[CINC] IPCO Scorpion Hike trip-11/15

[paul jr petrich]

Naturalist Corps Folks,
   It was a fantastic day, both on water and on land, enjoyed by 112 patrons aboard the Islander today on the trip to Scorpion and Prisoners. We had 77 elementary students, including their teacher and parent chaperones, from the Pine Crest schools in Moorpark and Simi aboard. They had a day they will never forget! 
   Skipper Dave treated all aboard to whale sightings on they out and back that included such a variety of marine life that there was never a lapse in interest by all aboard when the whales were on dives. 
   Two sightings on the way out included pods of 500 common dolphin, 1/3 of which were youngsters, huge numbers of feeding sea lions, and hundreds of diving cormorants plus pelicans. Two Minke Whales casually came feeding close to the boat. This was topped on the way home by a manna that activated an even more diverse feeding only six miles offshore Ventura. Three Humpbacks joined a sole Minke, along with the common dolphin, sea lions, cormorants, pelicans, and some shearwaters-all casually feeding, as if full. The buffet in all feedings were sardines or anchovies.
  On the Island IPCO crew members Jean, Dani, and Lori split the school kids into three hike groups. I took 11 open boat folks to Cavern Point and then on to Potato Harbor where we were escorted in our approach by the usual pair of ravin sentinels. My group saw no fox. However, many of the kids did sight them. Lola Lynch held the fort at the Visitor's Center and handelled courageously the onslaught sent to her by the rest of us!  
 The day ended as we entered Ventura Harbor viewing a pastel sun setting into a velvet sea.   I Sari Wa,  Paul
  
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