Humpbacks Heading South; 100's of Dolphins Gather to Feed

Doreen Moser Gurrola, Naturalist aboard the November 17th trip filed the following report - hundreds of dolphins surrounding the boat, over a dozen Humpback Whales feeding together in a group - throw in a couple of albatrosses with their 6 foot wing spans just for a bit more drama - I'd say it was quite a trip:


"Cetaceans:
~5 Harbor Porpoise near Pt. Bonita
100’s Pacific White-sided Dolphins and 10 Northern Right- whale Dolphins (feeding with 2nd group of Humpback Whales)"


"15-20 Humpback Whales: 1st group (west of South East Farallon Island (“SEFI”), lat. 37.36’08.6”, long. 123.02’35.2”) 2 adult humpbacks slow surfacing, 2nd group (north of SEFI, lat. 37.39’50.4”, long. 123.06’22.5”) in 2,000’ water depth, large feeding group (including sea birds, CSLs, and dolphins), 12+ humpbacks feeding at the surface, lunge feeding, surface rolls, and trumpet blows."


"Pinnipeds: California Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions (at SEFI), Northern Fur Seals (at SEFI), Harbor Seals, and Elephant Seals (at SEFI)

Fish: mola mola, and 4+blue sharks

Seabirds: Pacific loon, eared grebe, western grebe, black footed albatross (2 with 1st group of humpbacks), northern fulmar, sooty shearwater, storm petrel species, brown pelican, Brandt’s cormorant, double crested cormorant, surf scoter, black oyster catcher, California gull, western gull, Sabine’s gull, common murre, marbled murrelet (at SEFI, possibly with oil), rhino auklet, peregrine falcon (at SEFI); 19 species total.

~Doreen"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~


By the way - these last two file photos (from a September, 2007 trip) are not Humpback Whales, of course, but Killer Whales. Doreen didn't see Killer Whales on November 17th but they were spotted the week before. Unfortunately nobody managed to get photos or much information on them (residents or transients?) but it's always exciting when the top predators of the sea are in our neighborhood.



Photos and text by Kathleen Jacques.