*
Western Gull
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Tufted Puffin
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Black Oystercatcher
Marine Mammals
Steller Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
Northern Elephant Seal
Harbor Seal
Northern Fur Seal
Humpback Whale
Gray Whale
Blue Whale
* nocturnal species
Here’s the live webcam. Enjoy!
- Livestream The Farallon Islands With New HD Webcam Mounted On Peak [SFist]
- Farallon Islands Live Webcam [California Academy of Sciences]