Naturalist Blog

Light overcast and mild seas set an ethereal tone over today’s trip, as Captain Danny led us out into the bay. Two humpbacks were sighted early on, though they were rather erratic and hard to watch. Hence, we abandoned them and quickly found a playful humpback, who flipped and flapped his tail and pecs, and even gave us two MASSIVE breaches! After it calmed down, we ventured north and acquired a large pod of Risso’s Dolphin, interspersed with a handful of Pacific White Sided Dolphin. Just as a giant, blue hole ripped open the clouds, the wind picked up and sent us home in the most timely fashion imaginable, and along the way several sea shanties received uproarous applause. With canceling our afternoon trips, today was a nice one-and-done day. -Naturalist Isaiah

Humpbacks and wind continue to dominate our coasts these last few months. Since March, we have been forced to cancel at least HALF of all our trips on account of rough seas (generated by wind). What trips we send do indeed prove bountiful in terms of sightings, though seasickness has been an apparition that haunts the occasional passenger or two. Yesterday, we received a fantastic break in the weather, with calm seas, clear skies, and incredible sightings from Humpback Whales, to various species of Dolphin (Risso’s, White Sides, and Northern Right Whale Dolphin). Through in the occasional lunge feed amongst plunge diving pelicans, and you have yourself a happy crew with happy passengers to boot. This morning’s trip continued the trend: swapping lunge feeds for a few breaches on a near-immaculate sea. Just as we turned for Monterey, that old…

Fickle and wild, embittered for months, The Sea, she returns all her debts all at once. Grey for a day, or two it may seem, The water, it glows now with opals that gleam. Dolphins and birds, leviathan tails, Anchovies run from lunge feeding whales. Though soon we may yield to oncoming fronts, Fear Not, The Sea pays all her debts all at once. -Naturalist Isaiah

As Monterey swells with wildlife, it also swells with swells themselves. Yesterday, three trips were sent out into rolling and rocking seas. Blue whales, pacific white sided dolphin, northern right whale dolphin, risso’s dolphin, AND humpback whales made various appearances throughout the day. Barring from a few upset stomachs, all were incredible trips. Not only cetaceans: “Nubs,” the Short Tailed Albatross(!) made an appearance! One of only four thousand left in the wild, the species – once over 5 Million strong – is among the rarest of creatures to visit North America. Reported to be a female, she is easily identified by her missing-left-foot. That was Friday. TODAY was very similar (minus the PWSD and NRWD and Blue Whales). Rocky seas turned up the volume a notch or two, but so too did the whales. With the occasional breach, consistent…

Whale watching can be overwhelming, in both wonderfully positive and sometimes in more mixed ways. For many of our passengers it is their first time on the ocean, or even their first time on a boat at all. Simple things like walking around are can be a challenge. As we left Monterey harbor this morning, I looked around at the faces of our passengers and couldn’t quite tell if they were excited or engaged or not. I put the mic down and I did my usual rounds, asking each group if they had questions for me and making polite conversation, and then came our first whales. We had a mother Humpback Whale and her calf napping to start off our sightings. The pair spent a lot of time at the surface and we got tall, graceful fluke up dives from…

June 2nd (Vessel Pacifica): Captain Danny Frank so graciously steered us northwest into a beautiful morning of partly cloudy skies (the best for photography) and mild seas. As dozens of humpback whales continued to feed just a mile or two north of the harbor, it did not take long to sight a pair of Humpback Whales. Cow and calf, mother and baby, the pair were taking a morning snooze (though never are they truly unconscious) so we left them in peace and immediately were rewarded with a handful of Risso’s Dolphin. Pressing on, some 15 or 20 whales appeared, scattered in all directions, so we bounced between groups, occasionally watching tail throws and flipper-slaps. Some stinky whale breath here and there, it was a truly solid trip. At one point, we sighted and watched another group of Rissos, and bounced…

June 1st (Vessel New Horizon): Fields of whales. That is what awaited us early on into our morning trip. With occasional lunges, massive rafts of sea lions, and thousands of birds ranging from gulls, to shearwaters, fulmars, and of course the iconic pelican… today was not a good day to be an anchovy! Choppy seas added a moderate bounce and tone of adventure, and intermitent fog cast an eirie mood, high with anticipation. Overall, a fantastic trip, with Captain Tommy behind the helm, and Yohan serving as deckhand. Yours truly ranted and raved, as usual 🙂 -Naturalist Isaiah

Tuesday, May 31st (Vessel  Chubasco): The all-too-familiar Northwesterly winds loomed on the horizon, as Captain JJ led the charge on the mighty Chubasco. Barely 3 miles out, dozens and dozens of humpbacks surfaced this way and that, and while birds and sea lions abounded by hundreds or thousands, the SONAR continued to pick up massive schools of anchovies under the boat. After plenty of Fluke I.D.’s, the wind began to rise as a powerful sea breeze crept into the Bay. Satisfied with our looks, the timing couldnt have been more perfect. One and done for the ol’ “Chubby.” -Naturalist Isaiah

Two and a half days of immaculate seas and incredible whales has been a cherished respite in the midst of the constant barrage of NW winds these past few months, and as they say, “All Good Things…” Discovery sent out two boats this morning, making haste as impending wind loomed on the horizon. Barely three miles northwest of Monterey Harbor, Captain Danny spotted it: the frenzy. Somewhere between 15 and 20 humpback whales led the charge as some 500 hundred sea lions swarmed their position under the cover of birds by many hundreds more. This way and that, the whale zigged, zagged, and circle the wagons as anchovies by the thousands met their end. No one even seemed to noticed the DOZENS of other whales around us, spread far and wide. Truly, some 50 whales could be seen within 2…

Again, I am speechless. As the immaculate weather window threatens to snap shut (tomorrow) we were once again afforded three full trips of amazing seas, dozens of humpbacks close to the harbor, ravaging shoals of anchovies with frequent surface lunges amongst hundreds of sea lions and intermittent breaches and tail throws. Sporadic fog made an appearence today, though it did little to deter us from casually stumbling around amongst the hoards of humpbacks and their anchovy massacre. By my calculations, our evening trip alone saw the demise of (well over) 1,400,000 anchovies (according to the dietary needs of 25 humpbacks, 1000 gulls, 200 pelicans, and 300 sea lions) -Naturalist Isaiah

By wind, waves, and bravery, suffering for months, The Sea chashes in all her debts, all at once. Three trips we skated ‘or blue fields of glass, Three trips beholding the Humpbacks in mass. This way and that, and all day we saw, Anchovies by millions engulfed in the maw. The life soup of plankton, sea lion, and bird The barking and blows were all that we heard, Again comes a boil, erupting with fish, Leviathan frenzy, anchovy main dish. Tears to the sunset, this majesty done, Set sail for home, sick passengers: none. -Naturalist Isaiah

An interesting few days, as both Thursday and Friday boasted similar morning-only trips (afternoons cancelled by continued Northwesterly winds). Both saw roughly 15 humpbacks, whereas the former additionally saw 80 Risso’s Dolphin. Solid trips, good and hardy passengers, and no small supply of sea shanties 🙂 Today’s weather was merciful enough to allow for two trips(!). Seizing the weather window, we ventured out west, and were treated to at least 30 hunpback whales here and there, leap frogging between group of 2 to 4. Further to the southwest, we encountered a massive pod of dolphin, some 2,000 in all, mixed with Risso’s, Pacific White Sided, and Northern Right Whale Dolphin, and at one point a group of three humpbacks entered the fray, rolling around and interacting with their smaller cetacean cousins. Sadly enough, we had a schedule to keep, so…