[CINC] 7/17/08 Island Adventuer Blue? Fin? Sei what?

[Larry Harris]

2 Fin Whale Bp
25-35 bottlenose Tt
Captain Jim, mates Dawn & Zac, and about 68 passengers
Naturalist Kevin Thompson & Larry Harris

The Adventurer left port a little after 9 AM and headed to the west end of Anacapa, then cruised along the north side of Anacapa heading east, Capt. Jim then went around the east end and started west on the south side. Two blows in the distance proved hard to close in on for ID verification.  At first, probably (because we expected them) the call was for Blues, but the dorsal was a little tall and the color was a little dark. So we debated, was it Fin or possibly Sei whales? 

We tried to close in but they dove and came up farther away each time. Then on the last attempt to get closer after they went down, we found ourselves just ahead of them. The captain turned off the engine and they passed right beside us, so close we could have jumped on. The "WOWS!" were widespread and the consensus was that they were Fin Whales.

After a while we passed the whales off to the Condor, who was just arriving. We then played with a spread out group of bottlenose for a while and then continued along the south side of Anacapa to Santa Cruz, with the intend of going to the Painted Cave. A good wind hit us on the north side of Santa Cruz and some passengers were not so happy, even with Dawns interesting dialog on the speaker. A Bald Eagle was spotted cruising the cliffs parallel to our path. We watched it for several minutes till several gulls harassed it so much it took shelter and  landed, and we passed by. By then we had reached the cave and Captain Jim stuck the Adventurer farther in than I had ever been before. Nearly everyone went home amazed and happy.

Larry
Mahalo and remember "Chance favors the prepared mind" therefore...MAKE it a great day!
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