FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagram

Captain's Blog

Summer blues

Hello all,

We have been fortunate to observe blue whales on our fishing trips this summer in various places including offshore San Diego all the way down to Cedros Island. Just today we have seen a few along the Baja coast about 200 miles from San Diego. It is great to see so many blue whales, and see the summer population. We make it a point to point these magnificant animals to our fishing clients and tell them how special it is to see them. They are always amazed at the sight of them.

On our current fishing trip off the Baja peninsula and 200 miles southeast of San Diego, we also observed 50-60 Cooks petrels, 25 blackfooted albatross, and 40-50 pink footed shearwaters. We also saw some Baird’s beaked whales and a few blue whales.

Capt Art

2020-07-15T16:35:27-07:00July 29th, 2010|News|
Read More

Message from Terry Hunefeld about September pelagic trip

Early September is a great time of year for Cook’s Petrels well offshore, and it is near-peak for Red-billed Tropicbirds. The latter is almost “guaranteed” (as much as any uncommon pelagic species can be). Laysan Albatrosses (likely from the breeding population on Guadalupe Island to the south) are seen regularly in these waters. This is also an excellent time of year and an excellent area for Least, Leach’s, Black and Ashy Storm-Petrels, Craveri’s Murrelet, and the hypoleucus subspecies of Xantus’s Murrelet. South Polar Skuas are migrating south already with other returning northern migrants as Sabine’s Gull, Arctic Tern, and Long-tailed Jaeger. And anytime we venture far offshore, who knows what rarity lurks just behind the next swell – e.g. September is the peak month for Hawaiian Petrel, well seen and photographed from Searcher on the September trip a few years ago.

We still have spots open. Join us!

2010-08-26T21:21:45-07:00July 15th, 2010|News|
Read More

Baja Pelagic Sightings List from Michael Carmody

Baja Deep Water Pelagic Sightings List

Common Name Subspecies Date Sighted Location Number
Brant Branta bernicla nigricans 6/4/10 San Diego Bay 1
Common Loon Gavia immer 6/4/10 Open Ocean – USA 1
Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis californicus 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 1
Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis 6/4/10 Los Coronados to dark 2
Phoebastria immutabilis 6/5/10 176 Seamount 7
Phoebastria immutabilis 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 17
Phoebastria immutabilis 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 7
Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes 6/4/10 Los Coronados to dark 3
Phoebastria nigripes 6/5/10 176 Seamount 6
Phoebastria nigripes 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 76
Phoebastria nigripes 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 18
Phoebastria nigripes 6/8/10 Los Coronado’s Area 1
Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii 6/5/10 North of Isla Guadelupe 12
Pink-footed Shearwater Puffinus creatopus 6/4/10 Los Coronados to dark 5
Puffinus creatopus 6/5/10 176 Seamount 3
Puffinus creatopus 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 1
Puffinus creatopus 6/8/10 Los Coronado’s Area 2
Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus 6/4/10 Los Coronados to dark 30
Puffinus griseus 6/5/10 176 Seamount 1
Puffinus griseus 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 1
Puffinus griseus 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 9
Puffinus griseus 6/8/10 Los Coronado’s Area 50
Black-vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas 6/4/10 Los Coronados to dark 2
Puffinus opisthomelas 6/5/10 176 Seamount 7
Puffinus opisthomelas 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 10
Puffinus opisthomelas 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 2
Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa leucorhoa 6/5/10 176 Seamount 1000
Oceanodroma leucorhoa leucorhoa 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 10
Oceanodroma leucorhoa leucorhoa 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 300
Oceanodroma leucorhoa chapmani 6/5/10 176 Seamount 200
Oceanodroma leucorhoa chapmani 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 50
Oceanodroma leucorhoa chapmani 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 30
Oceanodroma leucorhoa chapmani 6/8/10 Los Coronado’s Area 30
Oceanodroma leucorhoa socorroensis 6/5/10 176 Seamount 500
Oceanodroma leucorhoa socorroensis 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 25
Oceanodroma leucorhoa socorroensis 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 10
Ashy Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma homochroa 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 4
Black Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma melania 6/4/10 Los Coronados to dark 40
Oceanodroma melania 6/5/10 176 Seamount 5
Oceanodroma melania 6/6/10 Ridge North of San Benito 500
Oceanodroma melania 6/7/10 100 Mile Run 50
Oceanodroma melania 6/8/10 Los Coronado’s Area 30
2020-07-15T16:35:27-07:00June 15th, 2010|Trip Reports|
Read More

Baja Birding Trip: Day 4

Hello,
Today we are further offshore with hopes of some Cooks petrels. We still have incredible weather with no wind and not much swell.
It was a little slow on the birds today, though we saw plenty of black and leaches storm petrels and just a few black-footed and Laysan albatross. We did see a family of Xantus murrelets with two adults and two chicks.
An exciting sighting was a group of blue whales with a fin whale with them. We were able to get close enough to the fin whale to see its white lower jaw on the right side. We saw 10 or 12 blue whales in the afternoon and a couple of other fin whales.

