Image: A “logging” humpback whale.
2023 04-30 SB Coast
The stratus layer persisted throughout the 9A and 12N trips, but with patches of sun in the afternoon. Once again, seas were extraordinarily calm. Sightings included 7 humpback whales and 1 Minke whale.
In the morning, Captain Devin headed southwest and, near Platform C, followed a single humpback that had long dive times. Further east, near Platform Hillhouse, a second humpback was seen logging on the surface. Easy to follow, but not much action. Moving back the west to an area about 5 miles off the harbor entrance, we watched a pair of whales. This may have been a cow-calf pair, but the “smaller” whale was quite large in terms of being a possible calf. The pair dove together and was not seen again.
A fast pass by a Minke whale was seen by a few.
Noon took us out of the harbor and just 3 miles offshore to the east. Here we spent the entire trip watching a pair of whales that we’ve been sighting for the past few days. As you may recall, the mother lunge-feeds a lot and mostly with dramatic, huge vertical action. A few lunges were right next to the boat.
The calf shows the exuberance of youth and is very friendly AND surface active. Today the calf did some tail throws, pec slaps, head stands, rolling around, played with a few sea lions, and made several close approaches to the Condor Express.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
CondorExpressPhotos.com