A single morning excursion encounters our first gray whale calves of the season.
- Bob Perry
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
2026 04–09 SB Channel
Captain Dave and the crew ran a single trip at 9A. There was a high stratus layer that covered 80% of the sky, wind was moderate and decreased during the trip, and there was a bump from the west. Total sightings: 4 gray whales.
The Condor Express ran a classic “gray whale search” pattern which starts by running along the shoreline kelp bed heading W with hopes of catching up with some Nbd migrating gray whales.
Not only did we have a successful search, but we ended up observing 2 gray moms with their little calves-of-the-year. All 4 of them were very close to shore (see today’s photo for an example). Theoretically, cow calf pairs stay very close to shore to escape the predatory sonar of killer whales.
As they seem to always do, the little calves were frolicking about in shallow water. They breached, rolled around, swam upside down and spy-hopped. Such joy!
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
