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Tour leader Peter Dunn has just sent us news and images from two of our 'Whales & Dolphins of Monterey Bay' tours. Both departures enjoyed comfortable accommodation and good food; the August group had the added bonus of encountering Blue Whales - seen from the boat trip and from land.
Sea Otters by Peter Dunn
Other cetaceans seen in August included Humpback and Fin Whales, Risso’s Dolphins, Dall’s and Harbour Porpoises. Sea Otters are always entertaining and the group saw them at most coastal sites, and close. Birding was a new experience for some but the variety and colours of these west coast birds were always appreciated. On the sea, highlights were the huge Black-footed Albatrosses, a flock of 15,000 Sooty Shearwaters, petrels, Sabine’s Gulls and four species of skua, including a Long-tailed chasing a South Polar Skua before turning its attention to an Ashy Storm-petrel. Land trips produced comical Acorn Woodpeckers, bright Western Bluebirds, gaudy wood warblers and numerous bird of prey.
For the second departure, in September, the weather cooled down so the bay changed, with more Humpback Whales, some very close to shore, the same species of dolphins and porpoises, but no Blue Whales as the krill had disappeared. However, a strange whale on the last day had the scientists scratching their heads with thoughts of Sei Whale...? The weather did increase bird migration, with a marked increase in wood warblers, including Townsend Warbler and Olive-sided Flycatcher and a continual passage of wading birds, with our first Wilson’s Phalaropes for three years.
To view all Peter's images visit our Facebook page.
Read more about our 'Whales & Dolphins of Monterey Bay' holiday.