A partly sunny sky with calm, glassy seas set the stage for another fantastic expedition today with Captain Eric at the helm. Many great looks were had by all as is explained below.
On the edge of The Lanes, around 18 miles out from Santa Barbara, two giant blue whales were located. The first whale was huge and the second a bit smaller. When the two joined forces they averaged less than ten minutes down and exhibited typical “circling” behavior. One interesting note, Captain Eric reports that the seas were so calm that the thunderous inhale/exhale that characterizes blue whale spouting was extremely loud and carried across the water.
Approximately 1,000 long-beaked common dolphins were also found in the same area with the blue whales. Best guess: dense aggregations of bait down below the surface kept both species engaged and on target.
The final stop of the trip was our customary (weather permitting) visit to wonderful Santa Cruz Island and its Painted Cave. The sea cliffs were looking spectacular today with a fairly large, long-period swell washing against them. This same swell created surge inside The Cave and precluded a deep penetration by the Condor Express. Several hundred California sea lions arranged, in a few mega-mobs, greeted us as we pulled out of The Cave and headed home.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express