Casper the Risso’s Dolphin visit 11-10-2020
Beautiful blue skies and a calm seas greeted our guest today at Discovery Whale Watch. Capt. Rod guided our crew and guest to a hot spot from yesterday that did not disappoint. From a distance we started seeing splashes from active Risso’s dolphins and the blows from a few humpback whales! We decided to concentrate…
11-3-20 Feeding whales
We had a foggy morning with smooth seas aboard the Pacifica with Captain Rod and Alfredo as crew. It took us a whole hour of traveling north before finding any wildlife. We found a single humpback through the thin fog making its way west. We followed it until it brought us to another 4 humpbacks! This was an area where whales were feeding, as saw them lunge feeds several times. We stayed and watched them for a whole hour before heading back. We came across several Risso’s dolphins on the way home, which was a nice way to end the trip.
11-2-2020 Dolphins, lunges, & DALL’S!!
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 away from the boat, sometimes stopping to bow ride. Next we headed to the north side of the bay where we found a single humpback. It was putting on quite the show! Lunge feeding over and over again, and sometimes rolling on its side. We spent enough time with this whale for everyone to get great looks and some photos before we made our turn toward home. Along the way we encountered another single humpback whale, and finally a pod of 5 Dall’s porpoise! This…
Back on the water after a few days off! 11-9-2020
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…
Wednesday 11-4-20 “A true embarrassment of riches”
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 the Monterey Submarine Canyon, a bounty of life awaited us as Captain Danny simultaneously found eight humpback whales, 800 Risso’s dolphin, and many hundreds more California Sea Lions. A true embarrassment of riches. What to watch first? As dolphin are harder to come by, we settled on them for some time before falling back on a pair of humps. So cooperative and predictable were these whales that we shut down the engines and enjoyed them in absolutely tranquility. Simply listening to their blows, as the…
Friday 10-30-20 9am & 1:30pm “Humpback snot”
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 horizon. Not long after, a group of three humpbacks made an appearance. So cooperative were these whales, and so well did they fluke up that we watched them, happy as clams, until time to return. The afternoon trip was much the same (minus the fog). Three (different) humpbacks were found, though this time, one of them- a calf- decided to play friendly with the boat. Several times, railside passengers were blasted in the face by humpback snot, though none complained. Before anyone knew it, it…
Halloween 2020! Killer whales & blood thirty Humpbacks
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 a group of killer whales was making their way north, along the edge of the canyon. As sure as today was Halloween, we successfully located them in time to see an unfortunate sea lion dangling from the largest one’s mouth. In a moments time, a large red cloud appeared in the water: the feast had begun. Unable to stomach the carnage, we fled east, only to find a ravenous humpback whale! Not one, but two! Two humpbacks, eating 3,000 pounds of anchovies daily, meant that…
Breaching-What is it & why do they do it??
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 flying…
Sat 10-24-20 1:30pm “Might be the largest Humpback I’ve ever seen”
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…
Sat 10-24-20 9am “More breaches, hundreds of sea lions, swarming birds”
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….
Friday 10-23-20 9am & 1:30pm “A tranquil tone”
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 breaching. Humpback acrobatics, if you will. Returning home, we were intercepted by a large group of Risso’s Dolphin. All the while, the sun burned brightly through a blue sky, devoid of clouds. The air held still, with barely a nudge for a gust now and then. After resupplying ourselves with a fresh batch of passengers, our afternoon trip experienced something incredible: the wind held back. Normally, our winds pick up in the afternoon, if even only slightly. Nay, the afternoon was calmer than the morning…
Thursday 10-22-20 9am “My job rules”
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 some swell out there, though the waves were long and rolling (as opposed to short and chopping), adding an adventurous feel to the excursion. The sun was shining, the winds light and cool. A handful of cooperative humpback whales, followed by hundreds of Risso’s dolphin, and dozens of Pacific White Sided dolphin blessed our trip. One cannot describe the level of content an experienced whale watcher feels, watching those “White Sides” swim alongside the boat, and surfing under the bow, just out of arm’s reach….