Wildlife

The California banana slug is one of San Mateo County’s most iconic species. These animals need moisture, shade, and decomposing plant and animal material for consumption. 

Thar she blows! Your coastal parklands are parallel to a marine passage for migrating humpback whales, gray whales, blue whales, orcas, and so many more leviathans. We talked to the experts about what you can do to enhance your chances of spotting a whale spout on your next visit.

In honor of the upcoming Rio Olympics, we asked: Which animals are the best swimmers, divers, and fliers in these parklands and waters? They’re competing tooth-and-nail (and claw-and-tail) to claim the “gold” at Golden Gate! Find out which species stand atop the podium.

In April 2016, a team of scientists hatched a daring plan to save some endangered mission blue butterflies from a Milagra Ridge site ravaged by a plant pathogen. See how—and why—they relocated a couple of endangered butterflies to another spot on Milagra.

In May 2016, just outside the Golden Gate (and off the coast of our Golden Gate National Parks), humpback whales were gathering in record numbers—and blue whales were making extremely rare spring appearances. What explains this massing of these mammoth mammals?

With Redwood Creek coho salmon on the brink of disappearing, biologists launched a last-ditch attempt to save them: harvesting local fish, raising them to reproductive maturity at a hatchery, and then returning them to the wild. In December, the first captive-raised coho were released.

In January 2016, a record number of Western snowy plovers were spotted at Ocean Beach. What are some possible reasons for this sky-high count? Read the latest on park monitoring of these threatened species—and learn what you can do to help their chances of survival.

The Marine Mammal Center, based at Fort Cronkhite, rescued 1,800 animals in 2015—three times the average. Learn about one culprit, domoic acid, and how it’s produced, how seals and sea lions are affected, and why El Niño exacerbates its effects.