Jan. 30, 6:30am-6:00pm; Limited to 110 registrants; $120

Trip Leaders: Michael Brothers (Marine Science Center) and Jim Danzenbaker (Kowa Sport Optic); Co-Leaders: Bruce Anderson (Florida Ornithological Society), Wes Biggs (Florida Nature Tours), Tom Dunkerton, Trip Photographer (Nikon Pro Staff), Murray Gardler (Florida Ornithological Society), Dave Goodwin (Florida Nature Tours), David Hartgrove (Halifax River Audubon Society), Paul Lehman, Laurilee Thompson (SCBWF Founder and Florida Audubon Society) and Bob Wallace

Meet at the Pastime Princess/Dolphin View Seafood Restaurant: I-95 north from Titusville. From I-95, take Exit #249, go east approx. 3 miles (past Wal-Mart and Walgreens on the right). Get into the left lane and look for K-Mart on right, and a sign that says Business 44 Left. Take this left fork and follow the road over the railroad tracks and through the traffic lights (Dixie Fwy). The road becomes Canal St. and ends at the water. Turn left onto Riverside Dr. and continue north (approx. 300 feet) on Riverside Dr. until you reach the Pastime Princess/Dolphin View Seafood Restaurant on the right. From US 1, go east on Canal St. to the dead end at the water. Turn left on Riverside Dr. and go to Pastime Princess/ Dolphin View Seafood Restaurant on the right. Drive time is about 45 minutes.

29° 1' 37.60" N 80° 55' 10.84" W

Please be at the boat by 6:00am. Pastime Princess 386-427-5393. There will be food available for purchase on the boat or you can bring a small cooler with your lunch. Be sure to bring full rain gear and wear waterproof shoes as it is likely the wind will blow and spray will fly! Weather Back-up Day is Feb. 1, 6:30am-6:00pm.

SPECIAL NOTE: Receive a $10 discount for the Pelagic Boat Trip when you register for and attend the classroom presentation "Pelagic Birds of Florida's Northeast Coast."

Pelagic birds are species that spend a significant portion of their lives on the open ocean, rarely venturing to land except to breed. Pelagic birds are powerful fliers that can remain aloft for hours while gliding or soaring. Long-time birders know that a pelagic trip can be as exciting as birding can get, and offshore pelagic trips in Florida offer a new frontier. New birders are in for an unforgettable experience. For all birders, this is an exciting opportunity to add to your life-list.

We will steam out of Ponce Inlet aboard the 100-foot fishing boat - Pastime Princess with Pelagic-trip-experienced Captain George at the helm - to look for some of the most sought-after bird species in Florida. Our destination will be to reach a productive location near the western edge of the Gulf Stream. However, we may alter course from time to time as the Trip Leader may observe the gathering of birds in another direction or to chase down a bird or flock of birds for a closer look. One way to get the birds nearer to the boat is to chum. Chum is produced using a number of food items and is periodically tossed overboard to attract the birds as well as other sea creatures.

These birds were seen on the January 2011 trip: American Coot, Black Skimmer, Common Loon, Northern Gannet, Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Ptomaine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Bridled Tern, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Caspian Tern, Red Phalarope and Rudy Turnstone. We will also be looking for Northern Fulmar; Greater, Manx, Cory's and Audubon's Shearwater; Wilson's, Leach's and Bandrumped Storm Petrel; Sooty Tern; Black-legged Kittiwake; Red and Brown Booby; Red and Red-necked Phalarope; and Sabine's Gull - all known to be found in the East Coast area. Although the emphasis of our Pelagic trip is clearly on birds, we want this to be a well-rounded experience with all of the offshore wildlife - birds, whales, dolphins, fish, sea turtles, or something else - to be observed. The endangered Northern Right Whale is a possibility as the destination is within their wintertime calving grounds. These sea-dwellers were seen on the January 2011 trip: Right Whale - 8 individuals; Humpback Whale - I individual breaching; Bottlenose Dolphin; Pantropical Dolphin; Loggerhead Turtle and an Ocean Sunfish.