All three families of Cetacea!

A whole smorgasborg of cetacea were seen on today's trip; 4 cetacean species in totality!

Captain Adam led us west towards the western end of Santa Cruz Island. Before reaching the painted cave, we spent time with our first cetacean species of the day. ~15 dall's porpoise sped across our bow. They weaved in and out between us and spent a good amount of time bow riding. Nearby a small juvenile humpback gave us a few nice looks.

We visited the world-famous painted cave and had a great time. Outside the cave, a cohort of ~8 bottlenose dolphins sped towards us. Like the dall's porpoise, they too enjoyed riding the bow of the boat. Unlike the dalls, they turned on their side and stared us directly in the eyes! A thrilling connection!

In the infamous "potato patch," the stretch of water between Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands, we found 2 gray whales. This area of water is known for being quite turbulent during the winter. Today's enounter however, greeted us with flat calm seas and sunny skies, caressed by green island backdrops!

Until Next Time,

The SBWW Crew

Photos by Captain Adam