2017 06-01 SB Channel
Another fabulous excursion on the Condor Express with sightings that included 6 blue whales, 50 offshore bottlenose dolphins and 800 long-beaked common dolphins. Seas were calm and skies started out overcast but cleared nicely as the trip progressed.
Just outside Santa Barbara Harbor a large, spread-out group of common dolphins found the boat, as they have the past few days. We spent some quality time with these animals and had great looks. Captain Dave and his crew continued on a southerly track and slowed down in The Lanes for another, larger group of commons.
Continuing on track, on the edge of The Lanes, west of Chinese Harbor, a total of 6 giant blue whales were observed. There was one pair of adults and four individual whales all feeding sub-surface. As with yesterday’s blue whales, today’s animals were non-synchronous, thus one or more (as many as four) were on the surface at any one time for a non-stop observation cycle. One was a particularly good tail fluker.
As Dave continued searching to the west, heading towards The Cave, he intercepted a large, eastbound pod of offshore bottlenose dolphins. These larger dolphins were very animated and spent a lot of time riding the Condor bow wave. We don’t often see this type of bottlenose dolphin, and it is always a treat. It was another fabulous excursion for sure.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express