[CINC] CX 5/11/12 Friday

[Sally Eagle]

1 lone yellow weary and disorientated warbler
30++ lunge-feeding humpbacks at the 50 fathom finger off Western SCI 
millions of consumed krill 
Dall’s porpoises and hundreds of birds in the mix
1 Minke (shy)
1 Fin Whale 
100=/- commons

Lots of happy and impressed passengers (mostly from landlocked states and colder climes) from the “Sapphire Princess “ anchored off  SB on the last leg of it’s week-long cruise of the California coast. (The cruise ship returns on Sunday with a new group of passengers.)

It was awesome seeing the coordinated lunge feeding ballet.......threesomes plowing through the water, mouths wide open.....over and over again. Krill jumping for dear life, sounding like rain on the surface. Trumpeting, grunting humpbacks totally ignoring us. We just sat there while they did their thing all around. The 30 number is a guestimate of those nearby, but there were spouts all around and in the distance as well. No question, a lifetime sight for most! One woman wreathed in smiles while debarking said “This was a day that crossed off two items on my bucket list!” Another couple who had seen humpbacks in Alaska said this was way, way beyond their expectations and better viewing. (They got it!)

I confess John C’s poor little grad students won’t see any fluke pictures from this trip.......I couldn’t resist taking too many shots of the ventral pleats fully extended and the gaping mouths, and the poor little warbler, and the lone Fin whale.........bad PIDer.



Debbie Shelley
Sally Eagle PID
Capt Mat
Capt Dave
Dennis
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