Yes. Gray whales come inside San Francisco Bay from about February into June, the window a 2026 study used to survey them, and sightings outside those months are rare. Humpback whales visit too: they feed off the coast from spring through fall and sometimes come in through the Golden Gate.
When gray whales come into the Bay
Gray whales pass San Francisco twice a year. They head south from December to February and north from mid-February into June, mostly in March and April, with mothers and calves last, in April into early May (Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary; The Marine Mammal Center). Some of them leave the migration and swim in through the Golden Gate.
A 2026 study in Frontiers in Marine Science surveyed gray whales inside the Bay from February to June each year:
- 114 individual whales were identified from 2018 to 2025.
- 36 whales entered the Bay in 2025.
- At least 18% of the whales identified died.
- Out-of-season sightings were rare: August 2021 and December 2024.
When this post first ran in February 2026, it reported the year’s first gray whale inside the Bay on January 21, 2026, ahead of the usual February start.
Humpbacks and blue whales
Humpback and blue whales feed off San Francisco from March through November. The Greater Farallones sanctuary names March to August as the prime months and notes that humpbacks are present nearly year-round. Blue whales stay offshore. Humpbacks are the ones that sometimes come inside the Gate.
Sharing the water safely
NOAA’s West Coast guidance is to stay at least 100 yards from whales, slow to no-wake speed nearby, approach from the side and never cut across a whale’s path. The Greater Farallones sanctuary advises 10 knots or less near whales. On the ship side, the Whale Safe system alerts ships off San Francisco to blue, fin and humpback whales.
If you spot a blow or a fluke from the boat, point and tell the captain so she can slow down early.
How to see whales in San Francisco Bay
Whales follow the migration, so some days they’re in the Bay and other days they’re out in the Pacific. On our private whale watching tour, Captain Molly follows recent sightings and plans the route with you to improve the odds. It’s 3 hours from Hyde Street Harbor at Fisherman’s Wharf, $1,050 for the whole boat, for up to 6 guests. There’s no sighting guarantee. Recent whale photos are on Instagram at @mollys_boats.
For a full day offshore among the humpbacks and blue whales, see the Farallon Islands tour. For the month-by-month picture, read the San Francisco whale watching season guide.
