Image: The very tall spout of a giant blue whale with Santa Cruz Island in back.
2024 06-02 SB Channel
Partly sunny skies and somewhat choppy seas gave way to semi-glassy conditions around 1pm. Captain Eddy and the crew spent the day close to the coast of Santa Barbara, never more than 7 or 8 miles out. Sightings included: 1 giant blue whale, 2 humpback whales, and 20 common dolphins. In addition, the crew retrieved 2 different floating, deflated Mylar balloons from the ocean surface. One was a scary shark.
Not far out from the harbor we watched two small pods of dolphins. They were spread out and did not come to the boat or do any wake surfing.
About 6 miles out, off Hope Ranch, we watched a giant blue whale through 5 or 6 breathing cycles. It’s down times were 8 to 10 minutes, and surface intervals were long. We had wonderful looks, but this giant never showed its tail flukes.
Two miles south of the giant blue we found a mother humpback with her calf. The pair were inseparable. They dove and kicked-up their flukes together. At one point they came close to the Condor Express and got a little bit friendly.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
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