Being a charter captain is the coolest thing in the world (or at least close to it) because I get to give people rare and amazing experiences. One of my favorites is when we see cool critters we don’t often get to see.
One such example is a large pod of Risso dolphins which I spotted at a distance. With some careful and friendly, non-threatening maneuvering of the boat, we were blessed to be accepted by the leaders of the pod.
We cruised at a respectable distance and watched them. At times, they changed direction and moved across our course, giving us moments when they were coming in to see and interact with us.
That is rare behavior for Risso dolphins, which are generally timid by nature, so we felt doubly-blessed. People sometimes ask me if I can take them out to see Rissos and since I am a brutally honest captain, I tell them their chances of seeing a Risso is well under 10 percent on any given day.
I can’t bring myself to dupe people by telling them they have a good chance of spotting a Risso. I’d rather say we can try, and if we do spot one or a pod, we can count ourselves to be very lucky.
There are plenty of other fascinating things to see during a day at sea that being out at sea is always a great experience.
Risso dolphins are extra special because they are larger, shaped and colored differently than our common dolphins which we see on about two-thirds of our trips.
Rissos are colored differently from one to the other, but generally are creamy white in some areas and darker in others, and the bigger ones often have many scars. Life in a pod of Rissos isn’t easy and can be brutal.
The shape of Rissos’ heads is like a pronounced or blunt forehead, giving them a powerful looking build. This shape, combined with their size (about half again the size of our common dolphin), lends them a strong and regal look.
Another unmistakable characteristic is how graceful and undaunted they appear to be.
The Santa Barbara Channel and indeed much of our West Coast nearshore environment has many such critters that are not commonly seen. When we do get to see unusual cool critters, it gives me a sense of being truly blessed, and I love sharing that feeling with my charter passengers.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
