A seven gray whale pod, lots of dolphins and cormorants.
- Bob Perry
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
2026 03–27 SB Channel
Captain Dave and the crew ran a single 9A excursion under a high stratus layer with patches of blue. The water clarity was exceptional again today, and there was a moderate W bump that made life interesting. Total sightings for the trip: 75 common dolphins and 7 gray whales.
The trip got started right away when we encountered a small pod of about 75 common dolphins near Ledbetter. They were spread out over 1/2 mile, and were extremely boat friendly. Just like the whales we’d see later, the extreme water clarity made every sighting a spine-tingler.
The Condor Express traveled W, up the coast, as far as we could in the time allowed. Before turning S, captain Dave gave everyone a tour of the world-famous Platform Holly near Coal Oil Point and close to the UCSB campus. It is famous because the surrounding ocean has numerous natural gas and oil seeps, and they have been studied by the UC faculty for decades. It has always been the source of most of the asphalt/tar that you see washed up on the sand at the beach when the wind blows it in.
A special note from our deck hand Aspen who points out that the area, about 1.5 miles S of the campus, has fostered an aggregation of about 500 cormorants. Although they have been seen flying infrequently, they’ve most often been viewed as a tight flock floating on the ocean surface. (See today’s photo for an example of this interesting bird). Thanks Aspen!
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
