Fogust 27, 2022 – SB Channel
Today we hosted an 8-hour private charter on behalf of the American Cetacean Society, Los Angeles Chapter. A high stratus layer persisted for a few hours then patches of sun and blue skies appeared. Lateral visibility was better than it has been for a week or more. Sightings included: 1 humpback whale, 4 offshore bottlenose dolphins, 1500 long-beaked common dolphins, 2300 short-beaked common dolphins and, on San Miguel Island at Cuyler Harbor, 25 northern elephant seals on the beach.
Scattered small pods of dolphins were around most of the day. It wasn’t until we were north of Santa Rosa Island (see attached map) that large aggregations attracted sea birds and formed small hot spots without humpback whales.
Captain Dave and the crew continued west on a parallel course following the islands. At San Miguel, as mentioned above, we went inside beautiful Cuyler Harbor and found ideal, sunny and calm conditions. Our target species, the northern elephant seal, was present…per usual.
As we departed San Miguel Island we had a brief visit with a small group of offshore bottlenose dolphins, then we continued to circumnavigate the Channel.
South of Platform Holly we found, and identified, a lone humpback whale, named “Stevie Bubbles.” Stevie Bubbles is named in honor of Steve Cruze, former first mate on the ‘Matt Walsh.’ It has been recorded only 3 times in the past, all in 2018 off the coast of Palos Verdes. It appropriate that so many people that knew Steve were on board today’s trip when the whale named after him visited us.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com