Pelagic trip report:
Friday, August 10, 2001
Newport, Oregon to 35 miles off Lincoln City
12-hours albacore trip

I accompanied a tuna trip, as a non-fishing passenger, on Friday, August 10, 2001. The trip was 12-hours in duration. It originated from Newport, Oregon, and spent most of the daylight hours offshore in deeper waters about 40 miles off Lincoln City. I observed birds as we trolled and circled at 6-knots in this area. However, most of the birds were seen on the trip out (after the sun rose) and during the trip back to port.

Highlights: 1 XANTUS'S MURRELET, 2 SOUTH POLAR SKUAS, numerous jaegers.

Summary: This is a satisfactory alternative to a scheduled pelagic trip. There were fewer birds in deep water, including a couple of hour-long periods without any birds sighted at all. There was no chumming, so storm-petrels and jaegers did not closely approach the normally large numbers of birds we gather. But good looks were had of most birds, including close fly-bys of Black-footed Albatrosses and shearwaters.

5:00 AM to 6:00 AM
Dark

6:00 AM to 6:45 AM
8-22 miles NW of Newport
8 Black-footed Albatross (first one 12 miles NW Newport)
45 Pink-footed Shearwater
10 Sooty Shearwater
4 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
2 Dall's Porpoise
1 Ocean Sunfish

6:45 AM to 7:20 AM
22-28 miles NW Newport
2 Sooty Shearwater
1 SOUTH POLAR SKUA
3 Parasitic Jaeger
4 Western Gull
1 XANTUS'S MURRELET
1 Brewer's Blackbird

7:20 AM to 8:00 AM
28-40 miles NW Newport
1 Black-footed Albatross
8 jaeger (sp.) (Parasitic or Long-tailed)

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
42 miles NW Newport
1 Black-footed Albatross
1 Sooty Shearwater
1 storm-petrel (sp.) (possible Leach's)
3 Parasitic Jaeger
5 jaeger (sp.)
1 Herring Gull
7 Western Gull
1 Common Tern

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
42 miles NW Newport
1 Sooty Shearwater
1 Buller's Shearwater
2 Pomarine Jaeger
2 Parasitic Jaeger

10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
40-45 miles NW Newport
2 Black-footed Albatross
6 Sooty Shearwater
1 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
1 SOUTH POLAR SKUA
4 Parasitic Jaeger
1 Pomarine Jaeger
1 jaeger (sp.)
1 California Gull
4 Western Gull
2 Common Tern

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
40-45 miles NW Newport
No birds (about half of the 30+ tuna caught at this time)

4:00 PM
25 miles NW Newport
2 Pink-footed Shearwater
2 Sabine's Gull
2 Rhinoceros Auklet
1 Dall's Porpoise

4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
25 to 3 miles NW Newport (increasing fog)
(incomplete list)
1 Black-footed Albatross
3 Northern Fulmar
900 Sooty Shearwater
45 Pink-footed Shearwater