Image: a mighty tail throw from a humpback whale in the Santa Barbara Channel.
2024 07-09 SB Channel
Another high overcast day in the Channel with light winds and good water clarity. Sightings for the day included: 12+ humpback whales, 3 fin whales, and 5500 common dolphins.
The fun began just south of the Kelp Farm, with sightings of our first dolphins and whales. A small pod of dolphins was followed by a megapod. All of the dolphins were feeding subsurface on bait fish. While we were admiring the friendly dolphins, 2 humpback whales came up nearby and we had great looks.
Our friend, Captain Devin, was in the area and gave us a tip as to the whereabouts of a fin whale. Upon arriving at the scene it was actually 3 fin whales! (Thanks, Devin). We had good looks, but the whales were challenging as they had very short surface times.
On the trip home we had GREAT sightings. There were 10+ additional humpback whales, plus an additional 3000 dolphins, feeding together on a big subsurface hotspot full of baitfish. Among the whales, we watched the same mother and speckled calf we’ve been seeing the last couple of weeks. We also had a nice breach in the distance, followed by a whale that threw its tail quite close to the boat… always a crowd pleaser! (See today’s photo for an example).
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
Comments