28 April - 2 May 2027 on Holland America (Nieuw Amsterdam) from San Diego to Vancouver: This 4-Day cruise with Holland American Cruises departs from San Diego the afternoon of 28 April. Our only stop will be on day 4, in Victoria, British Columbia. Following this we’ll arrive the next morning in Vancouver on 2 May. No land excursions will be organized. WINGS price (guiding while on ship) to be determined plus the cost of your berth which should be booked directly with Holland America at the number below. Non-birders traveling with you are exempt from the WINGS charge. Berth prices for this cruise start at only about $514 per person (interior shared cabin) plus tax, gratuity, and port charges based on double occupancy (about $110 per person). Details on booking a berth with Holland America Cruises can be found here.

13-18 May 2027 on Princess Cruises (Emerald Princess) from Los Angeles to Vancouver: This 5-Day cruise with Holland American Cruises departs from Los Angeles the afternoon of 13 May. Our only stops will be on day 3, in San Francisco, California, and on day 5 in Victoria, British Columbia. Following this we’ll arrive the next morning in Vancouver on 18 May. No land excursions will be organized. WINGS price (guiding while on ship) to be determined plus the cost of your berth which should be booked directly with Princess Cruises at the number below. Non-birders traveling with you are exempt from the WINGS charge. Berth prices for this cruise start at only about $574 per person (interior shared cabin) plus tax, gratuity, and port charges based on double occupancy. Details on booking a berth with Princess Cruises can be found here.

• April 2026 Narrative
• May 2026 Narrative
• May 2025 Narrative
• April 2025 Narrative

April 2026 Narrative

Wings Repositioning Cruise- San Diego to Vancouver – April 2026

In Brief:

Much like a seawatch on a conveyor belt, cruise ships provide stable, comfortable alternatives to day boats for watching seabirds and other marine life. Our April trip aboard Holland America’s Eurodam was a relaxed sojourn into the Eastern Pacific, targeting several species of tubenoses. Participants enjoyed definitive views of Laysan Albatross, as well as Cook’s and Murphy’s Petrels. They also observed the seasonal migration of several species to their feeding and breeding grounds in cooler northern waters, including Red and Red-necked Phalarope, Sooty Shearwater and Sabine’s Gull. Additionally, our group saw a good diversity of unique marine mammals, such as Blue, Gray, and Sperm Whale, as well as Dall’s Porpoise and Northern Elephant Seal. We greatly appreciate those who joined this fantastic journey!

In Detail:

Day 1: Meeting on deck a little before our scheduled departure time of 4pm, our group gathered to go over introductions and birding expectations while cruising. Though the actual departure time was a little after 5, we still enjoyed seeing a wide variety of in-shore and nearshore species such as Western and Clark’s Grebe, Pacific Brant, and Royal and Elegant Tern! Moving further offshore, participants were able to see at least several Cocos Booby near the beautiful Coronado Islands, as well as Black Storm-Petrel and Black-vented Shearwater, though the storm-petrels would only be seen in Mexican waters, as we dipped south near dark. After sunset and a quick bite, we gathered for our nightly countdown, reliving the excitement of our first day, and discussing what we hoped to see further into the trip!

Day 2: Our second day was a bit anti-climactic, as we awoke already in the harbor of beautiful Avalon. We were able to scope various landbirds from the ship, including Acorn Woodpecker, Common Raven, and Black-crowned Night-Heron. After docking, our group disbanded for the morning, with many of our participants venturing to the island to search for Spotted Dove and other local species of interest. At 1pm, we gathered again to begin our cruise through the Santa Barbara Shipping Channel. This sheltered water can be good for alcids and it wasn’t long before we picked up our first Scripp’s Murrelets in American waters! These small seabirds breed on several of the Channel Islands, so this was our best opportunity to see them on the trip. We also saw impressive movements of Red-necked Phalaropes and Pacific Loons and picked up our first Northern Fulmar of the cruise. Towards the evening, we began to see floating green objects on the water: the enigmatic By-the-wind Sailors! These relatives of jellyfish are often seen in great numbers, sometimes gathering by the millions. We also saw one of their predators, the odd but intriguing Ocean Sunfish. These are the heaviest bony fishes in the world, and lay more eggs than any other vertebrate: a whopping 300 MILLION! As the sun set over a nearby island, we retired to our meeting space for our countdown and dismissed to rest up for Day 3!

