2015 04-24 SB Coast
The Condor Express left the dock for two afternoon trips today: 12 noon and 3 pm. Skies were mostly overcast with little patches of warm sun, and the ocean surface was calm but a moderate swell from the west was rolling through with short intervals.
12 noon. About a mile off the East Beach anchorage keen-eyed Eric located a pod of about 50 long-beaked common dolphins. We stayed around that area for a while although and a few #dolphins leaped really high. Next up on the program Eric located a mother and calf gray whale that was pretty far offshore…at least 2 miles off Summerland. These two #whales were all business and did not deviate from their straight line northbound migration during the entire hour we spent following them. It was this steady migration that made this sighting so exceptional. One really got a feel for the flow of this migration phase. Finally we ended this excursion with another 50 common dolphins and one Mola mola (ocean sunfish) perhaps searching for Velella velella (Purple Sailor jellies).
3 pm. The late afternoon excursion found a bit more swell and bump as we ran up to Hendry’s for some looks at a mother and calf gray whale pair that were swimming close to shore. While whale watching about 4 bottlenose dolphins swam by and went into their stealth behavior. Later we turned east and locate a single large adult gray whale and about 25 or so long-beaked common dolphins.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express