The Backstory on Pacifica’s Whale Bonanza
Scientists surveying marine life off our coastline have been watching marine mammals roll in for the Bay Area seafood buffet.
Category: Field Reports
Observations from the field from Bay Nature founder and former Publisher/Executive Director David Loeb.
Just in Time for Algae Season, A New Satellite Map Offers Glimpses of Bay Blooms
No one agency is tasked with protecting us from marine algal blooms. So here’s a map worth checking before you go out on the waters of San Francisco Bay.
After the Algal Bloom Cleared Out of Lake Merritt, the Nudibranchs Came to Party in Droves
Oodles of nudibranchs showed up in Lake Merritt after the harmful algal bloom of August 2022. These sea slugs appeared in record breaking numbers, taking Oakland's beloved tidal lagoon by...
Explore the Bay by Ferry
Ferries are a cheap, environmentally friendly way to breathe in some brisk salt air and see the Bay in a new way. Here are five places you can go.
Something Fishy Is Happening Inside the Ears of Delta Smelt
Abnormalities in the ear bones of hatchery-reared delta smelt could challenge efforts to save the endangered fish.
In a Changing World, a Biologist Documents the Newt Normal
Droughts, wildfires, and heat waves are putting unprecedented strain on newts. With help, scientists hope, they may be able to persevere.
Meet the Latticed Stinkhorn, A Fragrant Fungus Beloved of Flies
Clathrus ruber looks more like an errant pickleball than a traditional toadstool, and it is born from an egg, which some people say tastes like radish. It’s a flashy European...
The Bald Eagles Have Landed in Alameda, and They’re Building a Nest
Longtime birder and Alameda local Rick Lewis found the nest, and he's been discreetly visiting it almost daily since. No sign of eggs yet, but the birds seem good so...
To Count Seabirds From Above, Fly Slowly And Pack a Big Lens
Aerial wildlife surveys, conducted by the USGS to inform the coming offshore wind energy boom, are strikingly beautiful, for government data. They were also hard-won.
Readers, Send Us Your Nature Encounters!
What have you seen outside lately? Send us your remarkable encounters with wildlife or nature in Northern California, 200 words or less, for a new section of the print magazine.
