[CINC] Saturday Sightings Report on IPCO

[Scott Cuzzo]

One gray whale
1000 or so commons
3 elephant seals including one pup

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Yesterday aboard the Island Adventure and teamed with the always awesome Susie Williams we went on two half-day gray whale watching trips.  The boats were fairly full, but not packed.  Lots of great people with great questions and enthusiasm.  Both trips involved going around the back side of Anacapa and thru the gap between Anacapa and Santa Cruz.   The morning trip found one southbound gray whale, providing an average sort of viewing experience.  No dolphins were found on the morning trip.  On the back side of Anacapa there was a large male elephant seal, a female and newish pup. The next cove over had a large group of CA sea lions.  

The afternoon trip found zero gray whales, but one large group of commons (700-1000), and later a mid-sized group, and couple of small scattered handfuls, here and there.  The elephant seals were still maintaining their cove on Anacapa.

There were numerous concentrated patches of cormorants near Anacapa.  And a LOT of those cute little Xantus Murrelets diving as the boat got near.  

Always nice to be on the water, wished there were more whales for people to experience, but such things we can not control.

Scott Cuzzo
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