[CINC] Condor Express June 7

[Ralph M. Daniel, Ph.D.]

JUNE 7, CONDOR EXPRESS

Count-

   - 10 Humpbacks
   - Thousands of common Dolphins
   - 1 Bald Eagle


51 very fortunate guests on the CE experienced an awesome day of humpback
behavior. Guests included visitors from Finland, Sweden, and Holland, as
well as Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Delaware. The day was perfect,
overcast until noon, calm, no winds, and sun early in the afternoon. 5
miles out of the harbor, just off the oil rigs, Capt Matt found a
multi-acre school of anchovies, with thousands of birds, dolphins, sea
lions, and 7 gorging humpbacks. We stayed about 1.5 hrs, and saw multiple
side-surface lunge feedings; one time about 50' feet off the bow, the whale
showing off it's pink palette, and throat pleats. There were multiple shows
of tail throwing. One individual put on a fantastic tail lobbing show, with
4 series of lobbing, slapping. Two of the series had 12 slaps each. Can
humpbacks count? Maybe.  And a beautiful final full-view pectoral fin wave.

As a finale for the day's show, we watched a bald eagle soar across Frye's
Harbor, and settle on a cliff-side.

NATURALISTS:
Ralph Daniel
Gail Turner-Graham
PID: Don Gillies
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