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Jim & Cynthia | profile | all galleries >> Jim and Cynthia's Travel Photos >> Apr '07 - Our first Pelagic Birding Trip tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Apr '07 - Our first Pelagic Birding Trip

We have always wanted to see pelagic birds, but worry about Jim's tendency towards seasickness. With the advent of the new electronic wrist bands, however, we decided it was worth a try. The answer is that the band did not work for Jim (although we saw it work for many others!) ... so I guess our plans for a trip across the Drake's Passage to Antarctica are on hold for the moment. But in any case, even with Jim's chuming the fish off the back of the boat, and Cynthia's lurching in the head into a metal bar for a nice black eye, we still had a fantastic trip. The boat was from the Monterey Seabirds group, and they did a marvelous job ... (and please read "The Eye of the Albatross" to understand why we ALL cried when we saw the Short-tailed Albatross!)
Our first bird, in the harbor: Harlequin Duck
Our first bird, in the harbor: Harlequin Duck		 LOTS of loud seals at the breakwater
LOTS of loud seals at the breakwater		 Cynthia loves being on the water!
Cynthia loves being on the water!		 Cyndie was a bit sick, but Chris stood by with comfort
Cyndie was a bit sick, but Chris stood by with comfort
Wonderful waves
Wonderful waves		 The Western Gulls following the boat
The Western Gulls following the boat		 Quite beautiful birds, actually
Quite beautiful birds, actually		 Considering landing on deck?
Considering landing on deck?
Now that's interesting ballet
Now that's interesting ballet		 Slowing down?
Slowing down?		 We saw ORCAS!! (after traveling all the way to Sweden in January and NOT seeing them)
We saw ORCAS!! (after traveling all the way to Sweden in January and NOT seeing them)		 They came very close to the boat
They came very close to the boat
The saddle behind the dorsal fin
The "saddle" behind the dorsal fin		 It was a whole pod, with a BABY!!
It was a whole pod, with a BABY!!		 The spray would hang in mid-air (and one time landed ON Cynthia!)
The spray would hang in mid-air (and one time landed ON Cynthia!)		 Amazing male dorsal fin is 6 feet tall .. and, you can also see ...
Amazing male dorsal fin is 6 feet tall .. and, you can also see ...
Black-footed ALBATROSS!
Black-footed ALBATROSS!		 Skipping off the water with those black feet
Skipping off the water with those black feet		 Delicate touch of wingtip on sea as the elegant albatross turns
Delicate touch of wingtip on sea as the elegant albatross turns		 Gorgeous flukes of the orca
Gorgeous flukes of the orca
This pod of transient orcas are mammal-eaters, and they got a grey whale calf the previous day
This pod of "transient" orcas are mammal-eaters, and they got a grey whale calf the previous day		 We also saw a few humpbacks
We also saw a few humpbacks		 The majestic flukes of the humpback
The majestic flukes of the humpback		 Much larger than the orcas
Much larger than the orcas
Diving deep for a long swim ...
Diving deep for a long swim ...		 And then we saw ... a SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS! (a VERY rare bird, all the way from Japan, back from the brink of extinction!)
And then we saw ... a SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS! (a VERY rare bird, all the way from Japan, back from the brink of extinction!)

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