This is an excellent time of year to look for White-faced Storm-Petrel and Long-tailed Jaeger (mostly juveniles). We've found White-faced Storm-Petrel in 2003 (Belmar trip), 2004 (Lewes trip), two on the same day in 2006 (Lewes overnight charter), and a brief view in 2007 (Freeport trip). I have now seen 10 of these birds in the Mid-Atlantic, with a success ratio of about 1 in 3 trips.
Other target birds include Cory's, Greater, Manx*, and Audubon's Shearwaters, Wilson's and Leach's* Storm-Petrel, Red-necked Phalarope, South Polar Skua, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, and Common, Arctic, Black, and Bridled Terns. If the water is warm and blue, Audubon's can be the most common shearwater and Bridled Tern fairly regular. A Sabine's Gull was even found from the 2006 Lewes overnight charter as well.
There is no way we'll see ALL these birds, but these are the birds we would expect to see over the course of several summer trips. Some are virtually guaranteed (e.g. Wilson's Storm-Petrel) and others are much less expected (marked with *).
We will also be looking for marine mammals. Some of the possibilities at this time of year are Fin Whale, Minke Whale, Humpbacked Whale, Long-finned Pilot Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, Common Dolphin, and Risso's Dolphin. Cuvier's Beaked Whale has been seen on two of our overnight charters, and Sperm Whale was seen on one overnight trip.
We plan to head for the deep water near the edge of the Continental Shelf. The Freeport and Belmar trips normally target the Hudson Canyon, while the Lewes trip normally targets the Baltmore Canyon. We will also search for blue Gulf Stream eddies and matts of floating Sargassum weed as they attract a variety of sea life. Note that we expect to troll some lures along the way. Fishing is not a focus of this trip, but we will probably put out a few lines. IF FISHING ON A PELAGIC BOTHERS YOU, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS TRIP CAREFULLY.
Our itinerary is always tentative. The actual route taken will depend upon the Captain's knowledge of current water temperature and bait conditions, what we encounter during the trip, and attempting to maintain a comfortable ride for everybody.
Be sure to check out our Preparations section before booking a reservation for this trip!