Our whale watch had a rough start aboard the Pacifica with Captain JJ, and Fredo as our crew. We had thick fog banks that made visibility difficult, forcing us to run for about two hours before spotting our first whales.
We came across a pair of full grown southbound humpback whales. As we approached, one of them gave a big tail throw making the passengers cheer and throw up their cameras. We followed alongside this pair for a good while as they took their breaths, dove for a few minutes, and repeated. By this point we were a good distance west of the Monterey Peninsula, and our passengers were eager to find other wildlife with our remaining time.
Captain JJ pointed us in toward land, and once again we began our search for marine mammals. Just a quarter mile outside the harbor we spotted a pod of about 25 Risso’s Dolphins. Upon closer look, we realized this was a nursery pod, meaning they were accompanied by calves! We enjoyed these beauties for quite a few surfacings just off of Cannery Row, giving us all a great backdrop for our dolphin photos.
Overall a successful trip with mostly great weather and calm seas!
-Fredo
