Image: gray whales northbound along the beautiful Santa Barbara coast
2023 03-20 SB Coast
Captain Devin and the crew ran a single successful whale watching trip that left the harbor at 12 noon. There was a trace of wind, a small west swell and partly cloudy skies. Sightings: 3 Pacific gray whales.
We were just off the Mesa when we encountered and followed a pair of adult gray whales. The pair spent much of the time circling around and swimming a very “zig-zag” course on their northbound migration. On board, we often muse about how grays very definitely do not swim in a straight line to Alaskan waters, and if one could actually add up all the miles travelled circling and zig-zagging, the REAL length of this amazing whale species could be known.
As a side note, during most of the quality time we spent watching the circuitous whale pair, there was a third adult following about 100 yards behind us.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
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