Surfacing blue whale, photo by Sally Walton

All in all, a great day with plenty to see. We are headed for the area south and west of the Islas Coronados.
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Capt Art

2020-07-15T16:35:27-07:00June 8th, 2010|Photos, Trip Reports|
Read More

Baja Birding Trip: Day 3 (day’s end)

Hello,
Another great day in deep water! Today was albatross day. We saw about 70 black-footed and 20 laysan albatrosses. From dawn to dusk you could easily find an albatross. We also saw lots of leachs and black storm petrels and one Cook’s petrel. There was the occasional black-vented shearwater too.
We did see about 30 sperm whales in two different areas and had great looks at them laying on the surface getting air before fluking and diving deep. A few common dolphin were around us too.
We are headed west tonight since we have the good weather and the opportunity to get out in deeper water. We hope to find some more Cook’s petrels.
More tomorrow,
Capt Art

2010-09-04T18:09:08-07:00June 7th, 2010|Trip Reports|
Read More

Baja Birding Trip: Day 3 (mid day)

Hello,
We are checking in with a mid-morning report of great viewing of albatrosses. We stopped for awhile and had 22 albatrosses-17 black-footed and 5 laysan-right next to the boat. In addition, there were several black storm petrels. They were attracted to the fish oil chum we were putting in the water.
Before that we had good looks at 12 to 15 sperm whales on the surface. Also a quick look at a Cooks petrel, red phalaropes and a sun fish. All this before 10 am. We have been pretty busy.
More later,
Capt Art

2010-08-21T21:46:03-07:00June 7th, 2010|Trip Reports|
Read More

Baja Birding Trip: Day 2

Hello,
Today we travelled southeast in very deep water heading for a seamount we call the “176.” It is called that because 176 fathoms is the shallowest the seamount comes up to, rising out of a depth of 1500-1800 fathoms. It lies 50 miles northeast of Isla Guadalupe and can be very productive for seabirds.
On our way there we saw laysan albatross, south polar skua and hundreds of least storm petrels. After arriving at the seamount we laid out a 4-mile slick with fish oil and beef fat, then turned around and travelled back up the slick. There were several storm petrels and a laysan albatross.
We went southwest towards Isla Guadalupe, looking for Cooks petrels. After a dry spell, we started to see storm petrels and a few black-vented shearwaters. Then we started seeing Cooks petrels for a total of 13 for the afternoon.
All in all, it was a great day with calm winds and not too much swell.
Headed east after dinner and looking forward to tomorrow,
Capt Art

2010-09-04T18:08:35-07:00June 6th, 2010|Trip Reports|
Read More

Baja Birding Trip: Day 1

Hello,
We departed San Diego today at 4 pm for another pelagic birding trip. This time we are concentrating on birds in Mexican waters with plans to be offshore in deep water for four days.
We are headed for a sea mount NE of Isla Guadalupe 50 miles and plan to spend a few hours in that area. We are hoping for albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters and whatever else finds us.
We had excellent sightings today with both black-footed and laysan albatrosses, black storm petrels, sooty shearwaters and Xantus murrelets.

Black-footed albatross, photo by Todd McGrath

We also saw three different species of dolphins (common, Rissos and bottlenose) and two fin whales as well.
We topped off the day with a great fresh yellowtail dinner.
I call that a great start to this trip and we are looking forward to tomorrow. The weather is great with no wind or seas.
Capt Art

2020-07-15T16:35:27-07:00June 5th, 2010|Photos, Trip Reports|
Read More

Terry Hunefeld’s Report on Wildlife Weekend

The Memorial Day Wildlife Weekend trip from San Diego aboard the live-aboard Searcher delivered all we hoped for and more: sunny skies, warm temperatures, gently rolling seas and pleasant breezes. Highlights included 6 tropicbirds, 6 skua, 4 Laysan Albatrosses and 11 species of cetaceans including blue whales, a cooperative minke whale, a very late northbound adult gray whale and 20 very-rare-this-far-south northern right whale dolphins.

We stayed south of San Clemente island to maximize both our marine mammal and bird lists. The trip report is now posted to SoCalBirding.com and included photos by 5 photographers plus video footage of south polar skua, laysan & black-footed albabross, blue, minke, fin and humpback whales, risso’s and pacific white-sided dolphin.
Trip report: http://www.socalbirding.com/2010tripreports/searchermay29312010.html

2010-09-30T07:05:15-07:00June 2nd, 2010|Trip Reports|
Read More

© Searcher Natural History Tours. All rights reserved.

Baja Whale

Captain's Blog

Categories

Archives

x
Go to Top