2017 07-26 SB Channel-East
It was a bright and sunny summer day in the Santa Barbara Channel, with very little wind in the morning and a moderate breeze in the afternoon. Once again, Captain Dave and his crew took the Condor Express to the eastern Channel where Mother Nature was full of surprises. Totals for the day include 500 long-beaked common dolphins, 1 Minke whale, and 1 humpback whale.
We were 3 miles south of Santa Barbara harbor when a wide spread herd of common dolphins found us. There were at least 200 animals in this group. The first wave of dolphins appeared to be a nursery pod, and the rest not so much. About an hour later we were several miles south of Platform Habitat and another, more tightly packed, group of dolphins came to play. Nearby was a single Minke whale and, during its many breathing trips to the surface, came close to the boat a couple of times for some great looks.
The show-stopper was a very energetic humpback whale which we located east of Platform Gail. It is not a full grown adult, and was the same whale we saw yesterday with the distinctive white pectoral flippers. During our 45 minute session with this whale, it threw its tail 4 times and breached 5 times. It seems like such a business-like whale, diving and swimming…but then, BOOM!
On the way home we stopped to watch an additional herd of dolphins, perhaps 150 or more, as they played in the whitecaps and wind waves off the coast of Santa Barbara.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express