Lots of humpbacks and Dall’s porpoises
- Bob Perry
- 3 minutes ago
- 1 min read
2026 03–12 SB Channel
We ran 1 trip today at 12N, under sunny skies, and surrounded by glassy seas. If that wasn’t enough, the water clarity was superb. The location of the action was approximately the same as it’s been for the last week. Total sightings: 10 Dall’s porpoises, 1 blue shark, and 7 humpback whales (we closely watched 3 of them). In addition, the crew retrieved a single deflated, decomposing, Mylar balloon from the ocean surface.
After picking up the balloon just outside the harbor, our next marine mammal interaction was with a small group of 5 Dall’s porpoises. Captain Dave drove the boat in a circle which creates a nice wake wave that these little cetaceans cannot resist for body surfing. 1 or 2 swam by the boat as well (see today’s photo for an example). After a brief look at a 5 foot blue shark on the surface, a second pod of 5 porpoises came by with the same result as the first. We had excellent looks!
10 miles offshore we found 7 humpback whales, all adults. 3 of them immediately made a beeline towards the Condor Express and proceeded to mug us for 45 minutes. They came along all sides of the boat. At one point all of their fans on the bow got soaked by their spout spray. Some spy hopping was also included in this event. The crystal clear water enhanced the view. It was spine tingling.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
