The California Current is a hundred mile wide river of ocean water running from north to south along the west coast of North America. Coastal upwelling brings cooler, nutrient-rich water to the surface resulting in an immense biomass. To see evidence of this one only has to watch . In the fall, the California Current weakens and subtropical water may push closer to the shore, bringing warmer water species. In the late fall and winter, a countercurrent (Davidson Current) develops pushing water up from the south, this may include species more typical of Baja and the Gulf of California such as Black-vented Shearwater and Black Storm-petrel. Thus the dynamic nature of ocean water flow creates an amazing year-round opportunity for pelagic birding. Beyond the continental shelf, the water becomes blue indicating less planktonic life - a result of decreased circulation. Research cruises and occasional deep-water pelagic birding trips however, have documented an exciting list of deep-water specialists such as Murphy's and Cook's Petrels as well as wintering Horned Puffins and Parakeet Auklet.
Pelagic birding in central California centers on three areas: (1) the Cordell Bank and Bodega Canyon (2) Monterey Bay and submarine Canyon and (3) more southerly Channel Islands.
Rich Stallcup (1981) Ocean Birds of the Nearshore Pacific. Point Reyes Bird Observatory Press.
Debra Shearwater (1995) Mysteries of the Cordell Bank. ABA's Winging It, Jan 1995 issue.
Stallcup, R. and Terrill, S. (1996) Albatrosses and the Cordell Bank. Birding 28: 106-110.
Cordell Bank
The Cordell Bank is a raised seamount on the edge of the continental shelf, approximatel 25 miles offshore. It is one of North America's northernmost seamounts. The Bank rises to within 115 feet of the sea surface with water depths of 6,000 feet only a few miles away. An area of some 22 square miles has water less than 300 feet deep. The prevailing California Current flows southward along the coast and the upwelling of nutrient-rich deep water stimulates the growth of organisms at all levels of the marine food web. This is an excellent place to encounter the North Pacific Albatrosses, primarily Black-footed Albatross in the summer months with small numbers of Laysan Albatross in the winter. The Bodega Canyon marks the northern edge of the Bank. An area of some 526 square miles has been designated as the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Depending on season,
the following species may be encountered:
Black-footed Albatross - most in summer
Laysan Albatross - small numbers in winter
Pink-footed Shearwater
Flesh-footed Shearwater
Buller's Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Short-tailed Shearwater
Black-vented Shearwater
Northern Fulmar
Ashy Storm-Petrel
Black Storm-Petrel
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger - peak in late summer/early fall
Heermann's Gull
California Gull
Western Gull
Sabine's Gull - peak in late summer/early fall
Arctic Tern - peak in late summer/early fall
Common Tern
Elegant Tern
Pigeon Guillemot
Common Murre
Rhinoceros Auklet
Cassin's Auklet
Xantus' Murrelet
Craveri's Murrelet
Tufted Puffin - uncommon
Horned Puffin - uncommon in fall
Blue Whale
Fin Whale
Humpback Whale
Baird's Beaked Whale
Risso's Dolphin
Dall's Porpoise
Harbor Porpoise
Northern Right Whale Dolphin
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
Orca
Harbor Seal
Northern Fur Seal
Northern Elephant Seal
California Sea Lion
California Sea Otter
The detailed knowledge of pelagic species within the bay is due in large part to the many hundreds of offshore trips organized by Debra Love Shearwater. Details of past and upcoming trips can be found on her very helpful Shearwater Journeys web site. If you cannot join an organized pelagic trip, it is possible to see a nice selection of seabirds by taking one of the commercial whale watching boats from Fisherman's Warf in downtown Monterey. For more information, including detailed reports of cetacean sightings check out the Monterey Bay Whale Watch web page. Although most whalewatches are out for only a few hours, and often travel no more than a few miles into the Bay (in my experience, almost always to an area just off Point Pinos in Pacific Grove), it is possible to get excellent views of Black-footed Albatross, Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwater, Sabine's Gull, alcids, phalaropes and of course Humpback, Gray or even Blue Whales.
The species mix in
Monterey Bay is similar to that of the Cordell Bank and Bodega Canyon, however
there are some interesting differences, not least the large storm-petrel roost
that forms in the fall on the north side of the bay. Twenty-six species of marine
mammals have been recorded. Depending on season, the following species may be
encountered:
Black-footed Albatross
Laysan Albatross - winter
Sooty Shearwater
Pink-footed Shearwater
Flesh-footed Shearwater
Buller's Shearwater
Black-vented Shearwater - mainly in fall
Northern Fulmar
Ashy Storm-Petrel - max nos in Oct
Black Storm-Petrel
- max nos in Oct
Least Storm-Petrel - found in storm-petrel roosts
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger - peak in late summer/early fall
South Polar Skua
Heermann's Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Sabine's Gull - peak in late summer/early fall
Arctic Tern - peak in late summer/early fall
Common Tern
Elegant Tern
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Ancient Murrelet - winter
Rhinoceros Auklet
Cassin's Auklet
Tufted Puffin
Brown Pelican
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Blue Whale
Fin Whale
Humpback Whale
California Grey Whale - winter, often visible from shore
Cuvier's Beaked Whale
Baird's Beaked Whale
Orca
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
Short-beaked Common Dolphin
Long-beaked Common Dolphin
Risso's Dolphin
Northern Elephant Seal
Harbor Seals
California Sea Lions
California Sea Otters
Mola mola
Blue Shark
The islands are important breeding locations for a number of species more typical of the Gulf of California and Baja Mexico such as Xantus' Murrelet and Black Storm-petrel. These may be encountered during the boat trip from Ventura along with Pink-footed Shearwater and Black-vented Shearwater, Cassin's Auklet, Phalaropes, Sabine's Gull, Blue Whale and Common Dolphin. The first few miles are over shallow water and are characteristically uneventful but then the water gets deeper and pelagic species more obvious. The endemic Island Jay can be seen near Prisoner's Harbor or in the arid valley above Scorpian Ranch.