[CINC] IPCO Vanguard, Sat, 25 Feb'12

[Kenneth A. Tatro]

Hi Folks,

The Count:

Cetaceans:

AM - 	400 Common Dolphin
	7 Humpbacks

PM - 7 Humpbacks

Birds: across the day, largely, very few.

A Couple of each, Western Gull, Cormorant, and hand full of Brown Pelicans.

Except,  in the morning, a huge flock of Western Grebes very shortly out of Channel Islands Harbor, sitting on the water, just hanging out as if awaiting orders for the next event. Easily 1000 plus as we had to move through them to get beyond. An interesting sight in itself.

How many times can we say this is the best we WW run have seen, and then have it topped on our next run, or perhaps a couple down the line??

Saturday was one of those days.

In the AM, …

Out of the harbor about a half an hour and we came across the Commons, not quite a "mega pod" but a very large pod even so, and much to the delight of the 17 folks coming out for whales. Capt. Jason did some turns to entertain both the dolphins and our contemporary whalers. As is the usual case, the Dolphin took to the wakes of the Vanguard, like bears to honey, and the show was on. Two people were so satisfied, that, that was enough to justify the Vangurd's fare.

However, we were not done. The Condor, Range 85 and Inland Adventure were hanging out with three Humpbacks at the Platform line and we were heading out to see them. Coming in slowly, the Condor had to break off and head back, giving us some room to ease on in with the rest of the group. Three Humpbacks were definitely entertaining the Ranger, then three more came up just before us about 200 yard off. So we shut down to an idle to wait and see. Not long to wait, these three were very curious about us and came right over to check US out. Who was watching who?? They cruised right up to our starboard side and seeminly pause before moving around the stern and then one did a diving turn back under the boat and out again on the starboard side. 

By this time Ranger had to head out and the three there, came over to join in the fun here. Soon we were surrounded by very curious and playful Humpbacks. Then they moved off just a bit, only to turn and come back to our stern, split to both sides. Then we had another Hump back show up from who knows where, so 7 in the group.

Well, with this close encounter, everyone got the Whale Breath treatment, on several occasions, as we had suggested we might if we saw some whales. They did not disappoint. The playfulness went on for about an hour or more, largely off our starboard but she on the port. They would bunch up, roll and shallow dive seemingly over and under one another, not twenty five feet away. Then they started trumpeting, several times, … and in the midst of all this commotion one began to sing, YES you got it, SINGING the whale song. I've only heard that, LIVE, once before. What a treat.  What an amazing treat!!

The Vanguard was comprehensively and thoroughly mugged. We told the folks, there would be no extra charge for the extensive show.

On the PM run, ...

So the afternoon trip, with about twenty plus folks, was sure to be something far less, as it often is with these whales, … (heh, heh) Not so.!!

No dolphins sighted, as we heard there were Orca in the Channel, so maybe they got the word and bugged out. Folks were hoping to see the Orca, now that we knew they were nearby. Yet, it would be a trade off, Orca or other cetacea. We don't see them together unless we have Orca going after one of them, so the others will usually move off.

But we were, betting that our playful 7 just might be hanging out in the same area and we might be able to catch up to them once again.  

At first it was looking a bit grim, no sightings as we approach the area. 

Continuing on, and on, … no whales.  Then, up popped two Humpbacks moving quite steadily, right along side of us with the same heading about 200 yards off our port side. They seemed to be on a mission. No diving, just steady moving, blowing as they surfaced, yet not much under water. 

So we kept pace with them, slowly closing for better looks, or was it they, closing toward us??  Then up popped two more, then a third and then a forth, so we now had six, as the fast movers joined in the gathering. They were definitely interested in us.  We had to shut down as they came right over and started the "same ol' stuff" of the AM trip. DARN!!

They went under us and around us, checking us out as if they were the TSA. They really wanted to know everything about us. One came up perpendicular to the port side, slowly surfaced, rostrum out of, yet parallel with the water, and hung there for about a minute or two, just looking us over. Mean while the others were wanting to know what we had in the trunk, checking out the stern very, very thoroughly, under and around it, two or three times. Then the trumpeting began again, just a few blasts, but enough to satisfy the folks with a slight start, as what was that? No singing this time, but the whale breath treatment was generously offered for all to appreciate. And appreciate they did.

Then one came around, full length, along the port side and drifted slowly to the surface, yet not quite, just about a foot under water, stroking the Vanguard with its' pectoral, as it gradually move forward and down. In the very clear waters of the Channel, every one got a full on, crystal clear view of the entire live whale, in full detail, as it scoped out the boat, tactilely, as well as visually. Amazing, … just amazing!! 

It was getting late and these guys did not let up, as the sun was getting low and began to glisten off the water, this crowd of Humpbacks moved right into the glint on our starboard side, in threes and fours, with beautifully coordinated slow sequential and pairs diving, flukes up all. The cameras were humming to say the least, then, … and all day. 

Gradually they began to depart, yet still playing with one another as they slowly headed out. 

Now this was what was happening in the water. 

On the boat, crew member Danniel's eight year old daughter, Kaija, was working on a science project for her school class, trying to video Dolphins underwater. She had a small digital camera, encased in an underwater camera case and they tied and duct taped it to the long pole of the line hook and held it under the water when we came across the dolphins. Pretty cool. 

Then they saw me filling out the sighting report sheet and asked if I would teach, Kaija, how to fill out one of her own to go along with her project. So we sat down and went through all the little boxes, talked about each one, what we had seen and began to fill it out. Soon, Kaija, had her own sighting report sheet all prepared and ready to go. Very close to the end of the first trip, Kaija and I sat down and had our lunches together, she with her ham and cheese, and me with my home made burger, and some assistance from Kaija, in adding in the lettuce, tomato and onions. It was nice. Then she smiled at me, … I took it as in approval.

So we had folks from, Sweden, Camarillo, Bakersfield, Port Hueneme, Tennessee, Indiana, and India, enjoying the two runs at the very able hands of Captan Jason, crew Danniel and Joel. 

Yours truly, was the solo Naturalist on these two runs, another fantastic day on the water to put at the top of the list.

Ken Tatro