On Jan 1, 1983, Stan Walens and two of his out-of-town friends took a two-hour whale watching trip. A whale was not sighted on the first trip, so they got to go on a second trip for free. The crew thought it was so funny that Stan and friends were looking for birds instead of whales that they invited them back on for the 3rd trip of the day for free, resulting in an entire day at sea.
Stan reported his adventures to the San Diego Field Ornithologists and the next year (Jan 1, 1984) the club rented a boat and 35 members took the first annual SDFO New Year's Day Pelagic. Don and Marjorie Hastings were among those first riders, and have not missed a New Year's Day pelagic since.
After the first few years, Stan began to invite Don and Marjorie to come aboard without paying. Stan recollects, "They always helped on the trips by throwing popcorn chum. Throughout the year they both selflessly and tirelessly paid for and maintained the only functioning birder-communication network going at a time when most birders in that day and age didn't share information about rare birds. Inviting them aboard was a small way of thanking them for their contributions to the birding community. Marjorie was a lovely connecting force in the San Diego birding world."
Once again the San Diego Field Ornithologists (SDFO) will continue the tradition, hosting their annual 5.5 hour NEW YEAR'S DAY seabirding and whale pelagic trip, this year aboard the boat used by Buena Vista Audubon and the San Diego Audubon for their pelagic trip: Grande. As usual, we will sail on New Year's Morning, January 1, 2011. You do not need to be a member of the SDFO to join us - in fact, you're invited! Last year's trip was under maginficient blue skies.
On our way out of San Diego harbor we'll motor slowly by the live bait tank barges and the lounging sea lions, hundreds of Brandt's cormorants, several species of gulls, and dozens of shorebirds, egrets and herons. On our way out of the harbor we'll check for oystercatchers amongst the cobbles of Ballast Point or on the Zuniga Jetty. Will the Long-tailed Duck be back this season? We'll find out!
At sea we expect to see 2-3 species of dolphins (Bottlenose, Common, Pacific White-sided, Risso's), whales (Gray? Fin? Minke? Humpback?) and numerous seabirds including storm-petrels, fulmars, shearwaters, auklets, murrelets and jaegers.
Jan 1, 2009 trip report and photos.
Jan 1, 2010 trip report and photos.
Check-in Time: 7:00 - 7:15 a.m.
Boarding Time: 7:20 a.m.
On-Board Orientation: 7:40 a.m.
GATES CLOSED AND LOCKED: 7:45 a.m. sharp
Return: 1:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION: Tickets are $50 the day of the trip. Pre-registration is $45.
Early-bird registration is $35 through December 8.
Telephone Point Loma Sportfishing seven days a week at (619) 223-1627. Tell them to wish to make a reservation for the New Year's Day birding trip on Grande. This trip has sold out for the past 10 years.
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.
EXPECTED SPECIES: What we see depends on the season, the itinerary and how far from shore we venture. 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 the Grande and Point Loma Sportfishing's policies regarding reservations, cancellations, refunds and substitutions as well as reviewing driving directions, check-in times, procedures and equipment allowed on the boats.
AGE: This trip is appropriate for children 7 years and older.
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