12-09-2011: More Orcas, Our First Two Southbound Gray Whale Sightings

Gray whale surfaces, shows it back. Photo: Sack

The ocean conditions have been phenominal. Very calm, minimal wind and no swell. Being out there in sunny, calm conditions was a treat in itself. And that’s good because we didn’t come across the gray whales for almost 4-hours. We covered a lot of water today. I was quite happy when we spotted the spouts. Hopefully we’ll start to see more gray whales coming through as they begin their southbound migration to the lagoons of Baja.

We observed these whales for about 30-minutes when one of the passengers came in the wheelhouse and let me know she just saw an orca. So we all kept a close eye on the area and sure enough, a few big males and a few females came cruising by and then split up. They were clearly in search mode.

I don’t think they knew about the gray whales in the area.

Here’s some incredible video footage from a trip in November. It’s one of the best encounters we’ve had.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *