I hope you will enjoy Abe Borker's images of the Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip on August 17, 2011 from Bodega Bay, 30 miles offshore to the 1000 fathom line. All images copyright, Abe Borker. Please do not use without permission from the photographer. Enjoy!
Yep, that's how the day began— fog and swells, above.
First shearwater of the day— Sooty Shearwater, above.
Buller's Shearwater, above.
Looks like Abe caught another image of a color-banded Black-footed Albatross, above.
It was a fantastic show of Long-tailed Jaegers, above and below.
Arctic Terns, often harassed by the Long-tailed Jaegers.
Seas calm down. Fog pushes back. The first Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel shows up.
A raft of 100+ Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, along with a few Ashy Storm-Petrels is spotted, sitting on the water. There is no reliable place, nor time, in the State of California to search for Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel. So, this is a real treat!
In amongst the flock, I spot a Wilson's Storm-Petrel, possibly the most common bird in the world. However, it is quite uncommon off the West Coast. The Wilson's is in the lower left of the above image— the one with the white rump.
Dorsal fins begin aiming toward our bow!
The recurved fin, dark on the leading edge, and light on the trailing edge, is a Pacific White-sided Dolphin. About 100+ surround our vessel, along with many Northern Right Whale Dolphins.
These dolphins are numerically, the most abundant cetacean in the Northern California Bight. We enjoyed quite a show, watching two species of dolphins on the bow of our boat.
The day ended up very well, a solid day's birding at sea.
Shearwaters forever,
Debi Shearwater
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