In recent decades, West Coast birders have used repositioning cruise ships as comfortable platforms to look for offshore species, including petrels, storm-petrels, and albatrosses. Many of these species are too far out for day boats, but the shipping lanes used by major cruise lines give us more time out in the deeper water where these birds thrive! Our Spring cruises are during peak season for Cook’s, Hawaiian, and Murphy’s Petrels, and can be great for Laysan Albatross as well.
We also offer fall cruises on this same basic routing here.
20-24 April 2026 on Holland America (Eurodam) from San Diego to Vancouver: This 4-Day cruise with Holland American Cruises departs from San Diego the afternoon of 20 April. Our only stop will be on day 2, with a half day in Avalon. Following this we’ll have two full days at sea before arriving in Vancouver on the morning of 24 April. No land excursions will be organized. WINGS price (guiding while on ship) is $850 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 $439 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.
2-6 May 2026 on Princess Cruises (Grand Princess) from Los Angeles (San Pedro) to Vancouver: This 4-Day cruise with Princess Cruises departs from Los Angeles on the afternoon of 2 May. We’ll have two full days at sea, followed by port in Victoria the afternoon of 5 May, with final disembarkation in Vancouver the morning of 6 May. No land excursions will be organized. WINGS price (guiding while on ship) is $850 plus the cost of your berth which should be booked directly with Princess at the number below. Non-birders traveling with you are exempt from the WINGS charge. Berth prices for this cruise start at only about $309 per person (interior shared cabin) plus tax, gratuity, and port charges based on double occupancy (about $130 per person). Details on booking a berth with Princess Cruises can be found here.
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.
Note: The information presented below has been extracted from our formal General Information for this tour. It covers topics we feel potential registrants may wish to consider before booking space. The complete General Information for this tour will be sent to all tour registrants and of course supplemental information, if needed, is available from the WINGS office.
RESERVING YOUR CABIN WITH HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISES: Your berth on this cruise should be booked over the phone with Holland America Cruises to make sure your booking is added to our group number (see details below). All cabins will work equally well with the planned activities. Price depends largely on cabin class with cabin base prices beginning at about $350 per person (interior shared cabin) plus tax, gratuity, and port charges based on double occupancy (about $110). Holland America Reservation Telephone: 1-800-355-3017 extension 29035.
Note: Because we’re a group, all bookings from North America should go through our group organizer with Holland America Cruises, Jim Picicci at 1-800-355-3017 ext. 29035 or [email protected] His hours are 9:30 am-6:00 pm Pacific Time, Monday – Friday. It’s best to book your cabin through the number above and not through a standard travel agency or website such as Kayak, Expedia, or Travelocity (or over the cruise company’s website). If you get his voicemail leave a message with the following information (or dial 0 during the message for one of his support team).
RESERVING YOUR CABIN WITH PRINCESS CRUISES: Your berth on this cruise should be booked over the phone with Princess Cruises to make sure your booking is added to our group number (see details below). All cabins will work equally well with the planned activities. Price depends largely on cabin class with cabin base prices beginning at about $350 per person (interior shared cabin) plus tax, gratuity, and port charges based on double occupancy (about $110). Princess Reservation Telephone: 1-800-901-1172 extension 21678.
Note: Because we’re a group, all bookings from North America should go through our group organizer with Princess Cruises, Melissa Mesker at 1-800-901-1172 ext. 21678 or [email protected] . Her hours are 7:00 am-3:45 pm Pacific Time, Monday – Friday. It’s best to book your cabin through the number above and not through a standard travel agency or website such as Kayak, Expedia, or Travelocity (or over the cruisie company’s website). If you get her voicemail leave a message with the following information (or dial 0 during the message for one of her support team).
Cruise Dates: 26 Apr – 2 May 2025 (HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISES)
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Cruise Dates: 3 – 7 May 2025 (HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISES)
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Cruise Dates: 20-24 April 2026 (HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISES)
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Cruise Dates: 2-6 May 2026 (PRINCESS CRUISES)
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Cruise Dates: 28 April - 2 May 2027 (HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISES)
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Choosing a cabin with Holland America:
Choosing a cabin on the Zaadam or Eurodam (Holland America ships): most interior and window view rooms are on lower deck 1. Partial lifeboat-blocked view verandah balcony rooms are midship deck 4. Verandahs are on decks 4-8 and 10 & 11. Signature Suite verandahs and Neptune Suites are on deck 7 and some are at the back of ship on other decks. This ship (975 feet long) has 3 elevators & staircase lobbies to allow you convenient access outdoors on deck 3 (Promenade Deck) or to the high level midship outdoor public viewing deck on deck 11, Sun Deck.
