The Gray whale season is perking up! It was an AMAZING day with multiple Gray whales and Common dolphins sighted!
On our afternoon trip, we cruised out to the Pacific Ocean and almost immediately we sighted a spout to the SW of us! We watched in awe as it was slowly traveling to the south and we got great looks as it surfaced we could see its heart-shaped spout! It even popped up close to us a couple times! Almost every time it went down we observed its tail being lifted! We continued to the west and hung out with a HUGE pod of ~800 Long-beaked Common dolphins! They were scattered everywhere! The raced up to the bow and surfed in our wake! We spotted many juveniles likely the calves born over the summer! We turned in and heard about a Humpback whale breaching! We caught up and saw it a few times, but by the time we settled in, it was slowly traveling to the north. We got bonus looks a SECOND Gray whale right outside the Mission Bay jetties!
On our sunset whale watch we spotted a big pod of ~10-15 Inshore bottlenose dolphin feeding under diving birds! A few cruised up next to us! It was the largest pod of the coastal population that we had seen in quite some time. We hugged the coast down to the end of Point Loma. We enjoyed the incredible visibility! It looked like the horizon never ended! We caught up with another southbound Gray whale zigzagging between the lobster traps. It was up for a few breaths and down for 3-5-min. We pointed our nose back up to the north and found an amazing spread of ~400 Long-beaked Common dolphin within a few miles from shore! They were so boat friendly hitching a ride in our wake and riding the bow! Captain John W. spotted 2 spouts out to the west! We caught up with two Gray whales! Their spouts illuminated beautifully in the sunset! We waved goodbye as they raised their flukes and continued on their merry way! The sunset was absolutely stunning! So dreamy! Our ride home was nothing short of magical!
The Gray whales seemed to be a little delayed this year, but now they are making their way down. Our friends in Monterey Bay, say they are seeing a big pods of Grays headed our way! Come out now!!
Naturalist,
Vanessa
