Phenomenal adventure today with bright sunny skies and super clear water.
- Bob Perry
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 18
2025 08–18 SB Channel
Hooray! For the first time in a couple of weeks it was a bright and sunny day in the Channel. The ocean surface was glassy, and the water was very clear. Conditions were ideal conditions for wildlife locating and viewing. Captain Eddy and the crew ran directly southwest to a large hotspot zone very close to the buoy. Sightings for the day included: 50 California sea lions, 5 humpback whales and 5005 common dolphins.
A very small group of 5 dolphins was briefly watched north of the farm. Anticipating larger pods ahead, Captain Eddy stayed on track for the buoy. There we found at least 4000 dolphins that were spread out (in groups of 100 or 200 at a time) over a mile of water. Later in the trip, just prior to heading back to the Harbor, we’d watch a megapod of 1000. There were many birdnados in the area. The usual diving pelicans, gulls, and cormorants were joined by hundreds of crashing elegant terns. There were giant balls of northern anchovies which were easily seen in the crystal clear water. California sea lions were also in the mix.
We closely watched 5 whales in this hotspot. The first whale aggressively threw its tail close to the Condor Express, then went on a deep dive and was never seen again. A mother humpback and her calf became friendly with the boat. The mom was identified (thanks once again to deckhand Isabel) as “Dos Equis,” a whale that was first photographed by our deckhand Adam on the Condor Express in September 2013. Dos Equis calf was photographed on board by our friend Suzanne last week, so this is the second time it has been recorded. The calf became friendly. Apparently mom did not “like it” and did a tail swipe at the calf, before they both took off to the west.
The last 2 whales of the day were both juveniles and they became ultra friendly, sort of a “mini mugging”. (They swam up and down both sides of the boat, and passed underneath, which was fun to see in the clear water, but they did not get closer than 10 or 15 feet from our hulls which would qualify for a true mugging). As they swam along with us, we came upon some detached floating giant kelp on the surface. Both whales diverted and did a little bit of kelping…rolling around in the algae for a while. Then they caught up with us again.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Note: In case you missed the earlier memo, on Saturday, September 6 our one and only 8-hour whale watching trip of the year will take place. It is a fundraiser for the American Cetacean Society. Depending on conditions, the extra time allows us to move further offshore and/or to stay around longer with active hotspots. The trip usually attracts veteran whale lovers from all over. It is a perfect opportunity to network with like-minded individuals. I do not know how long tickets will be available so I urge you to jump on this opportunity ASAP. Here is the link:
