The Farallons

3D Photos

Click any thumbnail for a larger 2D view. Click once more on that larger 2D view to obtain a 3D view in cross-eye stereo format. As the stereo view will be double-wide, you may need to zoom back view in your browser so as not to clip the right image.

Dear Fellow Great White Adventurers: if you are wanting full size copies of any one of these pics, click this email button to let me know. I'll put them up for you to download. Likewise if you have any you'd like to share, I'd very like to post them here. Video from under the boat would be great.

Heading Out

Karin is a big fan of sharks. So this one-day cruise to visit the Farallon Islands, is one of her long-time dreams come true. Nor did she come away disappointed. During our visit only a single predation occurred, this some distance away from the boat, and so suddenly that it was over before I could swing a camera around to catch even so much as the splash. But even so, the islands themselves were well worth the trip. The weather was fine, and seals were on the rocks beyond counting, barking an uproar all the while we were there.

Our host for the trip is Lawrence Groth, whose company is Great White Adventures about whom Karin has read quite a deal, both pro and con. As for us, we came away very pleased. Karin, who's studied up on the topic of sharks enjoyed conversing with our captain immensely. I found the man polite, informative, and entertaining. Likewise both of his crew.

Meeting the Boat

Lawrence Groth

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge Arrival

So here we are, the Farallon Islands, about which Karin has enjoyed to read of for years. The individual rocks all have names. Later I'll try to label the photos accordingly

The Farallons

The ride out has been fairly choppy. And although it's smoothed out a bit, still we must reach for hand-holds to make our way around the boat. Thus no few of my photos show the horizon at an angle. I've chosen on purpose not to correct that as every photo would then require also to be custom resized. Also it kind of preserves something of the event.

The Farallons

The Farallons First Anchorage

Karin and I came as topside observers, so we didn't dive. I tried to get at least one photo, though, of all who did. The seas were just a bit choppy, however, so some of my pics did not turn out for being too blurry. I'd like to attach at least first names to these photos.

Great White Adventures

Karin

Lowering Cage

Great White Adventures

Deploying Decoys

Great White Adventures

Instructional Talk

Great White Adventures

Karin

Great White Adventures

Al & Sam

Great White Adventures

Al Giving High-Sign

Great White Adventures

Great White Adventures Second Anchorage

No sharks being yet in evidence, Lawrence, our captain, decided to move our anchorage one quarter away around to starboard. Here a view of the island was very much better, and the barking of seals that much louder. A long time we waited for our only shark to appear. We'd been informed on what to watch for: a splash followed by a tornado of birds. This did occur, but only once, and quite some distance to starboard. I had my video camera running, but pointed quite the wrong way.

Lawrence immediately called up the divers and pulled up the cage, even cast free our line to the bouy, abandoning it to be picked up later. But the predation was upon a sea lion, not an elephant seal. And, alas, those do not float. So the shark had followed it down, rather than stayed to nosh on it while floating. But one of our number did spot the splash. And, sure enough, immediately there came over a flock of gulls, whirlling about, eager for pieces, but wary of landing. Another spotted traces of oil-slick from blubber.

Great White Adventures

Karin

Great White Adventures

Karin

Great White Adventures

Sam

Great White Adventures

Great White Adventures The Return

At 3PM it's time to head back. It was only a very short while before then when the single predation ocurred. Nor did I catch it on camera. Alas and alack, but even so still not disappointed. Memory of the islands themselves more than suffice for the $375 that each of us paid. Plus we were at least present for an attack. Luck of the draw.

Lawrence Groth

Golden Gate Bridge

Lawrence Groth

Golden Gate Bridge

Parasailer

Cruise Ship

Captain Groth, upon learing that Karin and I had hired transportation out to his dock in Berkley from our hotel in San Francisco, offered to save us the fare back but dropping us off at Fisherman's Wharf. And here we say goodbye to our host.

Alcatraz

Fisherman's Wharf

Waving Goodbye

For the rest of that day, and even a few hours the following morning, our sea legs persist in thinking that the ground must be moving. This being San Francisco, the sensation is mildly alarming.

2D Photos

Here are posted 2D photos taken by Karin on her Nikon CoolPix L32 camera.

Heading Out

Farallon Islands

Farallon Islands 1st Anchorage

Farallon Islands

Farallon Islands 2nd Anchorage

Moving on to our second location after seeing no sharks at the first.

Farallon Islands

Selfie

Farallon Islands

Videos

Here are links to videos taken on both of our 2D cameras.

Karin's Videos

Karin took hers on a 12MP Nikon CoolPix L32 with a resolution of 2560x1440 @ 30 frames/sec. These I've converted from AVI to MP4 for better streaming.

2560x1440 10Mbps 1920x1080 8Mbps 1280x720 6Mbps Farallons Overview 9-min compilation @ Ultra, High & Medium Res:

Ĝan's Videos

I took mine on an older Kodak Zi8 pocket video recorder with a resolution of 720p @ 60 frames/sec. These I converted from MOV to MP4. Nearly all were taken using a tripod. So the boat's rocking is in every one. Hoping that none of my viewers gets sea-sick.

1280x720 8Mbps From Berkley to the Golden Gate Bridge 25-minute video
1280x720 8Mbps Open Ocean & Arrival 18-minute, plural-video compilation
1280x720 8Mbps At Anchorage 1 of 2 13-minute, plural-video compilation
1280x720 8Mbps Moving to Anchorage 2 18-minute, plural-video compilation
1280x720 8Mbps 22 Minutes at Anchorage 2 22-minute, 2-video compilation
1280x720 8Mbps Moving to Location of Predation Event 18-minute video
1280x720 8Mbps Return and Drop-Off at Fisherman's Wharf 30-minute, plural video compilation.