May 9, 2026 – Deepwater Pelagic Birds and Mammals

Anticipation was high early on May 9 when about 30 participants headed out from Noyo Harbor on the Kraken captained by Richard Thornton of Anchor Charters hoping to find a variety of birds, mammals, and other marine life.

The forecast had been for moderate swell with 10-15 knot winds out of the northwest, good conditions giving high expectations for the day. On leaving the bay, under cloudy skies, we found the open water very choppy and the wind already up, so the captain headed north closer to the coast than our usual northwesterly route.

On the way north we encountered Hudsonian Whimbrels, Red-necked Phalaropes, Pacific Loons, and a few hundred Sooty Shearwaters. We had only a couple Cassin’s Auklets, one Sabine’s Gull, and two Elegant Terns. Our first Black-footed Albatross joined us a mile or two from shore about an hour into the trip and several more and/or others followed along for nearly the entire day. Popcorn and chopped fish kept the fifty or so gulls with us throughout. We stayed within about 5 to 6 miles of the coast until we reached about 12 miles north of Noyo Harbor and then we turned west toward deep water. Running more directly into the wind made for slow going but we were thrilled to find our first Murphy’s Petrel, only about six miles from shore, just after 11:00. This individual made a couple of brief passes and then was gone; not everyone on board saw this bird and there was some disappointment. However, there were more petrels to come!

Nearshore birds: Pomarine Jaeger, Elegant Tern, American Herring Gull, Red-necked Phalaropes. Photos: Roger Adamson.

Within the next hour we reached the deep water convergence of the two branches that form the Noyo Canyon as it leads west. At that location, where the depth goes to 3000 feet, we have had good luck on most trips. There we found a swirl of shearwaters with at least two Humpback Whales. We put out oil for our second chum site. Soon, the two thousand or so Sooty Shearwaters and numerous Pink-footed Shearwaters were joined by two or three Murphy’s Petrels. These birds made several passes through the slick and gave excellent views for several minutes each. Photographers had wonderful opportunities and the petrels did not disappoint. About this time, we were delighted to have motored into hundreds of dolphins, both Pacific White-sided Dolphins and an impressively large number of Northern Right Whale Dolphins. For half an hour or more the dolphins were bow-riding and leaping from the water. Everyone, including our marine mammal expert, was thoroughly entertained.

At the slick: Sooty Shearwaters, Murphy’s Petrel, Pacific White-sided Dolphins. Photos: Roger Adamson (birds) and John Tsortos (dolphins).

Higher winds and our early slow progress meant it was time to head southeast along the canyon. A final Murphy’s Petrel of about 8 total visited us just after 2:00 and flew near the boat several times. Sometime earlier in the day a Laysan Albatross briefly followed our wake, but around 2:30 another Laysan made several passes and followed the boat for a while giving great views. Photographs of the latter bird revealed that it was banded with “1M3,” black-on-orange, thought to indicate it was a chick from Guadeloupe Island. During this leg of the trip another distant petrel was seen, possibly a Cook’s Petrel, but we recorded it as Pterodroma sp.

Northern Right Whale Dolphins were everywhere. Photos: John Tsortos and Ed Corey.

While most birders were thrashed by the wind and waves during the run north and west, the southeast run was much easier and there were still plenty of birds to enjoy. Three Common Terns, a few Sabine’s Gulls, and three Bonaparte’s Gulls passed us heading north. Nearing the coast, we again spotted whimbrels, Red-necked Phalaropes, and several Elegant Terns. Within a mile or so of the bay we spotted another Humpback Whale which briefly showed us it’s belly as it rolled over slapping the surface. Other sightings during the trip included one unidentified shark and one distant fur seal. Surprisingly, we had only one jaeger, although a beautiful adult Pomarine, and only a small handful of Rhinoceros Auklets and Cassin’s Auklets.

Thanks to captain Richard and deckhand Dan for an excellent trip and a well-run boat. Our next trip is scheduled for Saturday, May 30. This trip will also be a full-day trip out to the deep water in search of both birds and mammals. We also have some half-day trips in mind for June and July so stay tuned to Mendocino Pelagics listserve (here). You can see our full slate of scheduled trips through summer and fall here.

Roger Adamson

(eBird recap by Marty Freeland)

Laysan Albatross with band black-on-orange 1M3, likely from Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Photo: Roger Adamson.