[CINC] IPCO Islander, 13 July,'12

[Kenneth A. Tatro]

Hi folks,

The numbers, outstanding:

39 Humpbacks
6 Blues
1700 Common Dolphin (2 pods, 700 & 1000)
12 Mola Mola
(a couple Dall's Porpoise spotted by Capt Anthony but did not show again) 

Western Gull
Pigeon Gillimont
Sooty Sherewater
Brown Pelican

One Green Party Balloon( which we rescued from the deep)

Yes, these numbers are real, and amazing day. Our first task was to drop off campers, hikers and Navy technicians for the station on Santa Cruz Island, at Prisoners Harbor.Then we were on our way to an amazing day of Whale watching. 

We had heard there were a number of them in the usual area at the shelf ledge off the SCI-SRI gap.

So off we were, yet on the way we encountered the first and smaller pod of Common Dolphins. As usual the folks were all to the rails and in much delight, and the photographers among them clicking away. A sizable group with many babies, and fast activity. Of course many cam over to the boat to scope us out and play in the pressure waves and wake of the Islander.

We hung with them for a time, then moved on toward the Whales to the west.

Sure enough there they were, literally all over the place. The Condor Express was on station enjoying the site, and we came in from the east. First it was six humpbacks and one Blue near us. Yet we were just entering Humpback City with a few visiting Blues.  The scene was as if the Common Dolphins we had just seen, somehow turned into Humpbacks. they were everywhere and very actively feeding, logging with some of the younger ones carrying on with lob tails and major attacks on the plentiful Kelp adrift in the area.

The Condor hung in there for a good amount of time, but headed out to finish its trip.

Our count was soon at 17 then 23 and we finally settled on the 39 figure for Humpbacks, which is actually low as there were many at a distance all around. The challenge to not count any individual more than once had reached its maximum doability (heh, heh, is this a word???).

Here and there the Blues would surface in the midst the Humpbacks. Much easier to do their count.

The Mola mMolas showed up in the midst of all of this, and only a few of the guests saw them, most WAY too interested in the whales to check out some strange looking fish.

We were there a long time as the Humpback were not going anywhere, just very actively moving around in this same area. 

This produced many an encounter of several whales very near by, or cruising by us. One juvenile female, was busy thrashing some kelp off of our port side, and then became very interested in the Islander. Over she came with a mouth full of Kelp as if she wanted to share her "Kelp Kill" with us. Then she began and afternoon venture of mugging us, cruising under the boat, back and forth, causing us all to run back and forth from side to side as it went under one side and surfaced on the other, ... several times. Or it would do a round about of the entire boat, right next to it all the time.

Then it left for a time and we enjoyed the overall show again. 

But soon it came back to continue its very thorough scope out of the Islander, surfacing and checking us out, and back and forth fun of under the boat. She did this three different times, each time being with us a good 10 to 20 minutes playing her kind of fun. 

What a day. Captain Anthony spotted another mega pod of Common Dolphin so we headed out to see them and sure enough it was a very large group, we estimated at a 1000, burt could have been much more, as this group was very active and moving fast. Soon they were all round us,. and the folks were in yet another delight of the day.

Then it was time to head for Santa Cruz Island and the Painted Cave visit. On the way we enconterd our little green Party Balloon and Pancho did his usual deep reach and saved it rom the Sea. Folks were not disappointed at the cave, either as Captain Antony took the Islander in the farthest I have seen any boat go in, all year. The folks were very impressed and appreciative of both.

Folks were from the China, Sweden, UK, Lynchburg, Virginia, Landcaster, L.A., and Pasadena.

Captain Anthony did his usual supurb job of finding us Cetacea, and the Crew of Andrea and Pancho.
Dani left us and took the island hickers at Prisoners Harbor.

May CINC sidekick for the day was Pam Yerger, who did a fantastic job of keeping count, under very unusual and challenging conditions.

Just another day on the Channel, ....

Ken Tatro

	Gentle winds, mellow seas, and always,
	     	… a fresh breath of salty air, ... to ya.