Cool weather and hot whales.
- Bob Perry
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
2025 05–28 SB Channel
A high stratus layer kept things gray all day. There was a moderate bump from overnight winds, and a breeze caused a few whitecaps later in the trip. Captain Dave and the crew ran southwest and ended up on the edge of The Lanes west of The Buoy. Totals for the day included: 13 humpback whales, 1 common dolphin and 200 California sea lions.
A moderate birdnado about 8 miles south of Goleta Bay produced several mobs of sea lions and 1 juvenile whale. The juvie was busy feeding subsurface and was fun to watch (when it was up). To the east, there were 3 additional whales, a single (we got a quick look), and a pair that was moving east and eventually joined the juvenile to make a foursome. We had a good looks before moving west.
Next, a group of 5 (a foursome and a single whale) was spotted. The entire group was in the middle of a large birdnado and all 5 had a synchronized dive cycle. More sea lions were in the mix. Moving further east we had quick looks at 2 more whales nearby, but we did not spend time with them.
Our final sighting consist of an additional pair of adult whales that took turns slapping their pectoral fins (see today’s photo for an example), and throwing their tails around. It was a vigorous conclusion for an excellent day of whale watching.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
