[CINC] CX Whale watching, Monday July 11

[lupe rasnow]

Hello Naturalists,

Sightings:

2 Blue whales
4 Humpback whales
~ 200 Common dolphins
Few sea lions here and there, and far from from land

Crew and Naturalists:
Captain Dave, Dennis, Brook, Rae Emmet, Shirley Johnson, and Maria Ornelas
Passengers: 53 (from Minnesota, Texas, switzerland, and a marine biology class from Cuesta Collage) 

CX left harbor under windy, bumpy, cool, and overcast conditions. Thirty minutes into the trip, we encountered the Commons. Everyone enjoyed them very much.  Seasickness afflicted many people after that, and both Dennis and Brook worked very hard, providing people with plastic bags, cleaning, and urging them to step out for fresh air. All other passengers had a whale of a day. We encountered the first Blue at 11:30 a.m. and enjoyed it for about 45 minutes. Cptn. Dave continued on a bit west from SRI, where we saw the second Blue, along with several spouts from Humpbacks out in the distance. Since we had been with a Blue already, we naturally pursued the Humpbacks. They were traveling slowly and in pairs. One of the pairs was a mother and calf. A couple of times they got within about 60 ft. from the boat. These magnificent animals treated us to beautiful flukes. After observing them for about an hour, we headed for Painted Cave, and then onward back to the harbor. By now, the sun had come out for a little while, and the winds had subsided, making the return trip less intense for the affected passengers. As people left the boat, they expressed their pleasure at having seen the whales so close and personal. We were all grateful for another wonderful experience out in the Channel. Thank you CX, 

Maria G. Ornelas
maria at rasnowpeak.com

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