Day 3: Sunrise on our third day aboard the Eurodam found us southeast of San Francisco, in the rich waters of San Mateo County. Not thirty minutes after arriving on deck, we were treated to two of our main targets, as a beautiful Laysan Albatross soared into view, while a stealthy Cook’s Petrel sailed quickly away from the ship! We would tally more than two dozen Laysans over the course of the day and an impressive 66 Cook’s. The seven o’clock hour brought two more species of interest, as we watched a Long-tailed Jaeger mobbing a Murphy’s Petrel! We started to pick out the larger Red Phalaropes from the migrating Red-necked and bore witness to a strong flight of Sabine’s Gulls, with almost 900 counted for the day. Dall’s Porpoise gave great looks near the ship, with their distinctive “rooster tail” splashes exciting those on deck. A little after 10am, several individuals spotted a small group of Goose-beaked Whales, known for being extreme divers who can stay underwater for well over three hours and visit depths of nearly two miles! We also saw Northern Elephant Seal, another denizen of the deep which recent studies have shown actually snooze their way to the bottom, then wake up and feed on their way back to the surface. Sunset found us in Humboldt County, just over the massive Mattole Canyon. After our daily recap, we each retired for the evening.

Day 4: Our 4th day began in southern Oregon, where right out of the gate we had views of cryptically beautiful Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels. These and the more widespread Leach’s Storm-Petrels would accompany us all day, weaving and darting among the waves. Murphy’s Petrels started off strong as well, and we would see nearly fifty individuals this day, joined by the various morphs of the “Pacific” Northern Fulmar, as well as the occasional Laysan or Black-footed Albatross. Our first views of Tufted Puffin were in the 11-o’clock hour. These heavy-set alcids look all black in flight, as compared to the grayish, white-bellied appearance of the more common Rhinoceros Auklets. Of the many non-avian highlights were pods of Pacific White-sided and Northern Right Whale Dolphins seen along the route. Leaving the deck a bit early to make our scheduled dinner reservation, our day ended in Clallam County, Washington, not far from the turn into the Straight of Juan de Fuca. We all enjoyed a fantastic dinner and celebratory drink, then convened in the Stuyvesant Room for our fourth and final recap, where everyone gave their personal highlights of the trip and then said our goodbyes, wrapping up an excellent journey in the Eastern Pacific!

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May 2026 Narrative

Wings Repositioning Cruise- Los Angeles to Vancouver – May 2026

In Brief

It can be difficult for day boats to reach the deep waters where petrels roam, but shipping lanes used by cruise ships go right through those offshore strongholds! Aboard the stable and sturdy Grand Princess, we journeyed from the warm waters of Southern California to the cool climes of Oregon and Washington, all the while enjoying the breathtaking marine life of the eastern Pacific. We were treated to outstanding views of Murphy’s and Hawaiian Petrels; observed ponderous Laysan and Black-footed Albatross sailing over the waves; and noted the impressive migration of jaegers, phalaropes, and Sabine’s Gulls as they marched toward more northern latitudes for the Boreal Summer. Along the way, we encountered mysterious mammals of the deep, including Baird’s Beaked Whale, Goose-beaked Whale, Sperm Whale, and Northern Elephant Seal. We also saw enigmatic creatures such as Ocean Sunfish and By-the-wind Sailors. No two days on the ocean are ever the same, and that’s what always keeps us coming back for more!

