Remarkable moments watching Humpback whales feed under the
Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Point.
Feeding in the Shadows of the Golden Gate
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
~Jacques Yves Cousteau
A Whale of a Tail
Fort Point Lighthouse
Humpback Hello
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”
~ Gary Snyder
Kite Surfers and Humpback
Golden Gate Girders
Anchovies Taste Good
Fort Point Shadows
“The earth has music for those who listen.”
~George Santayana
Blow for the Bay Bridge
So Long
Golden Gate Goodnight
It was fun to share another memorable nature moment with my friend and fellow photographer, Tina. What a great time!
That’s it I have decided I don’t like you anymore having the good fortune the witness the whales and that goes for Tina as well. Okay maybe I should take a few moments and go and work on my jealousy…. … … better now. Must have been amazing and beautiful pics
Hahaha, Abrie. I love your sense of humor! It was pretty darn cool. 🙂
What a great city. A photowalk with Tina must have been a lot fun! I can hear the laughter all the way over here.
Hi Eduardo, Thanks so much– SF is full of great photo moments– and yes, Tina and I are old friends.
One day I will see humpback whales. It must be awe-inspiring.
Hi Lisa, I hope you do– they are amazing creatures and I keep having to remind myself that they are as big as a bus. Incredible. Thanks for enjoying.
I know. It’s crazy. Such large creatures.
Another great photo series, Jane! It’s great if you can capture these impressive majestic whales for your lens! If you could photographed them closer, it would have been even more spectacular! I have a slight preference for photo: 03. ‘Fort Point Lighthouse’; 06. ‘Golden Gate Girders’ and the last one ‘Golden Gate Goodnight’. You giving the gate all the glorie by taking de picture at sunset who color the sky gold!
Best regards, Heidi
Thanks for your thoughtful response to these images, Heidi. I really appreciate it.
you’re welcome 🙂
I had no idea that the whales came all the way in to the city! Thank you for teaching me something new! I’ve never seen one in real life. (Except for a dead one that was stranded on the beach in Marbella. That doesn’t count.) Your photos are always a source of inspiration. I look forward to seeing your posts every week. Thank you! Have a wonderful weekend.
Maria
Hi Maria, I think this is a fairly unusual occurrence when they come in so close. Thanks so much for appreciating my posts– I enjoy yours, as well. Hope you are having a great summer.
Thank you! The summer is fantastic!! I hope yours is too 🙂
Super fantastic shots of a great day jane, and Tina! Love the contrast between sea action and land stillness in the gorgeous shadows you captured.
Thanks very much, Patti. It was an exciting day of photos and friendship!
Beautiful post and I love the whales 😍😀
Thank you, Hedy. They are magical creatures– happy you enjoyed these. 🙂
I love the light and shadow in the Golden Gate Girders shot. Beautiful work, Jane!
Thank, Patti! I didn’t know which way to turn my lens there was so much going on! Happy you enjoyed these.
Hi Jane – You never fail to impress me with your wonderful images and neat quotes!
You are very kind, Michael. Thanks so much! This was such a fun and surprising afternoon.
Fort Point is a wonderful place to be in its own merits. Having whales making fun in front of you is the icing on the cake 🙂
Hi Peter, So true! One of my favorite spots in the city made even more special that afternoon. Pleased you liked the shots–thank you. 🙂
Truly such beautiful photographs, Jane.
Especially “Golden Gate Girders” (amazing light!!), and “Golden Gate Goodnight.”
Have a wonderful week.
Thank you very much, Lisa. Those are two faves– it was hard to know where to point my camera that afternoon, it was all so stunning.
That must have been amazing to watch humpback whales feeding right under Golden Gate. You sure captured some amazing photos. I like the sequencing alternating between pictures of the feeding whales and close-ups of the brigde.
Hi Otto– It was a fantastic time…I went back throughout the week and only saw two– I guess they ran out of anchovies. Glad you like the alternating scenes– it was hard to choose where to focus my lens. Thanks for your kind comment.
Some amazing shots of the whales.
Thanks very much, Atreyee. Exciting afternoon.
I love the photos with whales and birds. Nice shout out to Tina!
Thank you, my DIL! 🙂
Wonderful contrasts Jane. Amanda 🙂
Thanks so much, Amanda. 🙂
Fantastic photos, Jane. The whales must have been a treat and a half to see and watch.
Growing up, we visited the Bay Area for four days, we did the ferry ride around the bay. My sister was getting a little seasick after the two-hour trip. Certainly four days were not enough to see everything. The business trips I did, simply not enough time in the itinerary for a proper tour. 🙂
Hi David– What a wonderful memory from your childhood. Glad these photos brought them back. Thanks very much. 🙂
How cool that you met up with Tina and saw all this together – wow. As much as I know intellectually how amazing the whales are to see, the photos that grab me here are of the bridge (which I know is a favorite subject for you) and Fort Point – she girder shadows and balcony (?) shadows – beautifully done!
Thanks very much, Lynn. It was a fantastic afternoon and great fun to share it with Tina. We are old friends. (The girder shot is a favorite from the day, as exciting as the whales were…)
🙂 Beautiful photographs!
Have a HAPPY Sunday 🙂
Thank you so much, Happyface! 🙂
Wow…simply amazing.
Hi Edith, It really was….thanks– glad you saw these– so unusual to see!
Amazing, Jane.
Thank, Rabirius. A very special afternoon.
Wow, Nice capture!
Thanks so much, Sunnydays! 🙂
Some great moments, that much more special for having shared them. The best!!!!
What a great time, Tina, another memory shared!
Jane, seriously, I cannot WAIT to visit.
Watching those whales must be such a cool experience.
