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.
![DSC_1821.JPG (1.85 MiB) Viewed 2192 times Westport sunrise](./download/file.php?id=34338&t=1)
- Westport sunrise
A juvenile tufted puffin greeted us soon after we crossed the bar.
![DSC_1830.JPG (381.09 KiB) Viewed 2192 times Puffin](./download/file.php?id=34339&t=1)
- Puffin
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.
![DSC_1888.JPG (2.76 MiB) Viewed 2192 times Pink footed shearwater](./download/file.php?id=34340&t=1)
- Pink footed shearwater
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.
![DSC_1875.JPG (533.01 KiB) Viewed 2192 times Fluke](./download/file.php?id=34341&t=1)
- Fluke
A large pod of 300 or so Pacific Whitesided Dolphins surrounded the boat, bow riding, leaping in formation.
![DSC_2035.JPG (1.81 MiB) Viewed 2192 times Dolphin pair](./download/file.php?id=34342&t=1)
- Dolphin pair
![DSC_2074.JPG (3.57 MiB) Viewed 2192 times Pod](./download/file.php?id=34343&t=1)
- Pod
We saw much more: blue sharks, mola mola, and anomalous critters. I look forward to my next. trip.
-Curt
![:rawlings: :rawlings:](./images/smilies/oldtimer.gif)
Happy to be alive.