Semi-OT, whale watching excursion in San Diego (pic intense)

[Xirxes23]

I am a volunteer at Birch aquarium as well as on the San Diego harbor Excursion whale watching tour as a Birch naturalist. Here are some pics of the most recent trip out where we were lucky enough to see 10 gray whales on their southward migration!

Here are some of the scenes on the way out of the harbor:

sailors enjoying the day

local sky rat drafting in our wake, hoping for a morsel

endangered brown pelican cruising by

Locally based nuclear powered fast attack sub

Bunch of loungers at a bait-dock waiting for scraps

The new point loma lighthouse at southernmost tip of point loma

 

[Xirxes23]

protecting our national waters...look at the size of that gun!

Some white-sided dolphins porpoising around the boats hull

And now for the Whales!

heres a close up sequence of a dive from a Single Male, about 30-35 Ft in length

a distant blow, three individuals in this shot

 

[Xirxes23]

another quick sequence

and one last wave goodbye

And last but not least, the most beautiful specimen on the seven seas

Hope you enjoyed! If you are in the area and would like to go on a whale watching excursion or to the birch aquarium, pm me for info!

 

[CTS]

Very nice, clear pictures.

 

[pyro383]

what camera did you use.

 

[Jeff]

I wish we had some decent views in Chicago...
Looks great

 

[Xirxes23]

Its a Digital rebel 6.2 Mpixel, and most of these are shot on a tamron zoom lens... 75-300mm

Thanks for comments, particularly difficult to get that kinda focus on a swaying ship

 

[MCary]

Skyrat, I liked that. Ain't it the truth.

The whales were mostly underwater, couldn't you do something about that?

Mike

 

[Xirxes23]

I held out a snikkers bar for them when they got close, but they mumbled something underwater about being filled to the brim with the 5,000 lbs of krill churning in their bellies, and so they stayed under water.

Maybe a frozen choco-krill bar next time with rich creamy amphipod/euphousid filling.