[CINC] Island Explorer Whale Watch Saturday, July 13

[Catherine French]

With 57 passengers from all over the US and some from abroad onboard under a heavy marine layer with placid seas and calm wind we set off for a great whale watch day.

Totals throughout the day:
8 humpbacks
400 common dolphins including about 50 calfskin in a nursery pod (I observed mating as well)

Birds:
Sootie shearwater, CA brown pelicans, western and Heerman gulls, double crested and Brandt's cormorants, pigeon guillemots, elegant terns and one black tern that Capt. Jimmy saw (Andrea Mills, crew naturalist) said they saw a couple of these rarely seen in our waters terns last week.

Two juvenile humpbacks were seen earlier in the morning near the northbound shipping lanes. We watched them with a small spread out group of common dolphins and many sea birds feeding along with them. The two juveniles seemed to be playing with sea lions or visa versa and that was fun to watch.

The adult humpbacks we saw later much further west, were more active. One large adult pec-slapped a lot, and fluked regularly. Others were observed fluking and we watched lunge feeding several times.

 Thank you to Capt. Jimmy, Andrea, and Pancho for a great day on the water?

Calm Seas,
Catherine French
Writer, mentor, naturalist
805.570.0432
To have us to own, to share is to enjoy.

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