Ray Duran

Ray Duran is a professional captain and mariner with over 20 years working on and enjoying San Francisco Bay and near coastal waters. He is a USCG Licensed 100-ton Master who has served as lead training captain and fleet manager with a Bay Area-based high-speed private commuter ferry service which served passengers from points between South San Francisco and the Carquinez Strait up to Benicia.

His maritime experience includes at-sea expeditions with a well-respected naturalist-led whale watching and eco-tour operator accumulating countless missions on inland waters and over 200 documented trips offshore to the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Farallon Island chain.

It was aboard this vessel which bills itself as a “classroom at sea,” that Ray gained first-hand familiarity with the burgeoning aquatic life while learning to navigate and interact safely in the presence of whales and other marine wildlife that call these local waters home.

An avid sailor with experience as captain of a San Francisco-based charter schooner and as crew aboard a legendary former America’s Cup yacht, Ray also served for years as a member of the Board of Directors and Keelboat Director for the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, helping to make the joy of sailing safe and accessible to differently-abled citizens throughout the Bay Area.

The BayQuest vision combines his experience as a professional mariner with a deep sense of connection with the vibrant local marine life – and a passion to help protect their vital habitat.

December 2024