2018 04-17 SB Coast
Two trips left Santa Barbara Harbor today, one at 9am the other at noon. Sea conditions were fabulous. Skies were clear and the panoramic vistas were spectacular. Total sightings for the day included 6 gray whales and 15 inshore bottlenose dolphins.
The morning trip followed a mother whale and her calf from Hendry’s Beach up to Goleta Bay. The whales moved slowly ahead with frequent little “side trips” by the calf, and the Condor Express followed safely behind the pair.
At noon two additional cow-calf pairs of whales were closely watched. The first pair was about ½-mile out from More Mesa, and the second was in the More Mesa kelp along the beach. The kelp-travelers were fun to watch and then a large pod of dolphins located the whales. The dolphins and whales interacted for quite a while inside the kelp and outside. Rolling around, chasing, and once in a while, visiting the boat, were common behaviors we observed.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com