Hi All
This
is a reminder that Island Packers is offering an 11-hour deepwater
pelagic trip from the Ventura Harbor at 7 am on Saturday October 3 and we still have some tickets available. 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. The waters around the northern
Channel Islands can be very productive during the fall when hundreds
(sometimes thousands) of shearwaters crowd into the inter-island gaps.
We will be looking through flocks of Black-vented,
Pink-footed, and Sooty Shearwaters for Buller's, Flesh-footed
(uncommon),
and Manx (rare) Shearwaters. This is peak season for seabird diversity
so in addition to the species already mentioned, Black-footed Albatross,
Black and Ashy Storm-Petrels, Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklets, and
Pomarine and Long-tailed Jaegers are all possible. It is also a good time of
year for South Polar Skua (we had seven last year), Sabine's Gull, and Arctic Tern. Recent trips to Santa Barbara Island have seen a Blue-footed Booby among the large numbers of Brown
Boobies there and we intend to visit the island on this trip. The Blue-footed bred with a Brown Booby and I saw a hybrid fledgling there earlier in September. There is also a potential for sought-after species
like Cooks' Petrel, Least Storm-Petrel,
Townsend's Storm-Petrel, and
Craveri's Murrelet. The last few years have been exceptional for Craveri's
Murrelet off southern California so our
chances to find this elusive species may be good. We saw approximately
32 Craveri's Murrelets on this trip last year! In
addition, a multi-day trip I led out of San Diego a few weeks ago had Nazca Boobies on four consecutive days. Remember that this trip in 2018 had all five North American boobies in a single day! We
will decide what our offshore destinations will be after reviewing
oceanographic conditions at the time of the trip, which will help
determine where birds and other marine life may be present.
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. 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 $170 per
adult.
Hope to see you at sea!
Dave Pereksta Ventura |