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. Content. Check the time, 10:20am. How do we follow this? Have to try. Out west: the continental shelf. Monterey Submarine Canyon. Four new whales, hundreds of sealions, swarming birds. Close passes. Their breathing, loud. A puff of wind, barely tangible, brushes the clouds away. Off with the jacket, donning sunglasses. Flukes, flukes, flukes. Barking sea lions, laughing gulls. At last, time to go. Half way home: more Risso’s Dolphin, gleaming in the sun. Seasick passengers: none.

-Zay, Naturalist