Image: A hotspot where birdnados take place, filled with feeding dolphins, birds, and a humpback whale.
2024 08-19 SB Channel
Captain Eddy stayed in the north Channel and ran west as far as UCSB. The ocean surface was sloppy and choppy from over night winds. Locally winds were calm until around 11 o’clock when it got a little breezy. Skies were clear in the northern channel (where we were today), but ons could look offshore and see fog bank. Totals for the day: 5 humpback whales (3 closely watched), 4500 common dolphins, and 25 California sea lions.
A dozen dolphins got things started off Ledbetter, and when we reached the kelp farm pods began to increase size. As we moved west there were more dolphins. Finally, we came upon an area with several active birdnados, or ocean hotspots, where dolphins, birds, sea lions, and humpback whales were all busy feeding together.
Dolphins in this area numbered in the thousands and were spread out over several miles. Some were seen feeding on the surface. We continued moving west through the birdnado and hotspot area.
The first humpback whale we encountered was the same juvenile that was reported yesterday. Soon a second humpback came through. It was a very large adult and we had good, but quick, looks at it. Another, young adult whale swam in and joined whale number one for a while. They had short dive times which indicated schools of fish below the surface, but not too deep. Whale number one left the area and whales two and three joined up. They made a couple of close approaches to the Condor Express, everybody had great looks.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
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