Image: a group of humpbacks.
2023 10-08 SB Channel
A marine layer kept skies gray all day. Winds were light and variable, and there was not much of a swell. Sightings were, once again, phenomenal: 20+ humpback whales, 500 long-beaked common dolphins, and 2 Minke whales. The crew also removed 2 deflated Mylar balloons from the ocean surface today.
Common dolphins were scattered around the area in small groups. We had nothing like the thousands we've been seeing all week.
Humpback whales, on the other hand, were everywhere. We spotted our first whales 12 miles offshore before pushing south into The Lanes. Near The Buoy, we found a group of whales that were a little bit active. There was a little bit of charging around and socializing. We observed a couple of mighty tail throws. One whale mugged the boat, went away, and came back for three consecutive muggings.
The trip home was slow because there were so many whales we wanted to watch them and avoid coming to close. The number of Whales here was inestimable, according to Captain Devin. His best estimate was that we watched about 20 whales closely, but there were at least that many around the boat in the distance that we did not get to today.
A rather substantial full body breach, close to the boat, also took place on the way home.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store,
Bob Perry Condor Express, and
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