Sightings:
2 fin whales
1 blue whale
1000+ common dolphin
The passengers on the Vanguard today all seemed really glad to be out searching
for whales, with high hopes, good attitudes, and an openness to learning. It's
always nice to talk to people that are open and receptive. The entire
afternoon was met with pleasant temps and a very flat sea.
Our first sighting was a group of 1000 common dolphin. Always a treat, each
and every time, and especially fun when the sea is flat and you can see them
clearly through the water from the bow of the boat.
Our first big whale sighting was a fin whale. One chance to see that bad boy,
and it was down and gone. Seemed fairly large. I think it came up close by
the boat and got surprised. Jason had a tip that there was another fin whale
close by, so we moved a bit and spent some time with a second fin whale and got
great views of it, including being able to see the white lower jaw on the right
side.
Following another tip, Jason put us right by a blue whale! The whale was close
to the boat, and came even closer. With the calm, flat sea, everyone got to
see it very clearly, and hear it clearly too, which I especially love. And
then it gave us a great big raised tail to say good bye. Some passengers were
clearly deeply moved.
It was great to work with Linda Knowlton this afternoon on her first trip after
certification! She will be a huge asset to the group...she is smart,
enthusiastic, and has a great and natural way with people. I was seriously
impressed.
What a great afternoon!
Scott Cuzzo
