Many of us deal with the intense stresses of life by spending time in nature, sometimes photographing what we find, and often sharing it with others. I believe it is true for almost everyone here that the difficulties of the last year have sometimes made getting out more challenging or it can be harder to disassociate ones self from the barrage of the day when we do offer ourselves an escape.
For those reasons, I was especially delighted to spend a full day off the coast of San Mateo County on Oct. 17. Meeting at 06:30 at the Half Moon Bay Harbor, we joined about 18 other people for a masks-mandatory, half capacity trip on the Huli-Cat out to the continental shelf with Alvaro Jamarillo and Alvaro's Birding Adventures. Pelagic birding has long been one of my favorite pastimes and what made this trip exceptional was that in addition to the birds, we stopped for all the wildlife; jellies, whales. fish, and more. The Salmon Shark (which was seen through the water much better than my photos imply) and the Leatherback Sea Turtle were pure lifers. Additionally, I added three species to my inaturalist photo-lifer list - Blue Whale, Buller's Shearwater, and Marbled Murrelets.
With a thermos of hot coffee and the sun at our backs we headed offshore, and truthfully, we couldn't have asked for a better day. Harbor porpoises swam just outside the breakwater and soon we were at the edge of a large mixed species feeding flock of seabirds including multiple gulls, Pink-footed and Black-vented Shearwaters, Brown Pelicans, and Pomeraine Jaegers. Other highlights included sneaking up on a surface-resting Salmon Shark before watching it swim away and seeing a Leatherback Sea Turtle, (a species I never thought I would encounter) slowly swimming along the surface, its head and distinctly ridged back clearly visible. Around lunchtime we came across a pod of four to six Blue Whales, soon followed by 500 or more Pacific White-sided Dolphins. Additional highlights included finding several Tufted Puffins, a Short-tailed Shearwater, numerous Mola molas, and coming back into the harbor, and a pair of Marbled Murrelets, robin-sized seabirds that can be difficult to approach at sea and even harder to photograph from shore.
The ocean was smooth, the day was warm, the company enjoyable, and there was wildlife in abundance. This trip also put me at 143 species for San Mateo County, well over the halfway mark for the county and great addition to my goal of photo-documenting 250 species in each of California's 58 counties.
Wandering male found in a hotel room. Identified by its overall color and look of soft grey pubescence on the abdomen.
Common Murre seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Rhinoceros Auklet seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
One of many Common Murres seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
One of several Black-vented Shearwaters seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
One of two Tufted Puffins seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
This Mola mola was separated from the much rarer Hoodwinker Mola (Mola tecta) by the protruding bulge near the "nose". It was seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
This Leatherback Sea Turtle was seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
This was the second of two Tufted Puffins seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged with GPS.
This was one member of a pod of between four and six Blue Whales feeding along the edge of the continental shelf. They were found while on a very productive pelagic trip with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
This individual was conspicuous due to the divot in its dorsal fin.
All offshore locations were tagged at the time with GPS.
This was a second member of a pod of between four and six Blue Whales feeding along the edge of the continental shelf. They were found while on a very productive pelagic trip with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
All offshore locations were tagged at the time with GPS.
A pod of between 75 and 100 Risso's Dolphins were found on a very productive pelagic trip with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
All locations were recorded at the time of observation using GPS.
This was one of numerous Northern Fulmars found on a very productive pelagic trip by Alvaros Adventures Birding Tours.
All locations were tagged at the time of observation using GPS.
This shark was found off the San Mateo County coast while on a very productive pelagic trip with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
There is some discussion regarding its ID. In addition to the features visible here (color and shape of the dorsal fin, sharp, projecting upper tip to the tail), there are other features that were visible at the time but couldn't be photographed through the water's reflective surface. It was between 6 and 7 feet long with thick body (not sleek). There was a clear line of demarcation between its white belly and dark sides and back, and the undersides of its pectoral fins were white. The head appeared to mostly dark above and on the sides.
The location was tagged at the time of observation using GPS.
This was one of numerous Northern Fulmars found on a very productive pelagic trip by Alvaros Adventures Birding Tours.
All locations were tagged at the time of observation using GPS.
This was one of several Cassin's Auklets found while on a very productive pelagic trip with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
The offshore location was recorded at the time of observation using GPS.
Buller's Shearwater found on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay by Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Exact location recorded at the time observation using GPS.
This was one of several Black-footed Albatrosses found on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay by Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Location was recorded at the time of observation using GPS.
This was one of numerous Northern Fulmars found on a very productive pelagic trip by Alvaros Adventures Birding Tours.
All locations were tagged at the time of observation using GPS.
Buller's Shearwater found on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay by Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Exact location recorded at the time observation using GPS.
While on a pelagic wildlife watching trip out of Half Moon Bay, we found a pod of 500+ Pacifioc White-sided Dolphins. Additionally there were several Northern Right Whale Dolphins mixed in the pod but I was unable to get photos of them.
Offshore location was recorded at the time of observation using GPS.
This flock of Pink-footed Shearwaters was found on a pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay by Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Records of offshore locations were taken at the time of observation using GPS.
Rhinoceros Auklet seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay with Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
Offshore location tagged at the time of observation with GPS.
Large numbers of Pacific Sea Nettles were found above the continental plain while on a pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay.
Offshore locations were tagged at the time of observation using GPS.
This pair of Marbled Murrelets were found several hundred yards off the shore from Half Moon Bay. They were seen while returning from a very productive all day pelagic trip run by Alvaro's Adventures Birding Tours.
The exact location was taken at the time of observation using GPS.
Comments
That sounds like a most wonderous excursion! I am so glad you got a day out and respite from the rest of 2020. Thank you for sharing. :-)
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