2018 10-21 SB Channel
It was yet another fall classic with the Condor Express in the Santa Barbara Channel. Skies were sunny and seas were calm. Captain Tasha and her crew sailed south beyond the Carpinteria oil rigs and found lots of very active cetaceans. Sightings included 9 humpback whales and 300 long-beaked common dolphins.
Humpback whales have a wonderful repertoire of behaviors that they don’t mind sharing with their fans on the Condor Express. The whales were initially sighted using binoculars as they were surface lunge feeding in the distance. Dolphins were also in the area and visited the boat. Other whales were engaged in kelping using the abundant drifting islands of seaweed for “aqua-therapy.” Another whale did a few fake chin slaps during which it raised its head rapidly above the surface, did not slap its chin back down, and slowly (as described by Tasha) “sank into the deep like an elephant seal.” There was some half-hearted breaching, lots of rolling around and even some nice pectoral fin slapping.
“Active cetaceans” may be an understatement.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com