[CINC] CX Sunday, 9/8/13: Wow!

[Mary Bucholtz]

1 mola mola
100+ Dc throughout the day
1 shy Ba
2 VERY friendly Mn

Captain Dave, with Eric and Tasha as crew, made sure that our passengers from far and near (Canada, England, Switzerland, Texas, Kansas, plus San Francisco and the Antelope Valley) had an amazing day on the water. We opted against an island visit, instead heading east to the "flats" off Summerland where humpbacks have been sighted recently. In the heavy fog, we encountered a mola mola and a couple of small groups of common dolphins, but soon we found our old friend Rope and a barnacle-covered companion. After about half an hour of feeding, they decided to put on a show. They didn't just mug the boat--they practically held us hostage. We were treated to an extravaganza of synchronized swimming and rolling, extensive spy-hopping, pec-waving, bubble blowing, and the closest encounters I've ever had in the Channel--right up against the boat. I actually had to caution passengers not to touch the whales! Needless to say, everyone on board was absolutely stunned and thrilled.  After an hour or so, the whales punched their time cards and went back to feeding. On the way home we met a few more small groups of commons, and a lucky few on board caught a glimpse of an elusive Minke.

Dave notes that there are at least five humpbacks in the area: Rope and her companion, the cow/calf pair that have been spotted a lot recently, and a lone whale. Bob Perry has very helpfully laminated two-sided color photos of Rope and other whale "regulars" for the naturalists to share with the passengers. It was extremely valuable to be able to show everyone Rope's distinctive scar behind her blowhole, so they could easily spot it for themselves. 

A truly exceptional day on the water!

Mary

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Mary Bucholtz
mbucholtz at me.com
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