Captain's Blog

Mystery Monday revealed! The answer is:⁠
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Sperm Whale⁠

📷⁠ by Sally W. ⁠⁠

📷⁠ by Mike W. ⁠

Paul Jones shared this sighting report from our last 2020 tour. Check out the recorded underwater vocalizations in the video below!

“On March 18 aboard Searcher we found a group of about 20 sperm whales just east Isla Espiritu Santo in the Gulf of California. We had 20 animals that surfaced very near Searcher in 5-7 smaller groups. One whale swam straight toward Searcher affording a great view of its asymmetric blowhole before it fluked up and dove. Others bobbed at the surface for long periods as they recharged their muscles with oxygen, providing excellent opportunities for passengers to take photos of these impressive, deep-diving whales.”

https://youtu.be/2nReXeB39Zc

Happy Mystery Monday!⁠
⁠
Can you guess this animal? We decided to make it a bit harder this week. This photo was taken on one of our trips in Baja. We’ll reveal the answer on Friday, so stay tuned for the answer and more from the field!⁠
⁠
📷 by Team Searcher⁠

Mystery Monday revealed! The answer is:

Humpback 🐋

📷 by Mark W.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday’s Mystery photo showed just a glimpse of a humpback whale. But there’s so much more to see of these magnificent whales. Humpbacks are known to be very active and even acrobatic at the surface, which can catch the eye of whalewatchers even at a distance of miles.

Lunging, jumping, slapping or thrashing their flukes, or as in this reveal photo, breaching, all cause large disturbances at the surface. Humpback whales are very social, so acrobatics are likely related to interactions such as male to male competition, mothers protecting calves, aunties protecting mothers, and juveniles…well…playing!

We spend a lot of time with humpbacks when we can on our tours in Baja California because there is so much to observe and photograph. Our calm presence doesn’t seem to change them and we are often afforded wonderful looks.

Passengers on a trip got to listen to the lovely songs of the humpback whales. These humpbacks were singing for quite sometime and naturalist Marc Webber was able to record their songs and sounds on this recording off the Gorda Banks.

https://youtu.be/AB4BXyahM18

Happy Mystery Monday!⁠
⁠
Can you guess this animal? We decided to make it a bit harder this week. This photo was taken on one of our trips in Baja. We’ll reveal the answer on Friday, so stay tuned for the answer and more from the field!⁠
⁠
📷 by Team Searcher

Happy Mystery Monday!⁠
⁠
Can you guess this animal? We decided to make it a bit harder this week. This photo was taken on one of our trips in Baja. We’ll reveal the answer on Friday, so stay tuned for the answer and more from the field!⁠
⁠
📷 by Linda Lewis

Happy Mystery Monday!⁠
⁠
Can you guess this animal? We decided to make it a bit harder this week. This photo was taken on one of our trips in Baja. We’ll reveal the answer on Friday, so stay tuned for the answer and more from the field!⁠
⁠
📷by Team Searcher⁠

Mystery Monday revealed! The answer is:⁠⁠ Blue Whale

📸 by Chris E.

This is a blue whale surface lunge feeding with one of the tail flukes sticking out of the water as it’s on its side. Blue whales are the most massive animals to ever live on the planet. They are obligate krill eaters, and consume many tons of plankton every day. A calf gains 6 pounds per hour while nursing and the whale in this photo was with her calf when Searcher happened upon a feeding frenzy. In addition to this pair, we saw lots of birds, dolphins, and a Bryde’s whale. It was spectacular. –Paul Jones