Thousands of dolphins and 10 really nice humpbacks.
- Bob Perry
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
2025 08–17 SB Channel
Captain Eddy and the crew ran south and ended up on a hotspot a few miles further south off the UCSB campus than yesterday. It was overcast all day and a light wind developed in the afternoon. There was a small swell from the west. Totals for the day: 2500 common dolphins and 10 humpback whales.
A pod of 200 common dolphins was found very close to shore, about 2 miles off Ledbetter. They were busy feeding on the surface with a small birdnado. We would encounter more dolphins later at the hotspot, and then a megapod south of the farm on the way home in the afternoon.
The hotspot today was discovered because of its active birdnados. There were at least 10 whales spread out in this zone and they were all around the Condor Express. Captain Eddy said it was hard to move the boat due the humpbacks. The first whale that we closely watched, for example, popped up very close. It was a juvenile whale which spent time being friendly. Many of the other whales we saw were a bit shy. Some of them were moving west, into the oncoming seas.
One individual breached 3 times very close to our bow. (See today’s photo for an example). It was a magnificent sight, and many whale watchers snatched some amazing selfies. Another whale of followed the Condor Express around for a while.
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Note: In case you missed the earlier memo, 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 allows 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:
