[CINC] Condor Today: The Braille Method Of Finding Whales

[Scott Cuzzo]

3 Humpbacks
lots of common dolphin
fog

>>>>>>>>>>

The marine layer was thick today and did NOT burn off by 11 or 12 as it usually does.  Everyone knows there are tons of whales out there...and about where they are.  But with thick fog, finding them was surely a challenge.  Both Barb Lacorte and I swore that we could smell humpback breath, but still no whales.  We could see little more than 50-100 yards in any direction.  Finally after much patience I heard a spout close to the boat.  We found, probably, a male juvenile that was pretty friendly, but not mugging, with fairly short down times.  Fortunately we kept finding him when he would resurface.  After some time we had to head along the coast of SCI.  After picking up some campers at Prisoner's Cove we found another larger humpback that sort of mugged the boat and gave some great, close views.  On our way back across the channel we found a third whale that we spent a short time with.  And yes, I just ended sentence with a preposition...so sue me.  Sometimes I run with scissors too.

We found numerous small groups of commons during the day, then one large (800?) group very close to SCI.

By the time we hand to cross the channel back home the weather cleared mostly!  

Regards,

Scott Cuzzo
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