[CINC] Whale-watching CX May 17

[Maria G. Ornelas]

Hi Naturalists,

The works:

-----  10 Dall's Porpoises
-----  4-5 Molas (Sunfish)

-----  Humpback Whales: 3 different sightings:
				    1.  single Mn
				     2. singles Mn
				     3.  5 Mn logged with coordinates +  15-18 fluking and  
spouting in the distance a.c.t. Captain Matt & John

-----  Captains: Matt & Dave. Crew member Dennis
-----  51 passengers
-----  naturalists  Maria Ornelas  & John Kuizenga  (photo ID)


The details: CX left Santa Barbara Harbor under gloomy skies, calm  
seas and heavy fog, as hundreds? of Brown Pelicans bid us farewell. I  
took the opportunity to talk to people from Germany, Alberta and  
Calgary Canada, Arlington TX, Maryland, Utah. There were many good  
questions and concerns. At 11:04 Captain found the 1st Humpback, (here  
we saw the energetic/beautiful Molas. He then took us to the 2nd  
single Mn's. We watched only  8 minutes, because out in the distance,  
the Captain spotted several spouts towards the western part of SCI.  
According to Ctn. Matt, there were 18 Mn's, among them a cow/calf pair  
(Mom was quite young a.c.t. Matt), as well as a juvenile. All actively  
feeding, thus we saw many, many flukes, even on shallow dives. We  
could hear their exhale, and a loud trumpet blow. One rolled over  
showing us one of his flippers. The whales were completely oblivious  
to our presence. Finally, we visited the mouth of painted cave, and  
were taken back to the harbor along the coast, as a final treat for  
the happy passengers. A group of men where docking a tomol and some of  
the passengers got to see it. What a fantastic day!!

Maria G. Ornelas
maria at rasnowpeak.com

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