Image: Tail fluke waterfall from a giant blue whale in the Santa Barbara Channel.
2024 08-12 SB Channel
Captain Danny and the crew reported NO FOG during their wonderful and productive excursion to the outer islands. Seas were generally calm. Sightings included: 20+ giant blue whales (10 closely watched), 2500 common dolphins and 1 ocean sunfish (Mola mola).
Dolphins were scattered across The Channel in pods of a few hundred individuals. This started as we approached the Kelp Farm and continued until we reached the whale grounds where megapods were observed.
A cow-calf pair with a few adults were the first to capture our attention. Soon afterwards a megapod nearly 2000 strong, and stretched out over a wide swath, came through the zone. A small ocean sunfish was also seen at this time.
About ½ mile away we watched a very tiny, perhaps newborn, blue whale that was estimated to be less than 20 fee long. It was swimming about with a juvenile that, itself, was only slightly larger. One would assume that a tiny whale would be in direct contact with its mother for protection and, of course, nursing purposes. This may be an example of “calf parking,” which some (including myself) have recorded previously. I my case, I photographed a similar blue whale parking incident near UCSB. I also witnessed a gray whale calf being parked in near the surf zone in Malibu when I worked there. A very interesting and somewhat rare occurrence. There were many more spouts all around the area.
On the way home we watched another blue whale and passed by a medium small pod of dolphins.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express,
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