Weekend double-overnight trips have but one purpose: to get out beyond the edge of the continental shelf more than 120 nautical miles offshore where rare pterodroma are usually found only by research ships because no day trips venture this far.
We'll depart Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. from Point Loma Sportsfishing marina, returning Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
Itinerary: We'll head directly west to explore the bird-rich Nine-mile bank, then head west, spending the day looking for birds among the life zones of 'the 182," the 30 mile bank and the 60 mile bank.
By sunset we should be 5 miles south of Pyramid Cove on San Clemente Island where, weather permitting, we turn on a northwesty couse towards the San Juan Seamount. We plan to awaken Sunday morning at the edge of the Continental Shelf and continue northwest over the deep water between the Patton Escarpment to the east and the San Juan Seamount.
Murphy's Petrel: There are 19 accepted records for Murphy's Petrel mentioned in "Rare Birds Of California" and eight of them are in these waters during the month of May, all 50 - 200 miles west of San Miguel Island. Murphy's Petrel is known to be a routine visitor mid-April through early June well offshore (Hamilton, et al, 2007). Nearly 100 Murphy's were seen from Searcher on three different expeditions in 2003 and 2005.
Cook's Petrel: We've had good success with Cook's Petrels at the continental shelf edge over the past two seasons. 3 were seen in May 2009 from Grande. On July 25, 2009, 136 were recorded in these waters by the Condor Express. Dozens were seen by Searcher crew on fishing trips June - August 2007 in the deep water off the Baja and San Diego Coast.
Adding 8 hours to the "48-hour weekends" that we did in 2008 and 2009 allow us the luxury of staying from sunup to sundown on Sunday in the area of 2,000 fathom water off the San Juan Seamount - something we've never done before on Grande. The best way to see Murhpy's and Cook's Petrel in California is to be on deep-water trips like this one where we have plenty of time to hunt and chum for pterodromas and chance upon tropicbirds.
We expect to awaken Monday morning about 60 miles offshore with time to explore the 30 mile and Nine Mile banks on our cruise back to San Diego harbor.
Our goal is to spend all day Sunday in the deep waters favored by pterodroma in the area of the San Juan Seamont. Where we will go depends on the weather, the seas, temperature breaks, bird reports and bird sightings. More information on the trip and itinerary.....
LEADERS & SPOTTERS for this trip will include SoCal pelagic experts.
Saturday Arrival Time: 6:00 a.m.
Boarding Time: 6:30 a.m.
Departure Time: 7:00 a.m. sharp
Return: 3:00 p.m. Monday afternoon
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: Advance reservations are $325. Early Bird discount: $285 until April 23.
WAIVER/RELEASE: This is a Buena Vista Audubon trip. Passengers will not be allowed to board without providing a signed release and waiver of liability.
RESERVATIONS BY PHONE (Check or Credit Card): Telephone Point Loma Sportfishing (the landing) seven days a week
at (619) 223-1627. Tell them to wish to make a reservation for a birding trip on Grande and give them the date of departure.
ON-LINE RESERVATIONS: Register On-Line. Past trip participants may enter your user name. New participants will be prompted to create a user name and password, then make your reservation for one or more "anglers" (the landing's website refers to customers - you - as anglers). If you have any questions, please telephone the landing at (619) 223-1627.
PAY IN FULL: Some fishing trips allow "anglers" to pay 50% at signup and the balance the day of the trip. Regardless of what the boiler-plate language on the site says, all birding trips require payment in full (even if the website or telephone rep gives you an option to pay 50%).
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Click for IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the boat, the landing, driving directions, maps, lodging, weather, refund and cancellation policies, on-board facilities, meals and snacks,
HOW TO PREPARE: Click for tips on how to prepare, what to wear, what to bring and when to arrive.
BRING A CHAIR - Grande has a spacious salon/cabin/galley with plenty of comfortable "restaurant-booth" seating for meals, reading, resting socializing or napping. Seating is limited on the spacious, stable aft deck, and you're strongly encouraged to bring a sturdy nylon outdoor folding chair aboard. If you prefer to be where the action is, outside on deck the entire day, 14 hours can be a long time to be on your feet -- you'll appreciate a chair.
LODGING: If you're arriving the night before the trip, here are some economical lodging recommendations.
EXPECTED & POSSIBLE SPECIES: Black-footed and Laysan Albatross are expected. 14 Laysan were seen from Grande in May of 2009. A Hawaiian Petrel was seen from a NOAA research trip off Peacadero 23 May 2007. Dozens of Cook's Petrels were seen by Searcher crew on fishing trips in June 2007 in deep water off the Baja and San Diego Coast, three were seen on May 10, 2009 from Grande. The endemic Ashy Storm-Petrel, one of the rarest storm-petrels in the world, are fairly common this time of year. We will be in Red-billed Tropicbird waters. We expect to see South Polar Skuas, Pomarine Jaegers, Parasitic Jaegers, Arctic Terns, Sabine's Gulls and possibly a Long-tailed Jaeger or two. Xantus's Murrelets will be plentiful. It's a bit like a treasure hunt - we never know what we'll find! Learn more about what species we will probably see and what species might be seen.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Trips on this website are sponsored by different organizations using different boats departing from different landings and harbors. As such, policies vary from trip to trip. Prior to registering, please familiarize yourself with your trip's policies regarding reservations, cancellations, refunds and substitutions as well as reviewing driving directions, check-in times, procedures and equipment allowed on the boats.
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