Choosing a cabin on the Sapphire Princess or Grand Princess (Open Bow): The closest interior (non-view) cabins to the birding spot are on Deck 5, in the front of the ship, between the elevator and the laundry. If you are worried about the movement of the ship then more stable interior cabins are on Deck 5 near the Art Gallery, though these are also near the Casino and may be noisy. There are also interior cabins mid-ship on Deck 10.
If you prefer a more expensive cabin with an ocean view the closest cabins to the birding location are on Deck 8, in the bow of the ship. Cabins on deck 8 mid-ship are also close to the birding location and more stable than in the front.
Additional information to have at hand before calling to make your booking:
As a general rule, your passport should be valid for at least six months after the date the tour ends. It is always a good idea to take photocopies of your passport and air ticket with you when traveling abroad. They can prove invaluable in helping you get replacements if your original documents are lost or stolen. You should pack the photocopies separately from the originals.
SECOND ID: When boarding on the cruise, the staff will sometimes keep your passport until the end of the cruise (and present it to the immigration service at each landing if applicable). That means that during the land excursions, you will travel with your cabin key replacing your ID on the ship. It is highly recommended you bring a second ID with photo (Driver’s license for example) in case you need to prove your identity for any reason.
TRANSFER BETWEEN AIRPORT AND HARBOR: Transfers to the harbor (from the airport) and back from the harbor are not included in the WINGS quote. We highly recommend that you organize your transfer to/from the airports through Holland America or Princess Cruises. It is easier to do it this way. They can also help with airline reservations.
Important: The cruise lines will not allow you to take one of their shuttles between the airport and harbor if your flight time for your arrival/departure is under the 6hr minimum before/after your embarkation/ disembarkation. In this case you will be obliged to organize your transfer by yourself (by taxi for example), but we highly recommend considering at least 6 hours between your flight and embarkation/disembarkation.
HEALTH: The most current information about travelers’ health recommendations can be found on the Centers for Disease Control’s Travel Health website at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list. Specific vaccinations and proof thereof may be required to enter the country.For entry and exit information please visit the U.S. State Department’s website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html. We strongly recommend contacting your doctor well in advance of your tour’s departure as some medications must be initiated weeks before the period of possible exposure.
Holland America and Princess Cruises places a strong emphasis on keeping healthy and many Purell hand disinfectant are provided throughout the ship. Unfortunately with 2000+ customers on the ship (plus a crew of over 1000), it is always possible to catch a bug, and we recommend bringing cough and cold medications.
Since it may be impossible to obtain personal medications while on the cruise, please bring what you will need.
SMOKING: We follow the cruise lines policy while onboard ship. Clearly marked “Designated Smoking Areas” are available onboard. Generally, these areas include cigar lounges, a section of the nightclub, as well as a portion of the open decks. Please do not smoke near the birding group or in your staterooms. The use of electronic cigarettes is allowed within the confines of the guest’s stateroom (balcony not included) and within designated smoking areas only.
PACE OF THE TOUR: The main tour starts after meeting on the cruise ship at a time and location to be discussed in your Final Information packet sent about a month prior to the cruise. The location of the group for birding while on board the ship will depend on the weather conditions and time of the day. This will be explained by your leader(s) during the first meeting. When sailing, the leader(s) will indicate exactly where and when they will be birding, and you can join them for as long as you want: for just a couple of hours if you also want to enjoy some of the activities offered by the cruise line, or full day if you don’t want to miss any seabirding action.
During the sailing days, the leader(s) are usually on deck birding from dawn to 8:00 p.m. and you can join them when and as long as you want. The leader(s) will need to take occasional breaks, of course. There may of course be special areas during which we’ll want to be on deck regardless of the time. The leader(s) will brief you on these well in advance.
CURRENCY: USD on board ship. Your credit card will be used for incidentals and drinks, etc.
CLIMATE: Bring plenty of warm, layered clothing for being out on the decks for hours. It will be quite chilly in spring! Wool cap, light gloves, down parka or down jacket or vest and sweater with windproof jacket, rain pants to cut any wind and/or a light pair of long underwear. Footgear should be the MOST comfortable thing you have for standing for a bunch of hours. For dinner attire, see below, under Meals. Bring a bathing suit if you want to visit the pool, jacuzzi, etc. There is also a fitness room.
