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Tour #1: Jan 24 at Islas Todos Santos and southbound

Hello all,

Wow! What a tremendous start to our 2011 natural history season. We had calm seas, no wind, and sunshine–just a glorious day.

We stayed really busy all day. Right after leaving Ensenada Harbor, we ran into about 1000 long-beaked common dolphin and as we approached Islas Todos Santos, we saw a fin whale and a pair of gray whales. The island is really green from all the rains earlier in the year. There were about 15 northern elaphant seals visible–one large male and some females with pups. There were harbor seals too.

After leaving the island we followed four gray whales for a while, and continuing south, we came across fin whales–about 15 individuals with some surface feeding involved. There were Risso’s dolphin and more long-beaked dolphins. That was all by lunch time!

Travelling south we saw a small group of short-beaked common dolphin and then during a green flash sunset, we saw a large group of short-beaked common dolphin.

The birding was a little slower, but along with the fin whales there were 100’s of Cassin’s auklets and with the common dolphin, an occasional shearwater. We also saw a few black-legged kittiwakes and red phalaropes. What a start! People asked what we can do for an encore and I can just tell them we are just getting started. There is plenty more to come.

The forecast looks great for the next few days. Check back tomorrow when we report from Isla San Benito.

Capt Art

2011-01-24T18:19:43-08:00January 24th, 2011|Trip Reports|
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2011 blog begins! Tour #1: Jan 24

Our 2011 tour season is officially underway.The first tour left last night as passengers arrived during a San Diego 70-degree sunny day. This morning, Capt Art is reporting beautiful sea conditions and a pod of 500 or more common dolphins around the boat (thank you to Sally Walton for her photo here) as they leave Ensenada Harbor enroute to Islas Todos Santos and beyond to search for nesting seabirds and harbor seals, and then southward for migrating gray whales and more.

The natualists for this tour are Tom Jefferson and Rob Nawojchik.

2011-01-24T07:45:55-08:00January 24th, 2011|Trip Reports|
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Pelagic Birding Sightings List, September, 2010

9/9 9/8 9/7 9/6
2000 fath 948 spot SD Harbor
Bell Bank SJS Chan Isls 9mile TOTAL
ALBATROSSES
Black-footed Albatross 9 5 14
PROCELLARIDS
Northern Fulmar 1 1 1 3
Cook’s Petrel 1 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 211 35 305 552 1103
Sooty-Shearwater 15 50 97 53 215
Black-vented Shearwater 2 2
Buller’s Shearwater 27 15 42
Flesh-footed Shearwater 1 1
STORM-PETRELS
Black Storm-Petrel 56 24 142 110 332
Least Storm-Petrel 15 15
Ashy Storm-Petrel 49 49
Leach’s Storm Petrel
Leach’s nominate 224 224
Chapmani (Chapman’s) 67 60 127
soccorinsis (Townsends) 1 1 2
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1 1
TROPICBIRDS; BOOBIES
Red-billed Tropicbird 4 4
OYSTERCATCHERS; PHALAROPE
Black Oystercatcher 2 2
Red-necked Phalarope 12 185 18 215
Red Phalarope 8 1114 180 92 1394
GULLS
Heermann’s Gull 2 130 132
California Gull 6 1 7
Western Gull 7 12 500 100 619
Sabine’s Gull 2 2
TERNS
Elegant Tern 15 70 85
Royal Tern 5 5
Common Tern 1 13 6 20
Arctic Tern 19 91 110
SKUA JAEGERS
South Polar Skua 1 3 1 5
Pomarine Jaeger 7 4 7 17 35
Parasitic Jaeger 2 4 6
Long-tailed Jaeger 19 93 1 113
ALCIDS
Pigeon Guillemot 1 1
Xantus’s Murrelet
hpyoleucus 6 4 10
Cassin’s Auklet 1 3 32 36
Whales
Blue Whale 2 3 5
Fin Whale 8 31 39
Minke Whale 1 1
Humpback Whale 4 10 9 23
Byrde’s Whale 1 1
Baird’s Beaked Whale 8 8
Dolphin, Porpoise
Risso’s Dolphin 25 25
Pacific White-sided Dolphin 75 75
Short-beaked Common Dolphin 200 4 204
Long-beaked Common Dolphin 110 200 310
Pinnipeds
California Sea Lion 14 250 75 339
Elephant Seal 20 20
Guadalupe Fur Seal 28 7 35
Sharks
Blue Shark 2 2 4
Basking Shark 1 1
Fish, Turtles, Squid
Mola Mola 5 14 3 4 26
Saury 1600 1600
Albacore 1 2 3
Insects
Green Darner 100 100
2020-07-15T16:35:26-07:00November 2nd, 2010|Trip Reports|
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Sept 6-10 Pelagic Birding Trip Success

What a great report on the 5 days at sea! There was something for everyone with least & ashy storm-petrels, albatrosses, Cook’s petrels, red-billed tropicbirds; Bryde’s, humpback, blue whale, Baird’s beaked whales; and a flesh-footed shearwater.

Full report and details to follow. Next trip will be Labor Day, 2011. Go here for details: http://www.bajawhale.com/pelagic/pelagic-birding-tour/

2010-11-04T10:49:31-07:00September 11th, 2010|Trip Reports|
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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|
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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|
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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|
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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|
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