[CINC] CX - Blue's officially weigh in for the season

[ThusOne at aol.com]

With this trip & Scott's yesterday, the Blues have officially weighed in 
for the season!!   Yay, my first Blue sighting this season.

15 Humpbacks
15 Blues
1,000+  (four sightings)  Common Dolphins
Mat saw some Dalls, but i didn't

Wow, what a day.   AND no swell, to boot.

We started with the Humpbacks right around the ABC & Habitat platforms.   A 
threesome --  Mommy, Daddy & Baby?? -  came very close to the boat.   One 
was a juvenile.   Lots of flukes.  Plus a few off this a way & that a way and 
interspersed throughout the trip, hence my estimate of 15.

Out by SC we saw the big blue blasts in the distance.   The velocity and 
height of the blows had blues all over it.   

Sure enough,  as we approached two came up right by the Condor's bow.  The 
Blues were off this a way & off that a way and behind us.   We saw a few 
flukes and a lunge.   Mat was trying to explain to the passengers that this is 
really an exceptional experience, even if at the moment, the giants seem as 
numerous as sardines.  ...No Really!

Folks kept asking me....  is it always this calm in the channel?    [no.]   
 Do you always see so many whales and dolphins?   [no, you are very lucky, 
but then it is not all that uncommon, either]

I love to see Gray whales, but my fav fav whale watching time is when we 
see both the Humpies and the Blues.

A fab trip with Mat, Dave & Jacques and Dean Benjamin first time on photo 
ID (what a way to start!)  and me.

Shirley Johnson



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