2018 07-01 SB Channel
Captain Tasha and the crew of the Condor Express put in tremendous effort and brought some amazing wildlife sightings to the whale fans today. Closely watched cetaceans included: 12 blue whales, 7 humpback whales and 2,000 long-beaked common dolphins. Skies were sunny. Seas were calm and glassy. The water was very blue and clear.
Not far from Santa Barbara Harbor there were a few hundred scattered feeding dolphins. Some broke away from chasing anchovies and paid us a visit, rode our bow, side and stern waves, and generally got everyone excited. A bit further out our first humpback was found. It had short surface times and we moved onward. Not long after the first humpback, a second, more active animal was found. The beast was in a frenzied state with repeated breaching, tail throws, pectoral fin slaps and trumpet vocalizations.
Near beautiful Santa Cruz Island, the giant blue whales continue to congregate and feed on crustaceans in the water column beneath the surface. Today the blue whale sightings were greatly enhanced by the sun and wonderful water clarity. A bit later, as we headed back towards Santa Barbara, many more dolphins were found distributed in large groups. They were accompanied by 5 more feeding humpbacks. The Channel is supporting a large biomass of great whales right now. It is a marvelous time for watching wildlife.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com