May 29: Day's End

posted 5/29/2010

Hello all,
We had a very productive day today with great sightings of both cetaceans and seabirds. We started off right outside Pt Loma with a group of long-beaked common dolphin and sooty and pink-footed shearwaters, and several elegant terns.
After that we saw three fin whales up close. We were able to see the lower righthand side of the jaw that is white on a fin whale.

(video thanks to Steve "Wrongway" Lamb)
Risso's dolphins were next with a group of 10 animals. Today was Risso dolphin day, as we saw at least 100 animals over a wide area of several miles.
Our rare sighting was a gray whale headed north. I can't recall seeing a gray whale this late in the spring close to San Diego.
On the seabird front we saw at least two tropicbirds, one blackfooted albatross, several sooty and pink-footed shearwaters, and three south polar skuas.
The weather is great with diminishing wind and seas all day. We are looking forward to tomorrow as we head offshore in deep water where there is a temperature break with hopes of more whales, dolphins and sea birds.
Capt Art