Great sightings throughout the Channel.

Image: An offshore bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

2023 05-27 SB Channel

Like yesterday, there was a gray marine layer near shore and otherwise it was sunny. There was a moderate breeze offshore. Sighting included: 1500 long-beaked common dolphins, 20 offshore bottlenose dolphins, 2 humpback whales and 1 ocean sunfish (Mola mola).

About 3 mile out from the harbor we were discovered by our first pod of common dolphins and a HUGE ocean sunfish (Mola mola). The sunfish was busy gobbling purple sailor jellies (Velella velella) that were floating in droves on the surface.

A bit further southwest brought us nearly 1000 more common dolphins in groups of several hundred at a time.

Captain Devin and his crew then took the Condor Express south, past the NOAA East Channel Buoy, and south of The Lanes. Here we located a nice pod of offshore bottlenose dolphins (See today’s photo), and 2 humpback whales. One whale was an adult, the other juvenile.

You never know what mother nature has in store.

Bob Perry

Condor Express, and

CondorExpressPhotos.com