The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary has annual migration patterns for whales off the California coastal waters of San Francisco. If you are wondering what type of whales that you will see, the list below is general migration patterns.
- humpback whales migrate May through November
- gray whales and killer whales migrate December through May
- blue whale migrate July through October
Ocean Beach, San Francisco May 2012 © Allison Hanes
The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects the wildlife and habitats of one of the most diverse and bountiful marine environments in the world, an area of 1,282 square miles off the northern and central California coast. Located just a few miles from San Francisco, the waters within Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are part of a nationally significant marine ecosystem. Encompassing a diversity of highly productive marine habitats, the sanctuary supports an abundance of life, including many threatened or endangered species.
If you want to do more research please visit the American Cetacean Society site: www.acsonline.org
Allison Hanes 
Great cause and good photo! This is our backyard..