Vessel Watch Trip

Pacific Environment is pleased to announce its Fall 2010 trip schedule for Vessel Watch, an environmental whale watching program designed to educate the public about ocean noise and its impacts on marine life in the Gulf of the Farallones Natio na l Marine Sanctuary.

These one-day, educational trips are specially designed to focus on whales and the underwater world of sound they live in that is threatened by shipping traffic. Large vessels are a major cause of whale deaths by ship strike, and are the largest producer of low frequency ocean noise, flooding this sound-sensitive underwater world with incessant noise that interferes with whales’ ability to communicate, navigate, find food, detect prey, and hear at all.

Participants will experience the wild beauty of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary, listen to the sounds of whales using hydrophones, look out for whales in shipping lanes, and learn how ocean noise pollution impacts sanctuary marine life. Trips are guided by salmon-fisherman turned conservationist Captain Joe aboard SF Whale Tours’ 65' catamaran (the “Kitty Kat”), and include the expertise of an experienced naturalist and an educational presentation by Pacific Environment's Marine Sanctuaries Program Director Jackie Dragon.

Who: Open to the public and anyone interested in ocean conservation

What: Pacific Environment’s Vessel Watch Project is a great way to learn about the ocean we are working to protect. Trips are one-day long educational journeys into the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Participants will see whales and listen to the underwater world they live in, look out for ships, and learn about the impacts of shipping traffic on our beautiful marine life!

When: September 26, October 10, October 24 (2010)

Where: Pier 39, Beach and Embarcadero Streets, San Francisco (8am -3pm)

Cost: $95.00 (includes 65’ Catamaran, naturalist, Pacific Environment’s Marine Sanctuaries expert, and Captain Joe) and a suggested donation to help support our conservation efforts.

Register: http://www.pacificenvironment.org/vesselwatch or call 415-399-8850x 312

About Pacific Environment’s Marine Sanctuaries Program
Pacific Environment's Marine Sanctuaries Program works to protect Bay Area whales and marine wildlife from human-made ocean noise and other shipping impacts in our marine sanctuaries off the coast of California. We advocate for simple and practical solutions to reduce fatal ship strikes of marine mammals, air pollution, ever-increasing ocean noise pollution, and climate change emissions and resulting ocean acidification.

About Pacific Environment
Pacific Environment is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco that protects the living environment of the Pacific Rim by promoting grassroots activism, strengthening communities, and reforming international policies. For nearly two decades, we have partnered with local communities around the Pacific Rim to protect and preserve the ecological treasures of this vital region. Visit http://www.pacificenvironment.org to learn more about our work.