2017 10-21 SB Channel
Captain Eric and his crew took the Condor Express back to The Flats in the eastern Santa Barbara Channel and had a whopper of a day. Sightings for the trip included: 8+ humpback whales, 2 Minke whales, 30 long-beaked common dolphins and a dozen or so California sea lions. There was a light wind, no white caps, and a bit of a swell from strong winds in the far western Channel.
A hot region in The Flats area caught the crew’s attention. There were 10 or 12 whales around the boat, and we had time to closely watch 8 of them. A few dolphins and a couple of sea lions came through the region every now and then. Three of the whales got active and spent some time rolling around, including, according to Captain Eric, rolling on top of each other. Two Minke whales passed through to feed on the somewhat scattered surface bait.
Two of the whales did some tail throwing and slapping, quite close to the Condor…close enough for iPhone whelfies. Two other whales turned out to be our pal Scarlet and an associate whale. The associate spent a bit of time doing small chin-slaps near the boat. It was a very entertaining day for humpback whales.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express