Hello Naturalists,
Sighting of feeding frenzy participants:
4 Humpback Whales (2 adults, 2 younger)
1 Minke Whale
Huge pod of Common Dolphins (~ 1500?)
large #’s of sea lions, sea gulls, sheer waters, pelicans, cormorants
Small pod of Bottlenose Dolphins (as we returned to harbor)
Before boarding,Captain Dave told the passengers that unlike the calm waters at
harbor, the deeper ocean was so rough that he was concerned not about their
safety, because the Catamaran is very safe and stable, but about their comfort,
particularly those people who tend to get sea sick. Some passengers opted to
return another day. Those of us who went out to sea (although some
mildly-strongly nauseated), were handsomely rewarded with a spectacular feeding
frenzy.
The ocean was hazy and at about Beaufort 3, with large wavelets cresting at
about 7-10 kts. It was already 11:20 a.m. and all we had seen were two
Phalarope birds, most likely "red-necked Phalarope”, according to Captain Dave.
Ten minutes later, we came upon what would become a feeding frenzy over
anchovies. First we saw a Humpback, then the Minke appeared & disappeared,
giving some of us a second, fast sighting. The birds where chirping gleefully
on the surface or just above the water in ever increasing numbers. Then a
second humpback, then a third, and then a fourth humpback. At times they all
were “bubble-net” feeding. The whales treated us to several beautiful flukes,
but for the most part, they kept feeding close to the surface. By this time
hundreds and hundreds of Common dolphins were leaping out of the water, along
with countless sea lions. Their speed and agility were truly amazing. Captain
Dave instructed the passengers to hold on to the rails, as he expertly
maneuvered the boat, kind of ‘out and around’ the feeding animals. The whales
came so close to the boat that we could see their blowholes and hear their
respiration, but they were moving so fast that only the fortunate, near by
picture-takers were able to snap quality pictures or snippets of video. But
most definitely, every one of us experienced the joy of being one with the
ocean and its inhabitants.
We thank & take off our hat to Captain Dave and his crew; Kevin and Tasha for
doing a great job! Sophie Busch and Maria Ornelas were Naturalists on this trip.
Maria Ornelas
maria@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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