Where did this fog come from??
The seas continued to stay as calm and glassy as we had over the weekend but the skies were not sunny and clear!
A dense fog rolled in as we were about to board the Privateer for our Monday afternoon excursion.
We cruised slowly and safely out to the 3 mile line and followed our heading to the north to pockets of clear visibility where various bird-piles of gulls and shearwaters were resting.
Fortunately when we made it to the Point of La Jolla we broke free of the fog and the visibility was great!
So great in fact, that we were able to locate a pair of southbound gray whales!
We started heading to the directions of the spouts and came across what originally looked like a large log at the surface.
It was a humpback whale resting with its back and dorsal fin just above the surface. Minimal movements and minimal spouts at first just planking, it was peculiar. Then a very large spout from a very large humpback shot up right next to it.
We observed the pair resting and not moving much but taking breaths at the surface before both going down on a dive lifting their tail flukes.
It possible was cow and a large calf from last season making its final part of their migration together before going off on its own journeys.
The grays were still close by and we got some good looks at them once we left the Humpbacks.
Our trip back to Mission Bay was accompanied by more thick, cold pea-soup fog.
Not our typical Monday on the water!
-Naturalist Ruth
