Hi All
This is a reminder that Island Packers is offering a 12-hour deepwater
pelagic trip from the Ventura Harbor at 7 am on Sunday July 12. This trip will
allow us to get to offshore waters beyond the reach of most day trips where we
will have a chance to see a number of outstanding pelagic birds and marine
mammals. Our intention is to go south from Ventura towards San Nicolas Island
and the banks, knolls, canyons and other productive features in the area. This
will give us a chance to look for sought after species like Red-billed
Tropicbird, Leach's Storm-Petrel, Townsend's Storm-Petrel, Cook's Petrel, and
Craveri's Murrelet. Boats out of San Diego have been seeing Cook's Petrels and
Craveri's Murrelets recently, and on a work visit to Santa Barbara Island a few
weeks ago I saw a Blue-footed Booby that is acting like it is paired with a
Brown Booby (there is a chick in the nest for what that is worth). We will
decide what our offshore destination will be after reviewing oceanographic
conditions at the time of the trip, which will help determine where the birds
and other marine life may be present or concentrated. This trip has been
productive the last few years. In 2017 we had Black-footed Albatrosses and
Cook's Petrels along with an astounding 45 Craveri's Murrelets. In 2018 we had
the first accepted at-sea record of Tristram's Storm-Petrel for the ABA area
(!), a Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel, Townsend's Storm-Petrels, lots of Cook's
Petrels, two Nazca Boobies, and an American Oystercatcher. Last year we had a
Manx Shearwater and incredible looks at Townsend's and Leach's Storm-Petrels.
Beyond these highlights, we always see a variety of the more expected
pelagic species and it is a trip that normally produces lots of birds.
While I would normally go on more about the birds we might see, I am
going to focus on safety related to the COVID-19 pandemic and how we plan to
run the trip to minimize risk to everyone on board. First, we are running at a
reduced capacity to ensure that passengers can sit/stand 6 feet apart. The
maximum capacity for the vessel is set at 57 people for this trip, which is
20-25 people less than we normally carry on a pelagic trip (and way lower than
the rated passenger capacity for the boat). Masks/face coverings are REQUIRED
at all times while on the boat. If you do not believe in wearing masks for some
political, religious, or other reason, then this is not the trip for you. The
exception is to eat or drink. We ask that when you are eating or drinking to
distance one's self 6 feet away from other people not in your party. When
eating and drinking remove your mask only sparingly, replacing it between
drinks, or bites of food (use your best judgement). We also suggest bringing a
few spare masks as you may want to put on a fresh one after several hours. Make
sure you can comfortably wear the mask for extended periods of time. In
addition, all the tables and handrails will be disinfected before boarding and the
restrooms will be disinfected on regularly scheduled intervals. The handrails
along the perimeter of the boat are marked at 6-foot intervals to help maintain
social distancing while aboard.
The trip will be on an ultra-fast catamaran that features a spacious
and comfortable cabin, galley, and excellent viewing from both the upper and
lower decks. A full contingent of outstanding seabird leaders will be present
to make sure we see all that is out there. The Captain and crew know how to run
birding trips and are enthusiastic and helpful. In addition, we work hard to
creep up on birds and get them in the right light...photographers will not be
disappointed!
Trips can be booked over the phone by calling (805) 642-1393 or online
at www.IslandPackers.com by clicking the Reserve Trip tab, select the Special
Trips tab, and select your desired departure. The cost of the trip is $195 per
adult.
Hope to see you at sea!
Dave Pereksta Ventura |