2015 04-20 SB Coast
Captain Eric lead one trip out of Santa Barbara Harbor today and it was a doosy. Although we had sunny skies for this trip, it stated out a wee tad cool due to a nice breeze from the west, but as the trip went on, the wind flopped out and it was genuinely fantastic. Four gray whales consisting of 2 mothers with their calves were watched, as well as about 2,500 long-beaked common dolphins.
12 noon. We ran all the way up the kelp line to the Goleta Pier were we intercepted our first pair of gray #whale mothers and calves. We followed along up to Campus Point having had wonderful looks the whole time. At one point the pair altered its course by 90° and headed straight for the Condor Express. Although the pair was still a good 100 yards away from a line of kelp growing on the Goleta Pier Sewer Pipe in very murky water with less than 10 foot horizontal visibility, they somehow “sensed” or “knew” about this obstacle and took the radical detour way before they were within underwater visual range. Food for thought regarding gray whale navigation, eh wot?
We next ran offshore and located a massive herd of long-beaked common #dolphins that was at least one mile long and moving east. Instead of being a wide and randomly dispersed pod, or a tightly packed mega-pod, it was a very long frontal line sweeping across the water. They did show good interest in the boat so it was really fun.
Later we’d find another pod closer to the shore with about 100 animals, and that was just prior to us spotting yet another gray whale mother and calf about 1.3 miles off the Mesa.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express
Photos from today online soon at www.CondorExpressPhotos.com PS Don’t forget the all day pelagic trip on Sunday May 17.