Image: Spectacular gray whale mother and calf in shallow water.
2023 04-15 SB Coast
Captain Devin and the crew ran a morning and a noon trip under clear, blue skies. Winds were light and variable. Sightings were phenomenal. 6 gray whales and 1 humpback whale were closely watched. Per usual, the numbers are only part of the story.
In the morning we first watched a single adult gray whale near Coal Oil Point. It rolled around in shallow water just outside the surf zone. Broad plumes of sand showed up and, although the whale may have been feeding, it is more likely it was contacting the sandy bottom…perhaps to enjoy the sensation or remove ectoparasites. Not long afterwards, we were just ½ mile off UCSB and had quick looks and a mother gray whale with a calf.
Two gray whales, a mother and her calf, were seen as we left the harbor entrance. We followed them from just outside the entrance buoy (green) to the Douglas Preserve. Outside of the Preserve we had one quick look at another single adult gray whale. In the distance we saw several breaches from a large, adult humpback. It breached twice, then, out of nowhere, let loose with a massive breach directly off the bow of the Condor Express. After this “friendly” breach, the beast went through a period of pectoral slaps and close approaches.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
CondorExpressPhotos.com
It was a fantastic whale watching excursion.The humpback was the star of the show with his breach and pectoral slaps. Captain Devin did a great job of getting us near the grey whale and calves and the humpback.,