Northwest Dive Club

Once again, I went to sea with Phil and Chris Anderson of Westport Seabirds. Getting far enough offshore to see pelagic birds requires early departure. Sunrise found our enjoying particularly calm seas. A juvenile tufted puffin greeted us soon after we crossed the bar. It took about three hours to reach the "albatross zone". Hundreds of birds most people never see soared, swam, and dived around us: storm petrels, shearwaters, auklets, murres, phalaropes, murrelets, jaegers, skuas, fulmars, and yes, albatrosses. I include just one picture, the pink footed shearwater. This bird nests on islands off the coast of Chile. In one mixed flock of birds, we had others that had come from New Zealand, the Arctic, Hawaii, and Antarctica. This amazes me. We also saw whales, about 15 humpbacks, a few orca and many dolphins. A picture proves its not just a tale, well maybe it is. A large pod of 300 or so Pacific Whitesided Dolphins surrounded the boat, bow riding, leaping in formation. We saw much more: blue sharks, mola mola, and anomalous critters. I look forward to my next. trip.
-Curt

That sounds pretty amazing! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing the bounty of offshore "exotic" life we don't see here in our inland sea.

I have to get out on their boat!
Looks like a wonderful trip!
Kirsten P

Absolutely gorgeous.....what an amazing adventure! Thank you so much for sharing!

You are a lucky Duck!!!! So amazing!!! Thanks for the report! :-)
It's always the BEST to see puffins in the wild!!!

Good times.

I love that you saw this and shared it with us!