Image: friendly humpback whale passes under Condor Express
2023 04-08 SB Coast
Captain Dave, Co-Captain Devin, and the crew battled with patchy dense fog that reduced visibility to near zero at times. Seas were calm. Sightings included: 3 humpback whales.
A morning adventure took us out into The Lanes, past the NOAA East Channel Buoy, and a few patches of fog. Here we located and watched 2 adult humpback whales which became very boat-friendly and exhibited what Dave called a “mini-mugging.” Several instances of bubble blasting while passing under the Condor Express were also observed.
Later in the day things got a bit tough as the fog took over the zone. We had run southeast and past Platform Habitat and had less than ¼ mile visibility at times. At one point, while in the grasp of the fog, we entered an area rich with active seabirds all around. Captain Dave tried to stay with this activity and sent “Osprey eyes” Co-Captain Devin to the fly bridge to work his legendary magic. Bingo. Almost immediately Devin spotted a nearby adult humpback that was feeding among the birds. How does he do it?
You never know what mother nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
CondorExpressPhotos.com