In Detail

Day 1: Our group met prior to departure on the bow of the luxurious Grand Princess, where we’d spend most of our time at sea. Open-bow ships provide a unique advantage when scanning for marine life, and we were lucky to have that the Grand Princess comes with this level of access. After discussing the basics of the tour, including port/starboard, clock directions, daily schedules and other important items, we arranged ourselves and prepared to depart. As we left the dock, we scanned for Western Grebes, Red-throated Loons, and Elegant Terns in the waters of the harbor. Moving offshore, we encountered a pair of Clark’s Grebes near the ship, as well as dozens of Red-necked Phalaropes continuing their northward travels to their breeding grounds. A fleeting pair of Scripp’s Murrelets slipped past the ship before disappearing into the waves. Several participants saw a brief glimpse of a Blue Shark, while everyone enjoyed the expanses of By-the-wind Sailors and their curious predators, Ocean Sunfish. As the light dimmed on our first day, we retired to a lounge for our daily countdown before parting ways for the night, eager to see what the next day might hold.

Day 2: We began our second day with a bang, as two beautiful Laysan Albatross graced us with distant but distinctive views in the warm waters of Santa Barbara County. Laysans, or mōlī, are our smallest regularly occurring albatross in the eastern Pacific, though they still sport an impressive wingspan of 6.5 feet! They are also the oldest known species of bird, with one well-studied individual, Wisdom, still laying eggs at the ripe old age of 75! Moving north into Central California, we began to pick up white-rumped “Northern” Leach’s Storm-Petrels, with at least two all-dark Ashy Storm-Petrels in the mix. A little before nine, there was a call on deck about a petrel passing on the starboard side. A quick study of the dark back, long wings and tail, and dark ulnar bar confirmed our first Hawaiian Petrel, or ua’u, of the trip! These “white-bellied” petrels are often shy, so we were lucky to have this bird with us for several minutes before it sailed off into the blue. As we neared the productive waters of Monterey Canyon, activity increased overall. We spotted a distant Fin Whale, the second largest animal on earth, as well as an impressive Sperm Whale! Sperm Whales only blow out of the left side of their heads, as the right nostril is closed. Some scientists believe this helps act as an amplification chamber for their clicks, which are the loudest biological sounds on Earth at 230+ decibels! And while these whales are known for their extraordinary trips to the deep, the Goose-beaked Whales observed later in the day are the real record holders, known to travel almost 2 miles below the surface and remaining down there for over 3.5 hours!

Around mid-afternoon, we saw our first Murphy’s Petrel of the cruise in San Mateo County waters. These incredibly fast, agile tubenoses are heading south in Spring, to breed on islands in the southern Pacific. Though superficially similar to Sooty Shearwaters, Murphy’s Petrels have more curved wings, shorter necks, and stronger beaks than Sooties. After sunset, our group met for the countdown, talked about highlights of the day, and then headed to our rooms to prepare for an exciting third day on the ocean!

Day 3: Humboldt County welcomed us on our third day with a flurry of activity, including a modest flight of Leach’s Storm-Petrels, intermixed with a smattering of Murphy’s Petrels, all within the first hour on deck! Dall’s Porpoise steamed alongside the ship, their characteristic “rooster tails” evident as they raced through the waves. As we plodded into the cooler waters of southern Oregon, our first Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel appeared. These all gray stormies have a more direct flight than the nighthawk-like Leach’s, and can disappear into the waves on overcast days, making it a challenge to see at times. Thankfully we would see quite a few more throughout the day, and all participants eventually became “tuned in” to their flight and color pattern.

