Sun, wind, two different species of dolphins, and some really fun humpback whale antics.
- Bob Perry
- Aug 19, 2025
- 2 min read
2025 08–19 SB Channel
Captain Dave and the crew found clear, sunny skies in our neck of the channel today. There was a moderate breeze, with a few white caps, and a 4 foot westerly swell. It was perfect conditions for stimulating dolphin and humpback whale behavior! Dave ran southwest and ended up near the buoy. Sightings today included: 100 offshore bottlenose dolphins, 3000 common dolphins and 2 humpback whales.
Common dolphins were found throughout the zone, mostly in groups of 200 to 500 animals. Our first interaction with them took place just a little bit past the farm. Our last sighting occurred as we were headed home.
A slightly less frequent, and larger, dolphin, the offshore bottlenose, was found as we approached the buoy. There was a large and active pod of at least 100 individuals. As is usually the case, there were plenty of mothers with their calves. Most of the adults were very active, including lots of aerial activity, high-flying, and some intense socializing that looked a lot like body-slamming.
After watching additional common dolphins south of the buoy, we found our first whale. It was a juvenile, and according to on-board HappyWhale.com research done by our deckhand Isabel, the whale has only been recorded once before and that was in El Salvador. We enjoyed watching this whale for at least a half an hour as it went through some nonstop kelping behavior. It draped seaweed on its tail, on its head, on its pectoral fins. It rolled upside down and swam around in the algae. (See today’s photo for an example). Besides looking like a lot of fun, some experts theorize that it might be a “spa treatment” for their skin…giant kelp is one of the only "plants" that produces mucus…and who knows what that does for humpback skin? (I’ve seen bottlenose dolphins do this too).
We found our second whale little bit to the west. It was a large adult with short dive times. It was constantly moving east and we followed along for a while.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Note: 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 may allow 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:
