Special Events Archive
Celebrate the Annual Return of White Sharks and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 50th Anniversary at:
Sharktoberfest Movie Night
Free Event
When: September 24, 2022 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Where: Greater Farallones Visitor Center Outdoor Campus, 991 Marine Drive, SF Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129
Learn about the latest shark research and visit outdoor booths of shark experts, artists, and conservationists. Enjoy beverages, popcorn, a food truck and live music. Bring a low-back chair for the outdoor screening of shark films that will start promptly at 7:30 pm. Don't forget layered clothing, weather can be variable in the evening.
Virtual Sharktoberfest 2021
Celebrate the Annual Return of White Sharks
Our annual celebration of sharks is going virtual this year!
When: Saturday, September 25, 2021
Join Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Greater Farallones Association, and Shark Stewards, for an online celebration of sharks to raise awareness of the importance of elasmobranchs in our marine ecosystem, coinciding with the arrival of white sharks to the San Francisco area to feed on our abundant seal and sea lion populations. Tune in for fun and educational activities for adults and kids, shark art, shark science, shark films, shark conservation, and lots of great ukulele tunes! Free event. No registration necessary.
Get Into Your Sanctuary with Greater Farallones
August 7, 2021
Join Greater Farallones sanctuary naturalists for a virtual tidepool adventure. Using an innovative storymap with photos, videos, maps, and a 3D intertidal model, we will explore the amazing intertidal habitat at the dynamic edge of the sea. You'll learn how the animals and algae survive under ever-changing conditions. We'll explore the creatures of the intertidal including octopuses, chitons, anemones, sea stars, sea urchins, and nudibranchs that call this biodiversity hotspot "home." Learn important tidepool etiquette and helpful techniques to plan your own trip to the intertidal.
Be sure to tune into the other Get Into Your Sanctuary live streaming events from across the National Marine Sanctuary System taking place from August 2-August 8!
World Ocean Day: June 8, 2021
Did you know our ocean is a climate superhero?
Seaweed and phytoplankton in the ocean produce more than 50% of our world's oxygen. Thank you ocean.
And the ocean needs our help, after all every great superhero needs a sidekick! Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Association are working to protect and restore kelp forests along the northern California coastline through the Greater Farallones Kelp Recovery Program.
Did you know our ocean is a superhero?
More than 50% of all species on earth are found in the ocean. Thank you ocean.
And the ocean needs our help, after all every great superhero needs a sidekick! The Greater Farallones ocean research partnership, through the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS), supports marine wildlife conservation and healthy marine ecosystems in northern and central California and informs resource managers, policy makers, and conservation partners through programs like the Seabird Protection Network. Together we can make responsible decisions about how to protect the ocean we all depend on.
Did you know our ocean is a climate superhero?
The ocean stores 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere through carbon sequestration. Thank you ocean.
And the ocean needs our help, after all every great superhero needs a sidekick! Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Association engage the next generation of marine stewards through enriching education programs to learn about topics such as ocean acidification and plankton and increase environmental literacy.
Did you know our ocean is a superhero?
The ocean supports life and livelihoods for wildlife and humans worldwide through its diverse ecosystems that wildlife and people depend on for shelter, sustenance, jobs, and joy. Thank you ocean.
And the ocean needs our help, after all every great superhero needs a sidekick! We monitor coastal ecosystems through community science programs, such as Beach Watch and LiMPETS, that engage student and adult volunteers to track the short-term and long-term changes within the sanctuary. These data inform Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary managers and community partners on how best to protect these important places.
You can be a superhero for our ocean.
From individual and community actions to civic engagement, we can all contribute to protecting our ocean. Whether you choose a plastic free option on your next purchase, work with your community to organize a trash clean up, contact your representatives, or vote, everyone can make a difference.
What action do you pledge to take? Send us an email or tag yourself being a superhero for the ocean on social media and let us know how your actions go!
Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary & Greater Farallones Association
#OceanSuperHero #ThankYouOcean #WorldOceanDay
Virtual Sharktoberfest™ 2020
Celebrate the Annual Return of White Sharks
Our annual celebration of sharks is going virtual this year!
When: Saturday, September 26, 2020
JOIN US, Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, and Shark Stewards, for an online celebration of sharks to raise awareness of the importance of elasmobranchs in our marine ecosystem, coinciding with the arrival of white sharks to the San Francisco area to feed on our abundant seal and sea lion populations. Tune in for fun and educational activities for adults and kids, shark art, shark science, shark films, shark conservation, and lots of great ukulele tunes! Free event. No registration necessary.
Get into Your Sanctuary
July 31-August 2, 2020
We are excited to announce that this year's Get Into Your Sanctuary weekend is going virtual!