All three jaegers were on the move, with views of Long-tailed, Parasitic (Arctic), AND Pomarine for comparison. A little before 2, someone noticed a large cetacean near the ship. As it logged on the surface, we could see its brown skin and long slim beak, indicators of a Baird’s Beaked Whale! These enigmatic mammals often travel in large pods of 20-50, and are the largest beaked whales in the world, with some individuals nearing 40 feet in length. This individual was roughly half that size, leading us to speculate that it might have been a young animal left at the surface while the adults fed at depth. Alcid numbers began to increase as we traveled north, with quite a few Rhinoceros Auklet seen in passing. A little after 6, we noticed an all-black alcid flying away from the ship in the distance: a Tufted Puffin! This unsatisfactory glimpse was the only sighting of this species for the cruise, but several participants were able to see it briefly. Our day ended in Tillamook County, Oregon, reviewing the species seen and resting up for our last day on the water…

Day 4: Our final day on the bow started just offshore of Cape Flattery, in the astoundingly rich waters of Swiftsure Bank, the canyon that lies between Washington and British Columbia, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean. There were birds everywhere! Alcids and phalaropes by the hundreds, streams of Pacific and Common Loons, hundreds of Sabine’s Gulls and a few shearwaters as well. While scanning the flocks, we noticed a small black-and-white shearwater with a clean white undertail: Manx Shearwater! These birds have long been suspected of breeding in BC, and small numbers can often be found in these waters. Standing out among the larger alcids were a pair of Ancient Murrelets, with their gray backs contrasting sharply with their dark heads. Turning into the straight, we headed East towards Victoria, passing skeins of scoters, rafts of Rhinoceros Auklets, and crowds of Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants. As we docked, we had glimpses of Pigeon Guillemot as well as a flyby Black Oystercatcher, wrapping up our birding adventure on the bow. That evening, we celebrated with a delicious dinner and toast to our success, before gathering for the final countdown and goodbyes. Everyone came away with new birds, new friends, and a new appreciation for the wonder that is the sea.

-Ed Corey

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May 2025 Narrative

Day 1: With later boarding times and an earlier scheduled departure, the group met briefly at 2pm to go over the basics of the tour, then migrated to the forward Promenade to be in place as we left the dock around 3. Our passengers practiced their clock directions as we maneuvered out of the harbor. Elegant Terns winged past, while groups of Brandt’s Cormorants and Brown Pelicans dotted the piers and beaches. As we cleared the breakwall, we spotted a few rafts of Western Grebes, with at least a couple of the less common Clark’s Grebes in the mix. California Sea Lions relaxed on the ringing buoys while we made our way offshore. Before reaching the 9 Mile Bank, we spotted a Black-footed Albatross in a flock of Western Gulls. There were also a few Cassin’s Auklets flying around, as well as Scripps’s Murrelets, while our numbers of Black Storm-Petrels increased as we continued pushing into deeper waters. Several jaegers, including both Parasitic and Pomarine, attended the migrating Sabine’s Gulls as they headed north. As forecasted, the winds and seas picked up towards evening as we entered Los Angeles County waters.  We spotted a distant Laysan Albatross in the building waves before wrapping up for the night. 

Day 2: Around 230 in the morning, the entire ship was jolted back and forth several times. Passengers were rolled out of bed, while many of the dishes and glasses in the galley were broken. We later found out this was due to a rogue wave. Considering we were in 16-20’ seas when this was told to us, we could only imagine how large that wave must have been! When we awoke at first light, we found out that the promenade deck was off limits in the day’s conditions. Sustained 35-40 kt winds are no sweat to seabirds, but we humans still have some difficulty navigating slippery walkways, so it was up to the leaders to find a safe and accessible spot to hang out. After some 7am calls, we all made it to a quiet deck on the stern to spend our day. 

The huge seas were challenging but the birds were out there! Our first Cook’s Petrel showed up a little after 8 while still in the warm waters of Santa Barbara County. Shortly thereafter, our first Hawaiian Petrel was spotted, allowing for good comparisons between the two white-bellied petrels. Through the waves, we were able to see several peculiar but spectacular Northern Right Whale Dolphins, as well as a few deep-diving Northern Elephant Seals. Numbers of Red Phalaropes moved along with us in their gorgeous summer plumages. In the wash of the engines, large groups of By-the-wind Sailors, unique nomadic hydroids, stretched for miles. Our day ended in Monterey County, and our group wrapped up with our daily countdown before heading to bed.

