Great conditions and warm sun made for a great trip aboard the Pacifica with Captain Rod and Alfredo as crew. The sightings started off with a big pod of Risso’s dolphins out in the middle of the bay. We stayed with them for a while, as a handful of Pacific white-sided dolphins darted in and…
A few days of large swells and high winds kept the Discovery Whale Watch crew off the water but upon our return today the animals were still there! Capt. Danny spotted one of my favorite cetaceans (big old science word for animals with a blowhole) before we left the harbor, Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins! A small…
Post voting solace on the Bay. While the country reeled over politics, 16 keen individuals found it better to spend the day venturing out into the high seas for some peace, quiet, and a little reverence for its creatures large and strange. Out in the middle of the bay, smack dab over the thalweg of…
Trip report for Friday, Oct 30: The eve of All Hallow’s Eve started out with a spooky vibe; a thick wall of fog enveloped us as we set out from Monterey Harbor. However, within 30 minutes, we burst through the other side and into a wide world of blue skies, blue water, and a crisp…
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONYENT. A terrifying day indeed. Terrifying, at least, for the anchovies and sea lions. Prey items had best run and hide today; killer whales, risso’s dolphin, and humpback whales were afoot on the bay. Our morning trip got a report from our sister ship, the Chubasco (out on her morning fishing trip), that…
Imagine…your feet on the deck of a boat as it gently sways in the swell, staring at the vast body of dark water that is the Pacific Ocean, not being able to see more than a few feet below. When, all of a sudden, a 20-40 ton animal erupts from out of the depths…
More bliss. Captain Matt spotted three humpback whales not long after leaving port, one of which might just be the largest humpback I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I could hardly suppress a giggle, marveling at the mere size of the beast. Another humpback soon joined the frey, and the fearsome foursome quickly set about the anchovy…
Words? No words: at least any that could convey the beauty of today’s morning trip, so I’ll keep it subtle. Calm, flat water. Opalescent, patchy clouds. Lukewarm air. Ten minutes from harbor: Breaching, flipper slapping, rolling humpbacks. Tranquility. 400 Risso’s Dolphin. Surrounding the boat, breaching occasionally. Scenery: Pacific Grove. Back to the humpbacks, more breaches.…
After two incredible days of whales and dolphins, things returned to something more reminiscent of “normal” today. However, “normal” is an amorphic, bizarre thing when your job is to search oceans for wild animals! Our morning trip found a handful of cooperative humpback whales, and our passengers were graciously offered a few not-too-distant looks at…
One of the many beautiful aspects of our job, is that every trip is truly and utterly unique. After one magnificent day on the water, how could I expect today to even hold a candle to yesterday? One could only imagine my immense satisfaction with today’s trip. Stellar weather, for one, helps. There certainly was…