Seven whales, thousands of dolphins in a very glassy, calm hot zone.

Image: Common dolphins and a sea lion attack a northern anchovy bait ball,

2023 09-21 SB Channel

A morning low altitude stratus layer “cleared” enough to be called high altitude. Seas were flat, calm and glassy most of the day and only lightly rippled as a weak breeze “whipped up” a Beaufort 1. Sightings were very good: 3000 long-beaked common dolphins, 300 California sea lions and 7 humpback whales. Sightings were enhanced by the water clarity.

The size and number of dolphin pods quickly increased as we penetrated the hot spot on the edge of The Lanes, east of The Buoy. Upon arrival, pods of a dozen shot up to pods in the upper hundreds. Sea birds and sea lions were there to share the northern anchovy feast (see today’s photo for an example).

At our first stop in the hot zone there were 4 individual humpback whales. All of the action, including the whales, was slowly moving east. One of the whales let out some trumpet vocalizations. Most of these whales made a close pass by the Condor Express at one point or another. Moving slightly east we found 3 more individual humpbacks.

There were a few surface lunges within the anchovy bait balls.

You never know what Mother Nature has in store.

Bob Perry

Condor Express, and

CondorExpressPhotos.com