2022 08-03 SB Channel
“Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you wherever you may be. . .” -Vin Scully
The first half of the trip took place under a high stratus layer. As we moved offshore and to the far west, the skies became sunny and blue…and stayed that way for the rest of the excursion. Seas were calm but for a bit of a breeze out near Santa Rosa Island. Sightings included 2 humpback whales, 2500 long-beaked common dolphins, 30 California sea lions and a bunch of egg yolk jellies.
Just 200 yards outside the Santa Barbara Harbor breakwater we encountered a 200-individual pod of feeding common dolphins with all kinds of seabirds joining them. It’s always a treat when the common dolphins move in close to shore as they chase bait balls.
Captain Dave took “the scenic route” across the Channel, past the NOAA buoy, across the Santa Cruz Channel, turning northwest at Carrington Point, to final end up with our first whale sighting off the Gaviota coast, west of Harmony. By the time the trip ended, we had traveled at least 75 miles searching for wildlife.
The first whale was a very tiny juvenile and, we believe, unaccompanied by a mother. Although we did watch a nearby adult a bit later, the two never joined up as one would expect if it was a cow-calf pair. The little one was fun to watch and was found very close to Harmony.
Further east, as mentioned above, we watched a single adult whale. During one of its dive cycles it came up right next to the Condor Express, then proceeded to circle the boat and pass under the bow. It was a short “mini-mugging.” This area was full of dolphins and at least 2 medium-sized mobs of sea lions.
On the way home we saw more dolphins and a few near-surface egg yolk jellies.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com