2017 04-11 SB Coast
Captain Dave took charge of 3 excursions today, 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm. Total sightings for the entire day included: 10 gray whales, 4 humpback whales, 50 bottlenose dolphins, and 400 long-beaked common dolphins. Sea conditions were good all day until the last trip was safely back at the dock. Wow, what a day!
9am Things got started quickly when a very large group of around 30 coastal bottlenose dolphins found the Condor Express and paid a nice visit to the boat. After the bottlenose, Dave ran up the line (west) and found two gray whales off Coal Oil Point (also known as Counter Point because it is an official census location for the northbound gray whale migration). The pair consisted of a mother gray whale and her calf.
12 noon Near the old lighthouse the first 2 gray whale were encountered. It was another cow-calf pair and we followed them to More Mesa where we were visited by 20 bottlenose dolphins. It was a fast visit because we spotted tall spouts which turned out to be 2 humpback whales a bit south of our location. Good looks were had. Moving west, the crew located 4 shy gray whales off Campus Point. Finally, south of Campus Point, 2 humpback whales were followed and they fluked up regularly. Wow!
3pm A single gray whale was located outside the harbor and everyone could watch it as it headed up the coast underwater. Such was the good water clarity. Yet another gray was found up off Counter Point. On the way home, near the Hope Ranch Oyster and Mussel farm, a long, spread-out herd of at least 400 common dolphins played with the Condor. Wow, what a day!
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express