Great conditions. Lots of dolphins. Very active humpback whales!
- Bob Perry
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Image: a humpback whale is shown breaching with several species of marine birds from a nearby birdnado.
2026 01–31 SB Channel
It was another spectacular spring-like day in our region of the channel. Skies were blue all day and the waters were rich with marine life. Sightings today included: five humpback whales and 200 common dolphins.
Our observations started about 5 miles offshore when a small pod of common dolphins located in the Condor Express. They came up close to take a look at the passengers, a.k.a. their fan club, and spent time riding our bow, stern, and side waves.
Captain Dave diverted over to the nearbymrig line for a nice guided tour of Platform Alpha. History remembers Platform Alpha for its large 1969 blowout that sent millions of gallons of oil all over the water and covered the beaches up and down the coast. The event received much notoriety and was written about in Rachel Carson‘s book “Silent Spring.” It is also credited for initiating the first “Earth Day.”
Further offshore we found several large birdnados. These produced a total of 5 humpback whales. There was a mother/calf pair, plus 3 additional whales. We hit the jackpot with whale behavior. All of them engaged in surface lunge feeding, then we witnessed at least 5 breaching events.(See today’s photo for an example).
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
