It is the end of another Grey Whale watching season. We had some outstanding trips. My best memory was looking up at the tale of an adolescent whale as it prepared to dive off Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz during our Whale Watch Lite Tour on May 9th. On April 17th a mother and calve surfaced several times right in front of the whole group in the open water off Davenport. Mid-March provided the largest numbers of whales per day as it seemed to be an early year for the migration. It was a mild El Nino year which meant above average rainfall and bigger ocean swells in general. Because of the rough conditions, many of our open water tours were moved into the Bay where the calmer waters gave us safer and better wildlife experiences. When we were able to paddle the open ocean off Davenport, we had nearly 100 percent success in spotting whales. Besides whales, we paddled with Bottlenose Dolphins, Harbor Porpoises, sea otters, Harbor seals, California Sea Lions and Stellar’s Sea Lions. Among the more interesting birds we spotted were hundreds of migrating loons, Marbled Murelets, and even a few Rhinoceros Auklets. Due to the increased popularity of these trips, we will have more offerings next year. If you would like to be informed of our schedule when in comes out in the winter, just drop me a note ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and I will keep you posted. I will also notify you if the Summertime Humpback Whale Trips are on. There is no greater pleasure that I have out on the water than giving my paddlers a close up look at a whale. It is an experience that they will never forget. Sometimes it may take a few tries, given the uncertainty of the weather and Mother Nature. But it is definitely worth the effort. Dave