Choppy seas, sunny skies, dolphins, a humpback whale and…. a hammerhead shark
- Bob Perry
- Aug 31
- 1 min read
Updated: Sep 1
Image: a hammerhead shark makes a close approach to the Condor Express in the Santa Barbara channel.
2026 08–31 SB Channel
The sea surface was very bumpy again, as it has been for the last week. Otherwise skies were sunny and there was only a light breeze when we got offshore. The water clarity continues to be superb. Sightings: 500 common dolphins, 1 humpback whale and 1 hammerhead shark.
Captain Eddy and the crew took the boat up to the W, and our first sighting came with a very small pod of dolphins 2 miles S of Hope Ranch. The pod was in travel mode and we did not follow long, given the choppy conditions
Moving further W, when we were 2 miles past Platform Holly, we observed a larger pod of dolphins that was moving E, opposite our travel direction. With the dolphins there was a single, sub-adult, whale. It showed it flukes frequently and had a 6 minute average dive time. We stayed with it for quite a while and got great looks.
After moving offshore, we immediately found another pod of common dolphins about 7 miles out. One of the highlights of the trip today was a very close look at an 8 foot long hammerhead shark. The sighting was enhanced by the crystal clear water, and the fact that the fish stayed up on the surface and did not dive during our encounter. (See today’s photograph for an example). It came close to the boat on many occasions… plenty of opportunities for shark selfies.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
