Image: a mega pod of common dolphins and their fan club.
2024 03-14 SB Channel
Skies were sunny all day. The islands and the mainland were clearly visible. Gale winds blew all night thus creating a rather bumpy ocean surface for both trips today. This was not so bad on the 9 AM trip because there was no wind. But on the noon trip, the wind did blow for a while and it was blowing against the oncoming seas. Luckily there was a hearty, sea faring, bunch of whale watchers out today! Sightings for the day included: 4000 long-beaked common dolphins and 5 gray whales.
In the morning, we were 5 miles south of the Mesa when we encountered a mega pod of about 1000 dolphins moving north east… back towards shore! Wonderful air clarity enhanced this sighting. The dolphins were playful and fun to watch. The excellent visibility allowed us to easily locate two nearby northbound whales which were soon joined by the previously mentioned megapod of dolphins. Lots of fun.
At noon, Captain Dave took everyone up to Platform Holly on a search for coastal/near shore whales. He then moved the Condor Express offshore where we found one juvenile northbound whale. It was running a zigzag pattern which benefited us…the whale ended up traveling alongside, first on one side, then on the other. It was an equal opportunity whale. To the southeast, there was an even larger megapod than we had in the morning, with at least 3000 dolphins spread over a mile. They were actively feeding, and there were lots of birds around. As we were heading east back to the harbor, we slowly passed two more gray whales that were going in the opposite direction
You never know what Mother Nature has in store
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
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