Excitement 8 miles south of Hope Ranch.
- Bob Perry
- 12 hours ago
- 1 min read
Image: FYI - a birdnado diagram
2026 07–29 SB Channel
Conditions were better today. Skies remained sunny and clear, and the wind was less intense, even though there was still a little bit of an overnight bump. Most of the action was 8 miles S of Hope Ranch. Sightings: 3000 common dolphins, 200 California sea lions, 3 humpback whales, and 1 ocean sunfish (Mola mola). I almost forgot, the water clarity offshore was spectacular… Santa Barbara cobalt.
Captain Eddy reports a very large and persistent birdnado 8 miles S of Hope Ranch. (See diagram above) It attracted so much life that the Condor Express worked around this area for practically the whole trip… and it was a good time investment. With the great water clarity we could see northern anchovy bait balls on the surface. Passengers watched ss they were attacked by birds from above, and dolphins from below. Before long a single, small, whale moved into the area. It began moving between dolphin activities zones where it was feeding sub-surface. It was good about showing its tail flukes when it dove.
After a while 2 additional whales joined the first to make a feeding trio. At one point we witnessed some surface lunge-feeding close to the boat. A definite NatGeo episode. While we were watching all this action, there was a single ocean sunfish that refused to come up all the way to the surface…camera shy! In fact it spent most of its time hiding under a drifting, detached, giant kelp paddy.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry