Aquatic Mammals

"Big Miracle": Saving the Whales Doesn't Save Any Laughs

Blaze Away with Sea Lions' Joyously Stoned Debut Album

​Listen to this while high: Sea Lions' Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid to Ask.​Behind the buzz: These D.I.Y. brats outta Oxnard with a nice line in spirited tunefulness impressive enough for the reliably tasteful people at Oakland's Slumberland Records ... More >>

San Francisco Bulls -- The Best Hockey Name Money Couldn't Buy

The right name at the right price. And they're passing the savings on to you! ​These days, San Francisco feels good about its 49ers. But, even during the darkest days of the team's long Babylonian captivity in the cellar, we could at least take pride that "49ers" is one of the cleverest and most g ... More >>

Why I'm Tired of Sustainable Seafood Articles Like "The End of Fish and Chips"

​Earlier this week, Fast Company published an interesting -- and alarming, in that now ol' familiar way -- story about changing fish populations in European waters. The gist of the story is that the North Sea is warming much faster than other major bodies of water, and important cold-water species ... More >>

Sea Lions Found in S.F. With Wires Wrapped Around Their Necks

Inquiring minds​Marine rescuers are attempting to save the lives of two young sea lions who were found on San Francisco's Pier 39 with wires draped around their necks -- which could easily kill them. The wired mammals first came to the attention of rescuers after tourists spotted the two sea anima ... More >>

What Happens When (and If) State Parks Close

Inquiring minds​Marine rescuers are attempting to save the lives of two young sea lions who were found on San Francisco's Pier 39 with wires draped around their necks -- which could easily kill them. The wired mammals first came to the attention of rescuers after tourists spotted the two sea anima ... More >>

Swatch Watch

Inquiring minds​Marine rescuers are attempting to save the lives of two young sea lions who were found on San Francisco's Pier 39 with wires draped around their necks -- which could easily kill them. The wired mammals first came to the attention of rescuers after tourists spotted the two sea anima ... More >>

In the Sack

Inquiring minds​Marine rescuers are attempting to save the lives of two young sea lions who were found on San Francisco's Pier 39 with wires draped around their necks -- which could easily kill them. The wired mammals first came to the attention of rescuers after tourists spotted the two sea anima ... More >>

Man Busted For Smuggling Whale Teeth

What a smile​Here is a story that involve both sperm and teeth -- and it's still G rated.James Saunders was convicted yesterday in a San Francisco courtroom for scheming to illegally buy, sell, and smuggle sperm whale teeth from the far away country of Ukraine. The conviction was a crack in an nat ... More >>

Watching the Act of Watching

What a smile​Here is a story that involve both sperm and teeth -- and it's still G rated.James Saunders was convicted yesterday in a San Francisco courtroom for scheming to illegally buy, sell, and smuggle sperm whale teeth from the far away country of Ukraine. The conviction was a crack in an nat ... More >>

Ocean Beach Whale Likely an Endangered Species

Stoke ReportEither way, it's a shame​Scientists analyzing the dead whale that washed up on Ocean Beach yesterday were unable to determine exactly what manner of whale it was. They did narrow it down to two species, however -- both of which are endangered. Jan Roletto, the research coordinator at t ... More >>

Dead Whale Washes Up on Ocean Beach (PICS)

Stoke ReportPoor surfing -- and a dead whale​Continuing a rough spell for our Cetacean brethren, a large dead whale was today spotted on Ocean Beach. The whale -- which at least appears to have been dead for some time -- washed up between Kirkham and Lawton. This is the third dead whale spotted in ... More >>

Shark Devours Sea Lion off Pacifica

Shaaaaaaaark!​ A battalion of witnesses watched a shark estimated at 18 feet long, eviscerate and devour a sea lion yesterday at Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach, a well-known haunt for surfers and boaters. The sighting of the possible Great White tearing a hapless mammal to shreds prompted police to po ... More >>

The Narwhal, Commonwealth's Liquid Nitrogen Slushie

Tamara Palmer​Molecular gastronomy pops up sparingly at Commonwealth, like in a light cocktail frozen with the assistance of liquid nitrogen. The Narwhal is a lovely slushie made with ambrosia melon and lime, filtered sake, mint, and Floc de Gascogne, a French aperitif fortified with Armagnac. ... More >>

Was Dead Whale in Bay Struck by Boat?

Annie Schmidt/PRBO Conservation ScienceMaybe this was a boating accident...​A young humpback whale sighted off the Farallones Sunday may have been struck by a boat and left to die, scientists fear. The 25-foot whale was spotted by biologist Jaime Jahncke, a researcher at PRBO. Scientists afloat fo ... More >>

Rainbows. Unicorns. Whales.

Annie Schmidt/PRBO Conservation ScienceMaybe this was a boating accident...​A young humpback whale sighted off the Farallones Sunday may have been struck by a boat and left to die, scientists fear. The 25-foot whale was spotted by biologist Jaime Jahncke, a researcher at PRBO. Scientists afloat fo ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Annie Schmidt/PRBO Conservation ScienceMaybe this was a boating accident...​A young humpback whale sighted off the Farallones Sunday may have been struck by a boat and left to die, scientists fear. The 25-foot whale was spotted by biologist Jaime Jahncke, a researcher at PRBO. Scientists afloat fo ... More >>

Returning sea lions could be in for a shock

Annie Schmidt/PRBO Conservation ScienceMaybe this was a boating accident...​A young humpback whale sighted off the Farallones Sunday may have been struck by a boat and left to die, scientists fear. The 25-foot whale was spotted by biologist Jaime Jahncke, a researcher at PRBO. Scientists afloat fo ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Flight of the Conchords

​Flight of the Conchords @ The Greek Theater May 28 2010 Better than: any kind of complimentary muffin. There were several people dressed up in giant tin foil covered boxes parading around as robots Friday night waiting for the Flight of the Conchords to take off. The sold out crowd at the Ber ... More >>

Military Dolphins, Sea Lions Save San Francisco From Terror

Brien Aho/U.S. NavySmile! You're on Dolphin Camera.​Trained journalists cover trained beasts The opportunity to watch Gavin Newsom watch Navy sea lions and dolphins in a terror-fighting exercise was just too good. Scores of creatures, meticulously trained via rote exercises, were on display in Mis ... More >>

Expert Teaches You How to Get Eaten by a Great White Shark

El Monstruo de Cojimar was captured off the coast of Cuba in 1945 and purportedly clocked in at 21 feet.​Dr. John McCosker, the Senior Scientist and Chair of the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Science, presented a talk called "Sharks: Why We Love, Fear, and Need Them" a ... More >>

There She Blows

El Monstruo de Cojimar was captured off the coast of Cuba in 1945 and purportedly clocked in at 21 feet.​Dr. John McCosker, the Senior Scientist and Chair of the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Science, presented a talk called "Sharks: Why We Love, Fear, and Need Them" a ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

El Monstruo de Cojimar was captured off the coast of Cuba in 1945 and purportedly clocked in at 21 feet.​Dr. John McCosker, the Senior Scientist and Chair of the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Science, presented a talk called "Sharks: Why We Love, Fear, and Need Them" a ... More >>

Edible Feats: Wacky San Francisco Eating Challenges

bayshabusushisake.comBay Shabu Sushi Sake's four-pound Killer Whale Roll.​Why should East Coasters scarfing down hot dogs have all the fun? There are a few notable eating challenges to enjoy right here in San Francisco. No cash prizes are awarded, but if you can clean your plate at one of these pl ... More >>

Spring Out of the Jungle

bayshabusushisake.comBay Shabu Sushi Sake's four-pound Killer Whale Roll.​Why should East Coasters scarfing down hot dogs have all the fun? There are a few notable eating challenges to enjoy right here in San Francisco. No cash prizes are awarded, but if you can clean your plate at one of these pl ... More >>

Woo Woo

bayshabusushisake.comBay Shabu Sushi Sake's four-pound Killer Whale Roll.​Why should East Coasters scarfing down hot dogs have all the fun? There are a few notable eating challenges to enjoy right here in San Francisco. No cash prizes are awarded, but if you can clean your plate at one of these pl ... More >>

What To Do? Wednesday's Pick: San Francisco Ocean Film Festival

In Awe of the Shark from Save Our Seas Foundation on Vimeo. San Francisco Ocean Film Festival @ Theatre 39 at Pier 39 In 1997, a killer whale breached the surface of the water off San Francisco, shocking a boatload of whale watchers (one with a video camera). It had a huge great white shark clampe ... More >>

The Cove

In Awe of the Shark from Save Our Seas Foundation on Vimeo. San Francisco Ocean Film Festival @ Theatre 39 at Pier 39 In 1997, a killer whale breached the surface of the water off San Francisco, shocking a boatload of whale watchers (one with a video camera). It had a huge great white shark clampe ... More >>

Shark Week

In Awe of the Shark from Save Our Seas Foundation on Vimeo. San Francisco Ocean Film Festival @ Theatre 39 at Pier 39 In 1997, a killer whale breached the surface of the water off San Francisco, shocking a boatload of whale watchers (one with a video camera). It had a huge great white shark clampe ... More >>

So Long, And Thanks For All the Fish: A Couple More Beautiful Shots of S.F.

Pictures of a stormy day at sea just outside San Francisco snapped by tugboat chef/amateur photographer Gabor Gardonyi turned out to be one of our most-read articles in all of 2009. Gardonyi followed up by sending us a number of delightful photos of waves, sunsets, and porpoises. That didn't get qui ... More >>

Have the Sea Lions of Pier 39 Left Earth for Space?

Few local news stories in recent memory have attracted as much international attention as the abrupt vanishing act pulled by the popular sea lions of Pier 39, who this fall deserted the docks where for decades they were wont to haul out and bask in the attention of tourists.Yearning for yet more dis ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Few local news stories in recent memory have attracted as much international attention as the abrupt vanishing act pulled by the popular sea lions of Pier 39, who this fall deserted the docks where for decades they were wont to haul out and bask in the attention of tourists.Yearning for yet more dis ... More >>

How Hyde Street Pier eliminated its sea lion problem

Few local news stories in recent memory have attracted as much international attention as the abrupt vanishing act pulled by the popular sea lions of Pier 39, who this fall deserted the docks where for decades they were wont to haul out and bask in the attention of tourists.Yearning for yet more dis ... More >>

Pack of 15 Sea Lions Patrols Mission Creek

Joe EskenaziBARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! ​Not so long ago SF Weekly reported on the exploding number of sea lions on Hyde Street Harbor -- a situation deemed an "infestation" by those charged with keeping the city's piers operational and relatively sea lion excrement-free. It seems, however, that the s ... More >>

Paintings in High-Def

Joe EskenaziBARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! ​Not so long ago SF Weekly reported on the exploding number of sea lions on Hyde Street Harbor -- a situation deemed an "infestation" by those charged with keeping the city's piers operational and relatively sea lion excrement-free. It seems, however, that the s ... More >>

The Cove

Joe EskenaziBARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! ​Not so long ago SF Weekly reported on the exploding number of sea lions on Hyde Street Harbor -- a situation deemed an "infestation" by those charged with keeping the city's piers operational and relatively sea lion excrement-free. It seems, however, that the s ... More >>

Too Cute to Shoot?

The adoring public may have a problem with what San Francisco has in store for its troublesome invaders, the sea lions.

Dolphins: They're Just Like Us

The adoring public may have a problem with what San Francisco has in store for its troublesome invaders, the sea lions.

Land Ho!

The adoring public may have a problem with what San Francisco has in store for its troublesome invaders, the sea lions.

Best Buy

The adoring public may have a problem with what San Francisco has in store for its troublesome invaders, the sea lions.

Crying Whale

Environmental groups sent out a worldwide call to save the gray whale from a Mexican salt plant. They got millions of dollars and thousands of new members. But scientists found no threat to the whales.