Join Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary naturalists for a virtual wildlife cruise through the sanctuary and out to the Farallon Islands!
When: Saturday, August 1
Where: Facebook Watch Party at www.facebook.com/NOAAOfficeofNationalMarineSanctuaries
Join us from July 31 to August 2 for a unique opportunity to experience all of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System from wherever you are. From taking an ocean safari to virtually diving through shipwrecks to learning how to cook sustainably from a professional chef, there will be something for everyone to enjoy!
For a full list of all programs, please visit: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/giys.html
Get into Your Sanctuary photo contest, May 23-September 7
Categories: sanctuary views, sanctuary life, sanctuary recreation, & sanctuaries at home
For full contest details: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/photo-contest.html
Farallones Sanctuary Naturalist Course
Saturdays, February 8-March 28, 2020
Are you interested in discovering the diverse and abundant marine life in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary?
Class Schedule
February 8: Intro to Sanctuary Habitats, Oceanography & Food Webs
February 15: Sandy Beach
February 22: Bays & Estuaries Field Trip
February 29: Marine Mammals
March 7: Rocky Shore Field Trip
March 14: White Sharks & Other Fish
March 21: Seabirds & Shorebirds
March 28: Student Presentations & Potluck
Shark Lecture Only, March 14.
Classes will be held at Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Campus in San Francisco. Bays and Estuaries Field Trip will take place near Bolinas on Marin County Coast. Rocky Shore Field Trip will take place near Montara on the San Mateo County Coast.
Celebrate the Annual Return of White Sharks at SHARKTOBERFEST!
September 28, 2019
Enjoy shark science, shark experts, shark art, shark films, shark conservation, food and live music!
Event Schedule- Main Event Free!!
11am: All art & science activity stations open, food truck & refreshments available.
11am-1pm: Live Music - Ukulele Friends
11:30am: Special Programs (see below)
1pm: Ocean Life Parade & Costume Contest
2pm-4pm: Live Music - Heather Combs & Max Delaney
2pm: Special Programs (see below)
4pm: Event closes
Build a Shark
Participants "design-build" a life-size white shark model piece by piece, discovering how each organ and sense of this awesome creature functions. By handling teeth and skin artifacts, and viewing a short documentary on our Farallones sharks, they'll learn how their 400-million-year-old design still works to make them formidable top predators. Best for children ages 4-10 and their families
Shark Talk
Sharks: Fearful or Fascinating? Join shark expert David McGuire, of Shark Stewards, for a short film and talk on shark behavior and human interactions. Best for adults, children 10+ welcome.
Get into Your Sanctuary
August 2-4, 2019
Friday, August 2
Kent Island Restoration: Bolinas, CA
Roll up your sleeves and help restore Kent Island to its natural beauty by removing non-native plants. Meet at the Bolinas dock on Wharf road in downtown Bolinas just past the Bolinas museum. Wear shoes/boots that you do not mind getting wet and muddy, and leave the rest to us! All gloves, equipment and water are provided, just bring your water bottle. Snack provided!
Saturday, August 3
Octolab Family Workshops: Greater Farallones Campus, San Francisco, CA
Join us for Octo Lab! Participants will discover one of the ocean's most intelligent invertebrates - the octopus! Teams will measure, weigh, study, touch, examine, and squish their way through the lab using their own defrosted octopus specimen Participants will also get to compare octopus to their closest relatives - squid and cuttlefish! As the grand finale, we will create octopus stop motion videos as well as octopus prints for you to take home as keepsakes.
Sunday, August 4
Sanctuary Explorations: Farallon Islands & Whale Watching Trip, San Francisco, CA
Get into your sanctuary with Greater Farallones naturalists and the Oceanic Society for a day-long adventure into the waters of the sanctuary. Traveling under the Golden Gate Bridge we will journey 27 miles offshore to the intriguing Farallon Islands and, seas permitting, beyond! While underway we will search for humpback and blue whales, seabirds such as the Tufted Puffin and Common Murre, seals, sea lions, porpoises, jellies and other ocean wildlife!
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday August 2-4
Virtual Reality Dives, Greater Farallones Visitor Center
Stop by the Greater Farallones Visitor Center to take a virtual reality dive into the sanctuaries!
Join one of our Get into Your Sanctuary partners to explore your sanctuary:
Join Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and enjoy a Seal Observation Station at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Half Moon Bay, CA)- onsite docents will allow visitors of all ages to explore this unique and biologically rich environment.
Join Oceanic Society or San Francisco Whale Tours for an all-day whale watching expedition into the water of Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Plan a paddle in Tomales Bay or the Russian river estuary in Jenner with Point Reyes Outdoors (Point Reyes) or Watertreks Eco Tours.