Day 3: The forecast for Day 3 was for diminishing seas after lunch, so we found ourselves in the stern at first light, a little west of San Francisco. Before 730a, we had already seen 3 different Hawaiian Petrels. Crossing into Marin County and moving to the recently opened promenade deck, a worn darker shearwater created a good bit of excitement before we settled on the ID as a very worn Sooty (seabird ID is occasionally a group decision!). In the still-impressive waves of the morning, a Sei Whale gave us fantastic looks as it surfaced near the ship while it foraged with several nearby Fin Whales. Moving north, Mendocino County gave us our first looks at Murphy’s Petrels, just after 10am. We also saw several migrating Whimbrel, as well as more expected Leach’s Storm-Petrels and Northern Fulmar. Sabine’s Gull numbers increased, and we encountered flocks of 30-40 at times. 

Just after 2pm, Ben started excitedly pointing towards the stern: a pod of Transient Orca leaping in the waves! This group consisted of at least 3 females and a large male; we hope to get an ID on the male if we’re able to get more pictures to the experts. During the 3 o’clock hour, Ben spotted a smaller white-rumped storm-petrel moving along with the Leach’s: a rare-for-Spring Wilson’s! Even more surprising is that more than half of the participants were able to get on the bird!! A few hours later, while following a Laysan and Black-footed Albatross as they moved down starboard, several people photographed a different looking tan bird with the albatrosses: a pale-morph South Polar Skua. These are more expected later in the season, so getting one in early May was a welcome surprise. We ended the day in Humboldt County, wrapping up with a countdown and retreating to our cabins for some well-deserved rest!

Day 4: The seas and wind finally subsided as we awoke in southern Oregon, but our slowed pace had put us behind for our arrival into Vancouver. We wouldn’t be stopping in Victoria as planned, which meant another full day at sea! Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels joined our northerly route, zipping between the decreasing waves. Numbers of Murphy’s Petrels passed by, heading towards the Southern Hemisphere for their breeding season. Our first Dall’s Porpoise showed in the 11 o’clock hour. These small but fast cetaceans have a characteristic “rooster tail” spray, created by the shape of their dorsal fins. Passing over Astoria Canyon and out of Oregon waters, we were treated to fantastic looks at a Sperm Whale.

After lunch, we picked up our first Tufted Puffins, with nearby Rhinoceros Auklets for comparison. The group also had great looks at Northern Fur Seals relaxing in their “jug handle” poses, whereby they expose just the flippers in order to warm up. Because of dining room scheduling, we had our appreciation dinner around 530, and were back on deck for more scanning by 630 (talk about a dedicated group!!). The number of birds as we neared Cape Flattery was quite impressive, though it was easy to lose even large birds in the ground swells. Finally, we resigned inside to do our final wrap-up, each of us thankful for the experience, and everyone taking away that much more reverence and appreciation for marine ecosystems and the species which call them home!

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April 2025 Narrative

Day 1: Our group met at 3pm to go over introductions and birding expectations while cruising. Moving towards the port bow for our 4pm departure, we enjoyed seeing a wide variety of in-shore and nearshore species such as Western and Clark’s Grebe, Pacific Brant, and Royal and Elegant Tern! Moving further offshore, participants were able to see at least two Cocos Booby near the beautiful Coronado Islands. A highlight for the evening was a distant Laysan Albatross, though excitement was SLIGHTLY tempered when we realized that this bird was actually seen in Mexican waters! Our ship had taken a more southerly tack due to the winds, which led us into waters outside of the ABA coverage area, but we would just consider this practice for day 2!