ACCOMMODATIONS: During the cruise, you can choose between several levels of accommodations.
FOOD: An impressive variety of food is served on board ship. Food is served 24 hours a day, and there is no obligation to eat all meals with the group. For lunch, the easiest option is usually to eat at one of the buffets or have a pizza or sandwich. The buffet option is available for dinner as well, though some participants may opt to have a more formal dining experience at one of the ship’s restaurants. Each day the leader will let you know where and when the group will meet for the daily list round-up, and at which restaurant the group will take dinner.
Note: Be sure to select “Anytime dining” when registering for your cabin booking with Holland America Cruises.
DRINKS ON BOARD: The cruise lines offer at no charge water, ice tea, or lemonade. When on board, WINGS doesn’t cover other drinks. Therefore, any other drinks such soft drinks, mineral water, or any kind of alcoholic beverage will be charged to you. Luggage is scanned every time we go on board, and only one bottle of wine, for the entire cruise, is accepted per passenger. If you bring more than one bottle (or another bottle at another landing) Holland and Princess will charge you a corkage fee (approximately 15 US$ per bottle).
TIPPING: Gratuities for WINGS leaders are at your discretion and are not included in the tips that the cruise line adds. The cruise line simplifies the tipping process by adding, a discretionary gratuity of $16.50 per guest for suites, $15.50 per guest for mini-suites and $14.50 per guest (including children) in all other staterooms, per day, is automatically added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. This gratuity will be shared among those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff across the fleet.
INTERNET: Internet is available on the cruise ship but is quite expensive and often very slow.
ELECTRICITY: On the ship, current is 220V AC. The outlets in your rooms are the standard flat pin as in the United States. Most rooms have two outlets; the obvious one at the desk in the room but also a second behind the TV (which may or may not require unplugging the TV). If you have more than four items you’ll need to charge, it’s recommended to bring a plug-in that will give you more outlets. You shouldn’t have any issues plugging in anything that is considered dual-voltage (120/220). Check for this in the fine print on your device or adaptor. You may want to consult Magellan’s International Travel (www.magellans.com), which features a complete range of adapters and converters (and has details on whether or not you’ll need them).
DRESS: Informal dress is acceptable everywhere, but a nicer outfit is useful if attending more formal dinners on your own or with the group at the end of the cruise.
Approximate Routing (Ports of Call vary depending on sailing)
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!
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!
Day 1: Our home for the tour, the Nieuw Amsterdam, left the dock at 415, and our group was on deck, excited to see what we could find on our way out to cruising depth! Passing out of the port, we steamed to the West, with the distant Coronado Islands in view to our south. As we made our way into the deep waters, we started seeing our first tubenoses of the trip. Several Black-vented Shearwaters made their way among the waves while Black Storm-Petrels funneled by. Between the distant islands, a feeding flock had convened with several Cocos Brown Boobies feeding over them. One of the leaders spotted an Ashy Storm-Petrel in the fray and the ship flushed a pair of Scripp’s Murrelets. The most unusual bird of the afternoon was a Black Tern on a piece of flotsam. We remained on deck until almost 8pm, then retired indoors for our nightly countdown; we’d repeat this routine pretty much every evening, further stoking the excitement for what the next day might bring!
Day 2: Within twelve minutes of arriving on deck at first light, our first bird of the day made a pass on the port side: a Laysan Albatross! Several of the participants were able to get on the smallest albatross to regularly occur on our Pacific coast. In the next half hour, we’d also see two distant Goose-beaked Whales (formerly known as Cuvier’s Beaked Whales). These incredible cetaceans hold the record for the longest and deepest dives of any vertebrate at over 3 hours and to almost 10,000 feet! The 7am hour would bring a few more Laysan Albatross and our first Hawaiian Petrel! These rangy petrels are one of our big targets for Spring trips and it was great to see one so early on our first full day at sea. Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwater numbers increased over the course of the day, and we also spotted a few Northern Fulmars in the mix. Along our route, we routinely saw other more “expected” seabirds, such as Rhinoceros and Cassin’s Auklet, Common Murre, and Black-footed Albatross. As our day ended on the southern edge of San Francisco County waters, we were treated to the spectacle of several dozen Northern Right Whale Dolphins porpoising to the north! These unique dolphins lack a dorsal fin and can be mistaken for seals! Afterwards, our group did our daily wrap-up and parted ways until the morning.
