Sunday, July 21, 2024
Sunday Funday aboard the Privateer!
We hung out with ~300 Short-beaked Common dolphin and ~100 Risso’s dolphin! We set out to the SW and found the shorties breaching and porpoising along the drop-off. We got great looks as they surrounded our boat! Many surfed our wake and rode the bow! There was a nursery group within the big pod! We could see lots of tiny babies popping up all around us! We continued out to the 9-mile bank and spotted tall dorsal fins! (Risso’s dolphin often get confused with baby killer whales due to their tall dorsal fins and black and white coloration.) We were excited to see this species because it has been months since we’ve seen them! We were also so happy to see so many being very active, breaching and porpoising!
We have 2 more trips to go…we will update soon!
Naturalist,
Vanessa
GRAMPUS GRISEUS (Goodness gracious in whale nerd) did we have a good day! No, that’s not a typo! We hit the wildlife jackpot today! This afternoon we found an enormous pod of Risso’s dolphins( scientific name, Grampus griseus) Down here in San Diego these little wonders are a pretty rare find! We last saw them a few months ago and they are very much a crew favorite.
These dolphins have quite the legacy to live up to! Pelorus Jack was a famous Risso dolphin that was known in New Zealand for guiding ships through the treacherous waters of the Cook Straight for 24 years! Sailors would wait to see this dolphin before commencing their journey.
With their lighter body color, it’s incredible to witness these dolphins just beneath the surface – like friendly little ocean ghosts. WE hung out with an energetic pod of shorties as well! They were rushing into the wake we set off, leaping about everywhere and as always, putting smiles on the faces of everyone aboard.
After a whole day on the Privateer with dolphins galore we hit the Jackpot! We sighted two blue whales just as the sunset was beginning to illuminate the sky. These blue whales were the cow/ calf pair we spotted last night but they’d been illusive all day. Luckily some of our friends on another whale watching company gave us the intel to find this pair and they put on such a beautiful show for us. With Captain John at the wheel, driving delicately this pair got comfortable enough to appear just feet off of our port side. John quickly shut the motors off and the whole boat – packed with 148 people- went dead silent in anticipation as we waited for the whales to surface again. There’s nothing like the bellow of a blue whales breath sending shockwaves through the air – meter feet away from you. The last wave good bye was something that will forever be seared into all of our memories – Mama blue threw her tail high just as those last rays of light slipped out of the sky – creating a beautiful fiery waterfall as the water trickles off the back of her tail.
What a wonder it is out there on big blue!
Can’t wait to see you out here!
Naturalist, Alison
Sunday funday on the Ohana! On today’s overflow boat, straight out of the jetties we encountered a spunky pod of ~75 long-beaked common dolphins! They escorted us out to sea, bow riding and surfing in our wake! We saw plenty of tiny dolphin calves porpoising in and out of the water! After traveling over 11 miles offshore we encountered a cow/ calf pair of blue whales!! There’s nothing much cuter than the largest baby in the world! The baby blue whale was closely following mom, swimming in her slip stream! The mama blue whale lifted her tail flukes twice super close to the boat! We have another trip coming up so please stay tuned.
-Naturalist, Melissa