Saturday, September 26, 2026

Whales, Birds, and a Little Offshore Magic

This morning, Captain Mike had a spot in mind. He took us about 11 miles offshore, leaving time to slow down and look once we arrived.

On the way out, we spotted several harbor porpoises, a few brown pelicans, and more birds than we are used to seeing on a tour. As we neared our destination, the bird activity grew louder and busier. We sailed through a chorus that seemed to come mostly from cormorants, with a few higher notes from grebes.

Then Captain Mike spotted a spout on the horizon. Before we could reach that whale, another appeared. Then a third. Someone spotted one behind the boat, and soon we saw a mother and calf. Spouts were appearing in so many directions that it became hard to tell which whales we were seeing for the first time and which had surfaced again. For a few minutes, the birds made all the noise. The people aboard were nearly silent, watching the water. Captain Mike estimated four or five whales, though we spotted another spout just after he said it. Guests’ estimates ranged higher. Whatever the exact number, whales had surfaced on all sides of the boat, giving everyone a chance to see them.

The wildlife sightings continued on our return. We passed a large group of dolphins or harbor porpoises, and a harbor seal came close to the boat. A birder friend aboard was especially excited to spot two marbled murrelets and a kingfisher.

Our naturalist Casey described the experience "I loved the whole scene: sunlight breaking through the clouds, a light breeze, that chorus of birds, and whales appearing all around us."

It’s days like this that remind us why we head out onto the water: you never know what you’ll find, but you’re always glad you went.