[CINC] Islander, 5 July, '11

[Kenneth A. Tatro]

Hi folks,

About 1200 Common Dolphin in three groups (500, 500, 200)
20 Risso's Dolphin

A most beautiful day, flat seas, warm breeze, ... great day for a boat ride which it turned out to largely be. No whales were sighted. 

This was IPCO's all day run, 9-5, so we were able to search far and wide and far and wide we did.  First, directly to Santa Cruz Island and Prisoners Harbor to drop off some campers. On the way there, we came onto our first pod of Commons. They were very active and lots of babies among them. Folks we delighted.

Nothing thus far, Zero, on the whale count. So back out into the channel and nothing. So Captain Dave took us to Painted Cave, and well inside as usual. Pink Footed Pigeon Gillemonts in were there, as usual, so folks got to see them during the very nice tuck of the boat into the cave.

Back out in to the channel, beautiful, but no sitings. In contact with Capatain Matt on the Condor Express out of Santa Barbara, who was up channel from us and he was seeing no whales either. We even heard there was a plane up looking for them, and nothing back from them. 

So Captain Dave decided to take another tack, head into the gap between Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, and then out the other side well into the deep Santa Cruz Basin toward the sea mount.  It was in the Gap we spotted the pod of Rissos just cruising along nicely with a lots of very nice looks as many of them would surface together. We hung with them for a good while, but it was the big guys we sought, so on through the gap and out over the basin. Still, great day, ... no whales.

We made the great turn and back to Anacapa to take in the Sea Lions on the south side, cruised Arch Rock, tucked into Landing Cove, and then back out.

On the way back we came onto our last group of commons, some broke off to play with us, but they were on a mission to get somewhere else.

All along the way we made several stops to pick up drifting party balloons, some joked it was a trash pick up run.

Yet a couple of folks were just so pleased with the first siting of the commons, they said it was well worth their fare, with just that. 

It was a great day, beautiful and warm, ... just no whales.

Captain Dave, with Captain Steve and Andrea, crew, did their usual fine job of running the boat and servicing the passengers.

Pam Yeager was my side kick, did a fine job of it on her first run as a fully certified Naturalist. Nice working with ya.

Ken Tatro