Once again, thousands of dolphins with lots of humpback whales and whale behaviors!
- Bob Perry
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
2025 08–10 SB Channel
Sea conditions improved quite a bit today. The ocean surface was rippled, there was no westerly chop factor, and not much of a swell. Skies had a high stratus layer all day. Captain Dave and the crew ran a southesterly course, past the farm, and out to a point east of the buoy. All of the action today was near the buoy. Sightings were great: 15+ humpback whales and 2000 common dolphins.
We watched 15 humpback whales in a hotspot near the buoy. There were several birdnados, and, as luck would have it, there were quite a few elegant terns crashing on the bait alongside the pelicans, gulls, cormorants and shearwaters. (See today’s photo of an elegant tern). The hotspot also hosted most of the dolphins that we observed today.
Among the tall spouts all around us, there was an especially curious foursome. * It was a tight group and the exhibited unusual social behaviors that usually take place among adult whales on the mating and calving grounds in the winter. (Perhaps they were doing a little bit of early role-play/practice). There was a lot of chasing going on, as well as rolling around, swimming on their backs, chin slapping, and bubble blasting. Several inadvertent close approaches to the Condor Express also took place. It was a great and fun encounter.
On the way back to the harbor, we saw additional dolphin pods.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
*Note: Thanks to Isabel and Mark for their online HappyWhale look ups. We learned via tail flukes that all four whales were juveniles.