And that image of the Golden Gate girders? Just excellent! Made me smile and wish I’d taken it 🙂
Hi Laurie, It really was so unusual and very fun to see. Between the shadows on the bridge and the whales, my head was spinning! 🙂 Hope you make it to SF sometime soon!
Wow on the whales! It’s wonderful to know that with all of the global warming problems we’ve done a good enough job on cleaning up the environment that the whales are using the SF Bay.
Love your GG bridge girders. The late afternoon sun really works to enhance them.
Thank you, Tim! I am wondering why they are coming so far in– which is quite unusual– following the anchovies and shrimp. I hadn’t thought of your theory about a cleaner bay– interesting thought. Glad you like the girders– I am continually fascinated with them.
Jane, you’re welcome. It could be that the cleaner water is attracting the anchovies and shrimp. Girders are always fascinating. Your images do them high justice.
I wish I could see the whales one day with my own eyes ….
Hi Awa, I hope you experience the thrill someday soon. Thanks for looking at these. 🙂
Terrific shots. I know you and T were in “whale heaven” catching these scenes.
Hi Linda, Thank you! Indeed, we were. It was a fun day.
Terrific shots… I think you and T were in heaven catching these sites!!!
I did wonder as I was looking at these if I had already seen this post … and then I remembered it was Tina who had posted some shots of and near the bridge! You are quite the talented duo of friends!
Hi Lex– Ha! That’s funny– you have a good memory. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed these– we sure had fun photographing them together. Thanks!
Wonderful Jane!
Thank you, Nicole. A great nature moment!
They’re like George and Gracie without the alien probe. I wander if the noise levels at the bay are tolerable?
Hi Michael– I was amazed at how many boats and even a huge cruise ship went by…they seemed undeterred. Glad you enjoyed–thanks!
Wow!
Sent from my iPad
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Thanks, Sue! Very cool.
really spectacular shots….loving ‘a whale of a tail’! the birds above are stunning…..makes me happy😜
Thanks, April. That is a favorite! Makes me happy, too. 🙂
Amazing images in so many ways.
Thanks, Bruce. What an exciting day and Fort Point is a fantastic historic spot to photograph.
Golden Gate Goodnight is sublime. The colors are gorgeous. In Whale of a Tail, the birds (pelicans?) provide a really interesting counterpoint to the whale tail. Also love the colors in Golden Gate girders. Well done.
Thanks so much, Jane. Happy you liked all these different aspects.
How cool is that, Jane, awesome photos! Thanks for sharing these! Marcus
Thanks, Marcus! It was quite a day.
Remarkable photos in that very special setting. What joy the whales must bring to many folk. Wish I was there!
Thanks, Paula. Wish you were there, too. Nature moments like this are such a gift.
Amazing, amazing shots of the water by the Golden Gate bridge. Amazing blue sky day, and amazing blue waters too. So lucky you and Tina got to see whales. Lucky day. I’ve always loved Tina’s work like I love yours, and so lovely to hear the two of you caught up 😀 Also, what a lovely sunset photo of the Golden Gate. Beautiful caption, beautiful way to end the day 🙂
Thanks, Mabel. Happy you enjoyed this special moment and you are right it’s even sweeter to share it with a friend.
That’s amazing! I knew there a lot of great whites in the area but had no idea about the humpbacks! You got some amazing shots of them as well. I imagine it was quite difficult getting pictures of them!
Thanks, MV! Glad you enjoyed these shots- it was very exciting to see.
Great photos. I probably wouldn’t have expected to see whales near the Golden Gate bridge. I particularly liked the whale of a tale because of the birds flying in formation.
Thank you, Irene. It was a big surprise for all. Many amazed people on the shore and on the bridge watching. Glad you liked the birds– it was fun to catch all those different elements.
These are crazy cool shots… haunting, thrilling, terrifyingly close and yet they are so cuddly ,like big slippery playful puppies. ‘Humpies in the Harbor’ is a good omen for the best street/on site photographer – Ms.Jane Lurie. I’m so proud to know you and in awe of the evolution of your work, it keeps getting better, how can that be…you are amazing!
Miss you guys a lot and keep thing about our lovely interlude….I want more of you and so does David….we remain your biggest fans and hopefully we’ll see you soon in San Francisco. I’m thinking early to mid September.
Love, Carol
Hi Carol, How lovely! Thank you for your warm and thoughtful compliment. Thank you so much and I hope to see you and David again (together) very soon. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Awesome photo, thanks for sharing them.
Thank you, TheRealMe. Glad you enjoyed them!
What a wonderful series of photos! I really enjoyed scrolling through them. The one of the girders is magnificent! Colours, shapes, shadows…
Thanks so much, Susan. Since I was standing on the top of Fort Point, I thought it would be fun to pair the building shots with the whales. Glad you enjoyed!
You captured it so well that I feel I am part of this whale watching.
Thanks, Cornelia. What a great compliment that you feel a part of the experience.
Isn’t what we as photographers like to achieve.
Yes– one of the most important goals.
What a great photo set Jane! Love the girder photo and those big fish 😎
Thank you, John! I love those girders under the bridge.
Jane, you found a great spot to whale watch. Your photo of the bridge girders is the ultimate Summer Swing shift photo. The golden light on the concrete and steel puts me right back there. I also like the B&W shadows at Ft. Point.
Have a good weekend,
Ω
Hi Allan, Your reaction made me smile! Thank you for enjoying these and making my day. Hope you are having a great weekend, as well.
Just love another set of your fabulous photos. Just back from Africa with all the kids. Wish we had you and your camera.
Hi Cathy, I am so glad you had a wonderful trip! Loved seeing your group safari shot. Wish I was there with you. 🙂