Day 3: “BAIRD’S BEAKED WHALES!” Having started the day in Humboldt County waters after motoring north overnight, our day was rather similar to our first day at sea, with many of the routine cast of characters until 730, when both leaders looked along the ship and saw a pod of 10 large brown cetaceans logging at the surface. We knew immediately that these were the secretive Baird’s, a much sought-after species of the West Coast. These incredible beakers stayed at the surface for several minutes, allowing all on deck to study and photograph them. As if attracted to the commotion, we were joined by several Murphy’s Petrels, another of our Spring Repo targets, and one we’d see throughout the entire day. These high-arcing petrels superficially resemble Sooty Shearwaters, but are rather a cold gray instead of brown, and have a shorter, blockier head and longer tail proportionally. Both Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels began to join the show, giving the occasional close pass as they headed north past the ship.
Around 9am, we noticed several all-black “footballs” flying away, the telltale description of Tufted Puffin! We saw 4 during this period, though never too close to the ship. By this point, we’d been seeing decent numbers of Murphy’s Petrels, and could almost identify them at a distance by which direction they were going; Murphy’s were heading South to their breeding grounds, while Sooty Shearwaters were heading North for their feeding grounds!
After lunch, a few of us noticed a small “white-bellied” petrel off the port side. Getting a few people on this bird, we noticed it had shorter wings and tail, with a “ratty” looking upperwing: Cook’s Petrel!! We’d get another shot at this species before the afternoon was over, but never with great looks. As our day ended in Oregon waters, all of the passengers were still buzzing with the electricity of the day, as well as from having seen over 240 Murphy’s!
Day 4: Much of day 4 was spent ashore for many of the participants, as we enjoyed a quiet day anchored off Astoria, OR. Our group gathered around 4pm near the ship’s thrusters, to enjoy a primer on gull ID. Gathered in the turbid waters were Short-billed, Ring-billed, California, Herring, Western, and Glaucous-winged Gulls! We discussed the various field marks, and everyone got to enjoy different ages of these challenging birds as well. As we got underway, we enjoyed good looks at several near-shore species, such as Pigeon Guillemot, Northern Sea Lion, and Harbor Seal. We cleared the breakwall about an hour before dark and were on our way north.
Day 5: In order to make up for delays in port, the Captain had decided to pick up speed overnight, so while we had hoped to enjoy the views of Cape Flattery and Tatoosh Island, we instead found ourselves in the Strait of Juan De Fuca at first light. As the fog cleared around us, we enjoyed the beauty of the Washington coastline and were even treated to a glimpse at a few of the resident Orca along the way! We docked around 9am, and our group dispersed to enjoy Victoria, BC. Our farewell dinner that evening was phenomenal, and all seemed to thoroughly enjoy their meals! We had our final countdown of the trip, talked about everyone’s favorite moments, then said our goodbyes, another successful Spring Repositioning Cruise concluded!
- Ed Corey
Day 1: A late departure for a deep cleaning of the berths had our ship, the Sapphire Princess, underway around 530pm. Our group was on the open bow, excited to see what we could find on our way out to cruising depth! Leaving port, we picked up quite a few inshore birds, including Black Oystercatcher and Black-crowned Night Heron. As we exited the breakwall towards the Channel Islands, our group saw our first Sooty Shearwaters and Red-necked Phalaropes of the trip, as well as a few Black and Ashy Storm-Petrels. Feeding Humpback Whales could be seen in all directions. Much to our collective surprise, two Fin Whales decided to dive under the bow! It was incredible to see these massive mammals, the second largest species of whale in the world at upwards of 70 feet, so close.
Day 2: Leaders arrived on deck by 6am to see what the seas had to offer. Because of the strong 30-kt head wind and 12-14 foot seas, the Captain had decided to head further offshore than the usual tack, so we powered offshore of Santa Barbara County. Over the course of the day, we would maintain a route from 80-110 nautical miles from shore, putting us in waters that are not often covered by repositioning cruises! Our first Hawaiian Petrel made a distant pass just after 7am. At roughly 730, someone yelled out “TROPICBIRD!”. Two Red-billed Tropicbirds were spotted on the water, then proceeded to fly ahead of the ship. We would later pick up 2 more of these large white birds throughout the day, only the second time they’ve been seen on a West Coast repositioning cruise! Before the hour was up, we’d also see our first Cook’s Petrels of the trip, as well as a second Hawaiian, providing great identification lessons on the “expected” white-bellied petrels of these trips. The marine mammals kept us entertained, with both Short-beaked and Long-beaked Common, as well as Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Goose-beaked Whale, Northern Fur Seal and California Sea Lion being seen. We also so large aggregations of Velella (also known as By-the-wind Sailors), as well as several Ocean Sunfish or Mola, which feed on these small hydrozoans. Around 130p, still in Santa Barbara County due to our tach, our first Laysan Albatross of the trip showed up in association with the more common Black-footed Albatrosses we’d seen throughout the day. These smallest of our 3 North Pacific albatross species are one of our key targets on the Spring trips, so we were glad to have great looks on the first full day at sea! We’d spend the rest of the day in San Luis Obispo County, before arriving in Monterey County for the evening.
