A calm mostly overcast day provided the setting for a very successful pelagic trip led by Alvaro Jaramillo out of Monterey, cruising in Monterey and Santa Cruz county waters. There were great views of Blue, Fin, and Humpback Whales, often too close for my long lens to capture. Bird photo ops were somewhat cut down by the ban on chumming, but we had excellent closeup views of Black-footed Albatross; Common Terns provided good views as well, as did Pink-footed Shearwaters. Many other good birds were more distant, including an unusual number of Sabine's Gulls.

My best photo op of the day came as we returned to port in Monterey harbor -- an attempted feeding of a juvenile Pigeon Guillemot by an adult. Six photos showing this interaction head my photo list.