San Ignacio Gray Whales
Extraordinary Interaction & Experience
We departed Ensenada, Mexico at 2200 last night and are en route back to the great white sharks of Guadalupe Island. I’m figuring on 19 hours 30 minutes elapsed time and we should be on station shortly before dinnertime. Our plan is to get all 4 white shark cages in the water tonight and then start chumming overnight.
Read MoreWe have our fingers crossed these were the only and last windy days of our Guadalupe ’06 season. Just had a couple of blue whales off the bow as well as a large pod of hundreds of Pacific white-sided dolphins!
Read MoreWe had magnificent shark sightings on the first day of this trip but it has been pretty skinny since these huge winds kicked up. The only consolation is that this is the first time we have seen these kinds of winds for any sustained period of time at Guadalupe Island. It has been very peculiar as it is only blowing 15 – 20 knots out in the open ocean. I suspect that we have been experiencing katabatic winds or “williwaws” as we call them up north.
Read MoreI’m not sure why, but the white sharks don’t seem to like the wind or choppy surface conditions. I have noticed this before – the sharks disappear when it’s windy and the reappear as soon as everything calms down. We know that their visual acuity is similar to ours, and I’m guessing that they have trouble observing and checking out potential prey against a backdrop of wind and chop? I’ve tucked into the lee of the island as best I can and I am anchored quite close to the shoreline.
Read MoreOur first day at anchor on this trip with the great white sharks of Guadalupe Island has been very good and productive. 4 different shark sightings this morning, including our 3 favourite groupies – Bruce, Chica and Shredder. These particular white sharks really seem to like the Nautilus Explorer.
Read MoreThe crew did a fantastic job on turnaround yesterday afternoon and we were embarking guests by 2130, preparatory to steaming back out to the Guadalupe great white sharks. We’re hoping to be the only charter boat out there, although it is very likely that the sailing yacht Galatea and the motor yacht Prima Donna will be onsite by the time we get back to Guadalupe.
Read MoreWe’re steaming home from Guadalupe Island and it’s resident great white sharks after our best trip of the season (so far). Sharks, sharks, and more sharks were around day after day with Bruce and Shredder being especially cooperative and helpful. It almost seemed that by day 3 they were more interested in circling around our cages than going after the tuna bait!
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