San Mateo County Historical Association Presents "Shore Whaling Along the California Coast"

On Saturday, January 24 at 1 p.m., the Courthouse Docket continues as Denise Jaffke presents Shore Whaling along the California Coast. For the Portuguese immigrants who settled San Mateo County’s Coastside in the  late 1800s, shore whaling was an important industry.

This presentation will explore the nineteenth-century shore whaling industry along California’s Central Coast, with particular attention to the San Mateo County shoreline. Drawing on recent archaeological surveys conducted by California State Parks and the University of California, Berkeley, it highlights what remains of the small whaling stations that once operated in this region and the day-to-day work of the largely Portuguese crews who ran them. The talk also places these sites within the broader maritime landscape, including nearby doghole ports and coastal shipping routes. Together, the archaeological and historical evidence offer a clearer picture of a little-known chapter of California’s coastal history and how ongoing research continues to expand our understanding of our collective maritime heritage.

Denise Jaffke is a Principal Investigator with Far Western Anthropological Research Group, a member of the California State Parks Dive Team, and President of SCHUNRS, a volunteer nonprofit dedicated to documenting and interpreting California’s maritime past. She specializes in coastal and underwater archaeology, with experience across northern and central California coast, San Francisco Bay, and several high-elevation lakes including Lake Tahoe. A certified diver, Denise works closely with state, federal, and tribal partners to study and protect California’s maritime heritage.