Ocean and Cetacean Lovers: Today was the final day of our Island Whale Watch trips out to observe southbound Gray Whales. And what a day we had. It started with the mill pond glass ocean conditions that lasted pretty much all day….bright sun and at least 35 mile visibility. These were optimum cetacean spotting conditions and, boy oh boy, did we ever spot them today! Captain Dave and crew steered a course into the Santa Cruz Channel (between Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island) to find Gray Whales, but the trip across the channel was the real story. Today was a spectacular day and this is what the Condor expressly saw:
2 Gray Whales (one going north, one going south…do they communicate underwater as they pass each other??) 75 Dall's Porpoise (extremely playful and rode the bow for a long time in crystal blue water)
20 Risso's Dolphins (good, close sightings in blue water)
300 Common Dolphins (friendly, as always)
1 Harbor Seal (in the open ocean)
25 California Sea Lions (rafting and playing)
6 Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (near the Harbor)
And all of this in one day! You never know what Mother Nature has in store for you in the way of fabulous sightings when you come on board. We watch whales every day of the year (except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Beginning tomorrow, we shift over to coastal trips in search of Gray Whales on their way back home in the Bering Sea. If you want to catch a final glipse of southbound whales, or see the islands close up and personal, make your reservations now. Make your reservations now and join the Gray Whale migration and whatever else is happening out there. Call 888-77WHALE or 805-882-0088 to book your trip. In addition to the expert crew on the Condor Express with over 35 years of experience, Channel Islands Naturalist Corps volunteer naturalists, representatives from the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park, are also available to answer your questions during the trip.
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PS. If you have not received our semi-monthly newsletters, they are available online for your viewing pleasure at <https://www.issuu.com/condorexpress> If you would like to be added to the Condor Club list that receives our newsletters, please let me know at <Mr.Zalophus@gmail.com> and I will add you to our list for future issues.
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