Day 3: Traveling through the night, we arrived on deck in San Francisco County to a respectable push of Red Phalaropes, with a smaller proportion of Red-necked birds in the mix. Looking over the bow, one of our leaders spotted a dark gray bird with strongly bent wings; our first Murphy’s Petrel for the cruise! These birds are often confused with the much more common Sooty Shearwater, but again are gray instead of chocolate brown. They also have a much shorter, blockier head and a longer tail proportionally. We’d see two individuals during this hour, both at reasonably close range. We also began picking up a decent movement of both Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, with many passing within close range of the bow for everyone to see. Sabine’s Gulls and both Common and Arctic Terns would slowly trickle North ahead of us throughout the day.
The Marine Mammal kept us on our toes as well, adding Sperm and Sei Whales and a female Northern Elephant Seal under the bow! In the 2pm hour, offshore of Humboldt County, we were joined by “rooster-tailing” Dall’s Porpoise. These speedy black-and-white cetaceans throw a tell-tale forward spray when their dorsal fins break the water, so they can be identified at quite a distance! We would end the day exiting Del Norte County and entering Curry County, Oregon.
Day 4: Our third full day at sea would find us traveling steadily closer to shore, from Lincoln County, Oregon to Clallam County, Washington. The nearer proximity to shore, coupled with strong winds from the East overnight, meant more migrating landbirds for our participants. A group of 3 Hudsonian Whimbrels kept pace with the ship for almost 3 hours before finally heading off to the North. We’d also see Wandering Tattler, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper and several swallows during this part of the transit. Getting into the cooler water off Washington meant increased chances at Tufted Puffin, and we were able to eke out a few good looks at this large, dark alcids! Around 5pm, we were notified of a pod of Orca being seen distantly from the starboard side. After a bit of initial struggle, we finally got all those in attendance on these amazing predators that were roughly 2-3 miles away. We were not able to confirm if they were the local Resident, fish-eating pods or the Transient/Bigg’s mammal-eaters, but numbers seen suggest the latter. We wrapped up our tour that evening with a delightful dinner and final countdown. We reminded those who joined that there was supposed to be a large geomagnetic storm that evening, with the Aurora Borealis being seen as far south as Alabama! Several of us were able to take in this once-in-a-lifetime event, truly the most outstanding highlight one could wish for on a trip into northern waters. Around 1030pm, the captain came over the speakers and informed us that the ship was down to one thruster, and we would have to limp into port in Vancouver, arriving at 11am instead of our anticipated arrival time of 7am. The evening ended in the Strait of Juan De Fuca.
Day 5: Our final day aboard the Sapphire Princess was spent slowly heading towards Vancouver. We arrived around 11am and passed a few of our participants as we disembarked. While not the way we’d have preferred to end such a great cruise, we can say that this little disruption could never erase all the highlights we enjoyed along the journey!
- Ed Corey
Ed was super. He checked in with everyone and worked to make sure all saw the birds they wanted. He relentlessly called the birds most all day every day and was on deck early and late. He has a great personality also. I very much enjoyed him as a tour leader.
- Ellen M. on Cruise: Pacific Coast in Spring
He is enthusiastic, dedicated, pedagogical. He is on time every morning & the last one to leave. He is never tired of answering questions...
- Louise F. on Cruise: Pacific Coast in Spring
The Tour Information section above links to details on booking cabins, deposit and payment dates and other relevant information.
* The WINGS tour price covers the leaders’ guiding and time on board ship.
* The deposit for this tour is $250.
** Note that a WINGS deposit or payment is not required of non-birding companions who should not expect to join the daytime birding activities. Non-birding companions must of course book their cruise berth with the cruise line.
The max number of birders for these cruises is eight with one leader and 13 with two leaders.