[CINC] IPCO Islander, 20May,'12

[Kenneth A. Tatro]

Hi folks,

The Count

9   Blues
8   Humpbacks
50 Common Dolphins
1   Pink Mylar Balloon

Sooty Shearwaters ( Kajillions )
Phalarope (several)
pigeon guillemonts ( in and near Panted Cave )
Cormorants
Western Gulls

Krill (100 + Billion Kajillion, +/- a few)

Fog was with us the vast majority of the day, making it a challenge to spot spouts far off. Visibility was a half to a few mies out, but mostly in the half mile range. 

We headed to the waters of Carrington Point, Santa Rosa Island, where we knew the whales have been hanging out the last few days.

About 40 minutes into the run, we came upon the small pod of Commons. A delight for the 29 folks on board as they did their usual bow and wake riding with much buzzing around just under the surface and popping up with high frequency. Some were getting good air, and the three big cameras that came on board and the many variety of smaller ones were well in action. 

Yet, even with good chit chat between our Captain Michael and Captain Mat of the Condor Express on strategy and coordination, it was another two hours into the fog before we encountered our first whale and it was a large Blue, in the area we had targeted . We stayed with it for a time, but it was away from us a bit and very interested in feeding, not us. 

Just as we were about to break for the Condor, which had a couple of Humpbacks and a Blue about four miles away, when two more Blues surfaced right here, then, boom, four more. Feeding was the agenda, and we got a good look at how they do it. Surface lunging straight on and and on their sides, with Pectoral and Tail Fins high in the air, turning and very shallow diving as they chased down the Krill. Krill, was all over the place. Small batches, medium batches, large batches, easily seen near the surface in the nice clear waters of the channel. Photo ops all over the place.

Our lone Humpback was not as entertaining, although it did show a couple of Tai flukes, one pretty nice. But for this one, it was feeding as prim agenda, so not so much of a show. 

After a bit, we broke away as the Condor had more Humpbacks surface with several Blues as well.  

With the Condor in sight, it handed the sighting off to us and broke for the Islands.

The fog began to lift, just a bit ( in and out and up and down in the afternoon), and we could see many a spout of in the distance all around.

The Blues and Humpbacks (more here) were with us, but for this day the Blues were by far the most entertaining. In this location, more of the same crazy feeding, lunging fast forward, rolling on their sides, with Pleats shoeing and Pectoral fins high as they gulped and gulped again and again.

In both locations we had many very large rafts of Sooty Shearwaters feeing on the Krill. I have not seen anywhere near this many Sootys as we saw on this day. Literally everywhere in the very, very large Krill Zone.

Folks were mostly local, Simi Valley, Ventura, Oxnard, with one gentleman from Denmark, who said he was literally overwhelmed with the beautiful nature of California, and for this day the grand show of the Blues and Humpbacks. All were well pleased.

Seas were gentle, yet several folks were not well. Capatin Micheal with crew of Joel and James did the good deed of finding the Cetaceans for us. With a stop into Painted Cave, a nice cruise along the north coast of Santa Cruz Island, a stop at Prisoners harbor, to pick up campers and researchers, we were on our way to port.

Ken Tatro, Lone (definitely not lonesome) Naturalist on this trip. It never gets old.

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