Join Seaflow on its first monthly daylong whale-watching trip to the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary on Sunday, May 4th. Come listen to the underwater world of sound, learn more about ocean noise pollution and the impacts large vessels have on our Sanctuaries!

The Vessel Watch Project trips, part of Seaflow’s Sanctuaries Campaign to reduce and regulate ocean noise pollution in California’s four National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) and state Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), are part of a hands-on, citizen-action program which will inspire participants to take actions to advocate for the reduction and regulation of ocean noise pollution in our Sanctuaries. The Vessel Watch Project will educate trip participants about the marine acoustic pollution produced by large vessel traffic in our marine Sanctuaries and the dangers these ships pose to our marine environment. Daylong trips to the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will bring participants a closer connection to the whales and other marine life endangered by commercial vessels and oil tankers that use our Sanctuaries as a superhighway. On these special trips, in addition to whale watching, we will monitor the acoustic environment with hydrophones; listening to the natural sounds of the sea, including whales, and the noise pollution generated by large vessels. We will also monitor the speed of vessel speeds transiting through the sanctuary. Participants in this hands-on, citizen-action and volunteer-driven project will:

• Learn about the marine acoustic pollution produced by large vessel traffic in our marine Sanctuaries

• Use hydrophones to listen the sounds of marine mammals and other wildlife

• Make visual observation of marine mammals and other wildlife that use the Sanctuaries

• Learn how to monitor vessel speed using AIS

• Post a record of their visual and acoustic observations, the speed of observed cargo vessels, issue a press release, produce a public notice concerning vessel traffic, akin to beach closure warnings, and document the trip on the VWP website www.vesselwatchproject.org

To join one of our trips please call 415 229 9366, email us at info@seaflow.org or click the "Donate" button at the top of this page to reserve your place on the trip.

Trip dates:

May 4

June 14 SOLD OUT!

July 12

August 2

Other Information:

The trips depart at 7:30 am from the Marina in San Francisco and return at about 3:30 pm. More details about the trip will be provided to all registrants.