[CINC] Fwd: Friday Condor. My cruse was finally broken

[Debbie shelley]

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Debbie Shelley <debbiemshelley at icloud.com>
> Date: September 4, 2013, 9:27:27 PM PDT
> To: debbiemshelley at hotmail.com
> Subject: Fwd: Friday Condor. My cruse was finally broken
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>> From: Debbie Shelley <debbiemshelley at icloud.com>
>> Date: September 4, 2013, 6:33:57 PM PDT
>> To: CINMS <channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org>
>> Subject: Friday Condor. My cruse was finally broken
>> 
>> 600 common dolphins (one pod was x-rated)
>> Cow/ calf humpback pair
>> 1 bottle nose dolphin
>> 
>> First thing out right by Fools anchorage we saw a lone bottle nose dolphin swimming very slow and seem to not surface much.  His dorsal fin looked very ragged.  He appeared to be in poor health.  Saw the same cow calf pair of humpbacks we have been seeing.  Hal got a great picture of the calf's dorsal fin that has a nick in the middle of it.  I thought we should name it Nicky because its good name for either sex.  We had time so Captain Dave headed for the east end of Santa Cruz for the passengers to view.  We started turning a little more east of the island and picking up speed.  I was wondering if they had spotted another humpback when Captain Dave called me into the wheel house.  He said he remembered in the nine year of volunteering I had never seen an orca,  he then told me today might be my first.  He was right we found 3 females on the hunt for sea lions.   After I picked myself up after fainting we all had a whale of a time watching them hunting.  About a half mile out a very large pod of dolphins started heading right where the orca were when all of the sudden the made a quick u turn.  I have never seen them swim that fast.  It's a good thing they have their own sonar system.  Finally we saw the biggest of the bunch lunge at a young sea lion.  We never saw the sea lion again.  You do the math.  We had one orca spy hop and some close ups by the boat.   I was in seventh heaven.  Captain Dave said he was glad he was my first( Captain to find me an orca that is!) Thanks for my best day ever to the channel, the Condor, her crew captain Dave, Captain Eric and Tasha.  Thanks also to my fellow naturalist Hal and Ginny.   Debbie Shelley
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.rain.org/pipermail/channel_islands_naturalist_corps/attachments/20130904/7f004c5b/attachment.html>