Humpback whales and dolphins were abundant again on our side of The Channel
- Bob Perry
- Jul 26
- 1 min read
2025 07–26 SB Channel
The ocean surface was calm and glassy all day. Skies started out overcast with a marine layer but soon became blue with bright sun. Captain Dave and the crew ran straight out to the south/southeast and ended up on the edge of the lanes. Sightings: 7+ humpback whales and 4500 common dolphins.
The dolphin situation was much the same today as it has been for a while. We saw dolphins everywhere we went. The pod sizes were a little smaller, averaging about 250 individuals. But there were plenty of them, especially in areas where the whales were seen.
It was about 8 miles straight out when we encountered 3 humpback whales: a mother, with her calf, and an escort. The trio became friendly and mugged us for a short while which included some episodes of the calf rolling around next to the boat. (Today’s photo shows a mother with her calf).
4 miles to the south, another 3 individual humpback whales were located. They appeared to be feeding subsurface, with short surface and long dives. Southeast of the trio, we found our last whale of the day. It showed good tail flukes and there was a sleepy California sea lion nearby. It was resting on the surface with its long pec flipper in the air. (Coincidentally humpback whales and sea lions both have long pectoral flippers.)
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
