The Golden Gate Bridge

At last the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun
The Bridge looms mountain high;
Its titan piers grip ocean floor,
Its great steel arms link shore with shore,
Its towers pierce the sky.

Joseph Strauss, A Mighty Task Is Done, written upon completion of the Golden Gate Bridge in May 1937

Of all of the sights there are to see on board Just Dreaming Yacht, nothing compares to the Golden Gate Bridge at the entrance to the Bay from the Ocean. Cruising out underneath the bridge is one of the best vantage points for viewing the details of its architecture, its tresses and the bases of its art deco towers.

It is great to see the smiles of our guests as we take our time going under the bridge. Everyone takes photos. They relax on the deck and watch the bridge, admiring the structural design and the color contrast between the bay and the International Orange of the bridge. On one of our charters we were graced with a civil engineer on board. He told us that The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the seven civil engineering wonders of the world, alongside the Channel Tunnel between England and France, and the Panama Canal.

Given the masterful artistry of the bridge, our crew and yacht charter guests continue to be surprised to hear that there were concerns that the Golden Gate Bridge would ruin the natural beauty of the bay. Now it is one of the centerpiece jewels of the Bay Area, elegant and alluring. But, back then construction was heavily opposed by numerous civic and business leaders. Litigation lasted for eight years before the construction finally began. Ultimately, financing came from six counties, allowing all of us in the Bay Area to enjoy its splendor.

Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to host weddings up underneath the bridge and witness engagement proposals. It’s a magical and romantic place.

We’ve hosted groups of school children from around the world on our yacht charters. The question they always ask is why the bridge isn’t yellow. We explain that the name came from the gold rush at the middle of the 19^th century. And then their eyes light up when we tell them about prospectors finding gold.

It is moments like these that we enjoy as a crew. We know that we are creating experiences that will last a lifetime. We take pride in being able to do so.

Sharks in the Bay

After spotting many leopard sharks and rays washed up on the shores of the bay last year, we have been happy to see plenty of them frolicking in the water with our charters on board Just Dreaming Yacht this Spring. In fact, we have a had a number of rays swimming around us at South Beach Harbor this Spring.

When people think of sharks, they are often reminded of Jaws and the presence of Great White Sharks out past the Golden Gate Bridge and around the Farallones. Once in a great while they come into the deeper waters of the bay, most often around Alcatraz. And the San Francisco bay is teaming with a variety of less aggressive and smaller sharks swimming alongside harbor seals, whales, and rays.

A leopard shark swims along the surface of the water.

One of these is the leopard shark. The leopard shark is completely harmless to humans. They feed on crabs, shrimp, worms and small fish. Beautiful to look at with their brown-grey spots, they sometimes swim in the shallower areas of water all the way down to the South Bay. At this time of year, there are pups as well. As small as they are, our guests find they really have to be looking in the water once we make it to a dock, where the shallow water provides better visibility.

Leopard shark frolicking about in shallow water.

The San Francisco Bay is also home to Broadnose Sevengill Shark, sometimes called Soupfin or School Sharks. We spot these more readily due to their large fins, for years prized as a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. Fortunately, they are no longer being commercially fished in the bay, though at their enormous size, up to 10 feet long and 250 pounds, they are one of the few true aquatic predators to make the Bay its breeding ground. They feed on Harbor Seals and other sharks.

“Coming Out” sculpture in Tiburon resembles a shark fin, sails, or waves, depending upon vantage point.

The city of Tiburon, or “shark” in Spanish, was named for the lagoons in the area where sharks mate in the breeding season. It is a stunning ritual we’ve been lucky to spot with some of our charters. A few weeks ago, we spotted a six-foot shark jumping out of the middle of the bay, fulling clearing the surface of the water by about eight feet. With a jump like that, we figured he was avoiding becoming dinner for a much larger fish.

We have had plenty of passengers leery of the sight of their dorsal fins poking out of the water. The sheer size of them swimming around the yacht is enough to send little shivers down the spine. Our crew and guests are simply awed by their beauty. What is less known is that the Bay is one of only two of their breeding grounds. Around this time of year, the pups are born and the sharks head out into the open water.

Charter guests looking for sharks under the Golden Gate Bridge

Summer is the perfect time of year to watch the wildlife in the water. With whales, sea lions, harbor seals, sharks, and all of their young, being on board Just Dreaming Yacht is a true escape from the bustle of the city with sights to wow the whole family.