Successful School charter trip today.
- Bob Perry
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
2026 04–14 SB Channel
Today we ran a special trip exclusively for the Washington Elementary School Wildcats from here in Santa Barbara. Skies were sunny and a tiny bit hazy. There was a light breeze in the morning, and a bit of a W bump, which subsided later in the day. Captain Eddy and the super-sharp eyes of deckhand Cassidy located the following species: 25 common dolphins and 2 humpback whales.
The trip departed Santa Barbara Landing around 9:35 AM. At 10:15 Captain Eddy called our attention to several large flocks of double-crested cormorants which were sitting on the water but took flight as we approached. We also noticed lots of purple sailor jellies (Velella velella) throughout the trip.
We spent some quality time with a friendly pod of common dolphins that came over and rode our bow and side waves. Being the first mammals observed today, the students seemed thrilled.
We continued W, and around 10:45 AM we began watching a pair of humpback whales off More Mesa. It was a mother with her calf. Both were extremely friendly with the Condor Express (see photo taken today above). The whales stayed with us for quite a while, passed up and down the sides, particularly the starboard, and swam underneath the boat. It was a great experience. The calf did a little bit of rolling around and sideways swimming.
You never know what mother nature has in store,
Bob Perry
