[CINC] Island Adventure 6/21, food fight part two

[Paul Petrich]

Wow guys, great sightings, and reporting!
 So the Humpbacks probably gotto the anchovie mega-ball, too. Now, if we can get the BlueFin and Albacore of old to feed here again, we would have an ocean paradise recreated!   Cheers, Paul
On Jun 22, 2013, at 2:00 PM, Marty Flam wrote:

> Island Adventurers witnessed possibly that same amazing gargantuan food fight magnificently described by Hal, continuing when we arrived on scene about 5:15 p.m. after visiting Painted Cave when returning to Ventura Harbor from San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands. Although did not see the minke or Pacific white-sided, we did witness incredible humpback breaches. Captain Jimmy at helm. Narration by Joel.
> 
> Before dropping off passengers in the morning at Scorpion Anchorage, we had seen humpbacks, mother and calf plus common dolphins. Naturalist mentor Catherine F. was on the morning leg covering the weekend on Santa Rosa.
> 
> Marty, Ventura, CA
> via Samsung Android at&t
> 
> 
> From: HAL ALTMAN <nymeetsca at gmail.com>; 
> To: Channel Islands Naturalist Corps Channel Islands Sanctuary Volunteers <channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org>; 
> Subject: [CINC] C/X 6/21, FOOD FIGHT!!! 
> Sent: Sat, Jun 22, 2013 6:06:31 PM 
> 
> 1 HUMPBACK WHALE, THEN 4+ HUMPBACKS
> 1 MINKE WHALE
> 400 COMMON DOLPHINS, FOLLOWED BY 600 COMMON, THEN 3,000+
> 12 PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS
> 
> Noteworthy:  We hit the jackpot at 1210, with the largest bait ball (anchovy) Bob Perry and I had ever seen:  it started out the size of 1 football field...then got stretched out under the pressure of hot pursuit to maybe 3 football fields.  Word got out quickly to the animal community, as cormorants, western gulls, sooty shearwaters, sea lions, pacific white-sided dolphins, 3,000+ common dolphins and at least 4 humpbacks showed up for an al fresco food frenzy.
> 
> Because most of the feeding was at the surface, there was little need for fluking, yet I still managed to get positive PIDs of at least 3 Humpbacks.  We witnessed cooperative feeding, with the Humpbacks concentrating the anchovies into gigantic mouthfuls. 
> 
> Big smiles on the faces of fellow CINCers Susan Kline and Sophie Busch, as well as eagle-eye Capt. Dave.
> 
> ENJOYING LIFE,
> Hal Altman, PID
> 
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