OUR JOURNEY
It All Started With A Simple Question
by Ray Duran
For the past year, our team has been actively engaged with the maritime, marine science and local community leaders from around the bay area who share a common love and passion for the San Francisco Bay and near coastal waters. The bay, its delicate shorelines and waters of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary make up an amazing ecosystem teeming with vast biodiversity and precious wildlife both above and beneath the surface.
Through countless phone calls, emails, PowerPoint presentations, webinars, conferences, in-person and remote Zoom meetings, people have often asked how BayQuest came to be in the first place. I’m delighted to share this story that started the whole thing.
First, as a vessel captain, I’ve spent over 20 years working on and enjoying San Francisco Bay and our near coastal waters. This ever dynamic body of water with its constantly changing tides, swift currents, fluctuating wind conditions, dense fog and heavy marine traffic make each adventure off the dock both a challenging and deeply rewarding experience.
Any mariner will agree that if you can safely navigate San Francisco Bay, you can make it just about anyplace else.
For over two of those years, I had the pleasure of working aboard a well-respected, naturalist-led whale watching and eco tour vessel that welcomed citizens from around the world to get better acquainted with the burgeoning wildlife that call these local waters home. Having personally logged over 200 documented trips to the Farallon Islands and surrounding waters of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, I came to know and love this magical ecosystem and the wildlife that lives within.
On one particular trip, we welcomed aboard 60-70 passengers, all outfitted with weather gear and camera phones in hand – eager to catch a glimpse of the many humpback whales foraging for source food during this time of the year.
One gentile, elderly woman came aboard with her daughter and grandson – who gifted her with a whale watching experience for her birthday. This nature-loving spirit was an absolute joy from the moment she stepped aboard. Throughout the trip, she looked in wonder at the diversity of seabirds floating or swimming by, engaged enthusiastically with our wildlife interpreter and gleefully shouted out “thar she blows!” at the sight of each whale we encountered. This day also coincided with the offshore salmon fishing season which brought dozens of both commercial and recreational fishing enthusiasts to the coastal waters near Duxbury Reef a few miles north of the Golden Gate.
Midway through our journey, passengers spotted yet another blow in the distance! We approached cautiously to view this magnificent creature who was foraging on a bountiful school of anchovy. We put our vessel in neutral and maintained a safe 100-yard distance while our naturalist expertly gave an interpretation of its size, migration patterns and feeding behaviors. Suddenly, the whale casually swims within 50 feet of our vessel and surfaces, much to the delight of our happy passengers who joyfully captured the encounter on cameras and iPhones.
The presence of this whale also caught the attention of other fishing vessels who swarmed to the area knowing that, where there’s a whale, there must be anchovy, and where there are anchovy there is certain to be salmon. Most fishing enthusiasts are thoughtful and respectful in the presence of wildlife – they, too, see the value in sustaining this vital ecosystem. This day would be an exception in one particular case.
Just as the humpback dipped back below the surface, a recreational fishing vessel packed with adventure fishers trawled slowly right over it with all lines, poles, weights and hooks dangling over the side. The sight was shocking to all passengers on board who began shouting and waving their arms frantically trying to communicate to the vessel that there was a whale just beneath them. The vessel captain admonishes over his loudspeaker, “you are interfering with fishing operations, please leave the area”.
Amidst the chaos of shouting passengers and laughing fisherman, this same elderly lady, who was in the middle of having one of the most memorable experiences of her long life with her daughter and grandson approached me with worry and sadness in her eyes and asked, “isn’t there anything we can do?”
I’ve never forgotten that question nor the look on this kindly, concerned face. It was at this moment, the seed of an idea was planted. These graceful, magnificent creatures needed another voice to share their story, more hands to help guide their journey and more compassion to help them survive in a challenging environment.
BayQuest was started as an answer to that lady’s question. Yes, there is something we can do. We can study and learn. We can educate others. We can advocate on their behalf. We can monitor, document and help provide safe passage in turbulent waters. We can work with others who are passionately dedicated to conservation efforts. We can harness the power of a community who recognizes the importance of this rich, biodiverse ecosystem – and want to do everything they can to help protect it.
So began this exciting journey… and we’re just getting started! We are delighted to welcome each of you aboard to be part of this important mission! Together we can help create a peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife where both can thrive for generations.