Day 2: Our second day, and the first full day at sea, began in Ventura County, with a few distant Laysan Albatross (in US waters this time) and several Cook’s Petrels! We had more of these small Cookilaria petrels throughout the morning, as we passed into Santa Barbara County, where we picked up a resting Red-billed Tropicbird! Ending the day in San Luis Obispo waters, we were able to spot our first Murphy’s Petrel of the trip, with attending Sooty Shearwaters letting us compare this dark medium-sized Pterodroma with the more heavy-bodied and straighter-winged Sooties. We wrapped up our day with our usual countdown, everyone retiring in anticipation of what we’d see the next day!

Day 3: Sunrise on our third day aboard the Eurodam found us southeast of San Francisco, in the rich waters of San Mateo County. We were on deck early, to take advantage of the open bow access granted in the protected nearshore waters. Common Murres and Surf Scoters flew past in loose flocks, while the Western Gulls began to pile in towards the ship. Much to the delight of the passengers, the trademark San Francisco fog lifted just in time for us to pass under the glorious span of the Golden Gate Bridge. As we neared port, we spotted some distant, low whale blows: Gray Whales! These gentle giants migrate from the warm waters off of Baja California in the Winter to the rich, productive seas of the Arctic in the Summer. Once docked for the day, we made our plans for our next full day before everyone departed for their respective day ashore!

Day 4: Rested and rejuvenated after our time in San Francisco, we were all raring to go on the morning of Day 4. At sunrise, we were well within Mendocino County and immediately began seeing numbers of Murphy’s Petrels! These “chocolate rockets”, so nicknamed for their propensity to reach towering heights during their spectacular arcs, spend austral winter in the northern Pacific, migrating back to the southern Hemisphere from April to June to breed. A little after 9am, the call went out for a larger, white-bellied petrel with a dark back: Hawaiian Petrel! Unlike the smaller Cook’s, these birds present as longer winged and tailed, giving them a more stretched appearance. We also began to pick up a few more northward migrants, such as Sabine’s Gull and Arctic Tern, the species which holds the record for the longest migration of any animal, more than 55,000 miles from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic! Winding through Humboldt County in the afternoon, the sun set for us in Del Norte, the last county before Oregon. We met afterwards to go through our lists, everyone still quite pleased with a busy day in northern California!

Day 5: Our 5th day began in southern Oregon, with an uptick in overall diversity. We began seeing more alcids, including great looks at Rhinoceros Auklets. Sabine’s Gulls were nearly constant on the horizon, while the small and furtive Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels were a fun challenge to spot before zipping around the bow. A little before noon, we started picking up Tufted Puffins on the water and in flight. These puffins look all black in flight, as compared to the grayish, white-bellied appearance of the Rhinos. Of the non-avian highlights were multiple Sperm Whales seen along the route. True denizens of the deep, these largest of the toothed whales were identified by their left-facing blows; the right nostril is completely sealed, to act as a resonance chamber for their impressively boisterous echolocations! As we entered into Washington waters, we picked out multiple Dall’s Porpoise, as well as Northern Elephant Seal and several Northern Fur Seals. As the light waned, we did our daily review and each headed to rest for our final day of the tour.

Day 6: Having gained some speed overnight, the captain and crew had deftly steered us into the Strait of Juan de Fuca by first light. Here we picked up more of our inshore species, such as Pigeon Guillemot and the first Short-billed Gulls of the trip. The passengers enjoyed teasing out Pelagic Cormorants from the flocks of Brandt’s Cormorants, the thin necks and white flank patches becoming more obvious with each passing skein. Keen eyes picked out a few small, brownish Marbled Murrelets along the way as well. As we neared Victoria and the end of our birding tour, the group scanned each rock outcrop, and were rewarded with looks at Harlequin Duck, Black Oystercatcher, and Surfbird! The ship docked a little after 11:30am, when everyone adjourned to make their own day on shore. That evening, we had a fantastic dinner and final wrap-up, with each person recounting their favorite moments or animals. We all said our goodbyes, ending a fantastic time at sea!

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