As this God-Forsaken year draws to a close, Discovery whale watch has blessed with juxtaposition these last two days. Yesterday, our only trip took two hours to find but a single humpback after a long and bumpy ride (strong easterly winds riled up the seas). The humpback was merciful, offering several tail throws and decent looks overall before we returned home. Today (Christmas Eve) Was more of a different planet. Calm seas, beautiful opalescent clouds, and a warm sun set a tranquil tone as we left the harbor. Almost immediately, I spotted a grey whale just off of Lover’s Point. After following the beast for several miles, we stumbled upon several dozen Risso’s Dolphin! Already off to a good start, and satiated off our initial sightings, captain Rod took us out west, and there we found a dozen Pacific White Sided Dolphin! With the Big Sur coastline as our amazing backdrop, we got great looks before it was time to head home. Trip’s over, right? Wrong! Five KILLER WHALES!? Four females and a calf, milling languidly along the edge of the Monterey Canyon. We filled our eyes with these magnificent apex predators before, at long last, it was time to go home. What. A. Day
.–Naturalist Zay