[CINC] CX June 30, 2013

[Mary Bucholtz]

500+ common dolphins
5 humpbacks

We started out heading west where humpbacks had recently been seen, but we eventually turned east due to rough seas, and it's a good thing we did: in addition to calmer waters, we encountered a very friendly group of three humpbacks that treated us to extremely up-close-and-personal looks, including spy hopping, tail lobbing, and some of the closest approaches (and in tight formation!) that I've ever seen. They personally escorted us to a feeding frenzy a mile away, where they joined a megapod of common dolphins and a couple of other humpbacks. The trio came back to spend more time with us before we had to head back to the harbor. A spectacular day!

Featuring Captains Mat and Dave, naturalists Bruce Matthews and Don Gillies (PID), and an enthusiastic (if sometimes queasy) international group from England, Scotland, Germany, and elsewhere, plus assorted Southern Californians happy to beat the heat.

Mary

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Mary Bucholtz
mbucholtz at me.com
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