Flash-Pelagic Report
Black-footed Albatross photo by Tim Bray
Spotting a brief window of decent marine weather conditions, we put together a short-notice offshore trip. In less than a week we got 28 people on board the Kraken with Captain Richard Thornton of Anchor Charters (https://anchorcharterboats.com/), for what turned out to be a spectacular morning at sea.
It was a bit choppy at first, slop left over from the previous day’s NW winds, but the winds calmed down and the seas smoothed out throughout the day. After spending some quality time with 3-4 Gray Whales, a mile or so offshore, we headed out to Noyo Canyon. Throughout the day the ocean sparkled with (literally) millions of “by the wind sailors” (Velella velella), a jellyfish in which the sailor part that dots the seas represents the polyp stage. Our deckhand Corinne bucketed one up to observed in the slime. It had a backwards-S shaped sail, representing about 50% of the population, which had sailed off in a different direction than those with frontwards-S shaped sails.
Black-footed Albatross by Tim Bray.
Birds were sparse at first, though Black-footed Albatrosses soon began to sniff about, wondering if we had some fish parts to toss. A Laysan Albatross joined in and afforded great views for all. Otherwise “just” gulls, Red Phalaropes, Cassin’s Auklets, Rhinoceros Auklets, all three Loons, some northbound Aleutian Cackling Geese, many Common Murres, and a few northbound Surf Scoters. We continued out about 15 miles from the harbor, reaching a part of the Canyon about 3,000 feet deep. We put down a fish-oil slick, and set out some rockfish carcasses and parts that the Princess Seafood Market had generously donated. A few albatrosses, including a Laysan, came in but it seemed pretty quiet so we headed back to “The Dogleg,” about 10 miles offshore, where we had noticed some foraging birds on the way out. As we left the slick we continued tossing chum, and this did the trick, as an eager gaggle of gulls and albatrosses increased in number until we reached the Dogleg, where we stopped for our second slick. Black-footed Albatrosses continued to arrive, up to 15-20 at once, and we had the usual 50+ gulls of five species and multiple ages to study. What seemed like a couple of additional Laysans kept circling afar, and a few Sooty Shearwaters joined the party.
Risso’s Dolphin photo by Tim Bray.
We had soaked the Dogleg for about 40 minutes when Captain Richard called out a big group of dolphins to the north and we headed up to see if they would ride the bow. Richard said they looked like Risso’s Dolphins and sure enough they were, some 300 of them! For the next hour or so we cruised along, getting photos of their large dorsal fins, bulbous heads, and smiley faces during surfaces and breaches. Katerina Audrey, our NCMS marine mammal expert aboard, spotted a white dolphin in with the procession and directed us to get photos, as it may be Casper, the famous albino Risso’s from Monterey Bay. After the trip she coordinated with the Monterey Bay marine mammalogists and it was not Casper, but a different white one to keep track of on our future trips. It was washed yellowish all over, the result of a diatom film.
We noticed some different looking splashes to the north and these turned out to be about 120 Pacific White-sided and 80 Northern Right Whale Dolphins that came in to join the Risso’s. Unlike the Risso’s these species do ride the bow, and Richard expertly guided the boat at the right speed to effect this. We super enjoyed both species, cruising along just below the bow, in close proximity, and in crystal clear blue waters. Having all three species in one group is something I hadn’t seen before.
Laysan Albatross photo by Tim Bray.
One or more Laysan Albatrosses kept circling around as we headed back to shore, and we debated if the day’s total should be 2, 3, 4, or more. But upon reviewing photos of their distinctive underwing patterns, we could not confirm more than just one bird, that appeared to follow us along throughout the day. Whatever the count, the sight of a Laysan Albatross sallying along over deep blue seas will never get old!
We are gearing up for a full schedule of pelagic trips from April through November and our website announcing the dates and including sign-up buttons is coming soon. Our first few trips are on April 26th (half day), April 27th (full day), May 9th (full day). May 11th (full day), and May 12th (half day), should you like to mark your calendars. We will be running some back-to-back trips this year for our out-of-town friends who may want to double up on pelagics during a long-weekend journey to our bountiful coast for birding and other local amenities.
