I think I enjoyed the reaction of the boat crew as much as the whale sighting. At least two gray whales continued spouting and diving around the boat with the magnificent Farallon Islands as a backdrop for their diving flukes. I stared idly into the glassy water as I monitored the radio and realized the water was alive with krill swarming at the surface. At that instant a school of blue rockfish exploded from below, driving the krill right out of the water as the fish followed breaking the surface in a frenzied boil. Now I understood why hundreds of gulls were working the surface as they would swirl and circle then pounce down on the surface constantly moving from one area to the next.
Common murres fly overhead with fish in bills returning to the nest with food for their young.
Cormorants fly by with nesting material clenched in theirs. I take another deep breath through my nostrils and savor the warm salt air. Next up to dive is Amber Mace, the interpretive specialist for the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association who willed the flu bug into submission when it came time to sail on the 24th. More incredulous reports of visibility and abundant life as she navigated DeepWorker through the boulders and over life covered reefs. As Ian operated the ROV with the joysticks and a smile, one of the crew jokingly commented he was probably the kind of kid who drove imaginary boats around the tub at bathtime.