2020 06-27 SB Channel – East Dense fog during the first leg of the excursion gave way to sunny skies on the way back home. Again, our lucky streak with mirror-like surface conditions persisted today. Sightings today included 1 giant blue whale, 2 fin whales and 2000 long-beaked common dolphins. The dolphins first located the Condor Express when we were … Read More

2020 06-26 SB Channel – East Flat and glassy seas prevailed for the 3rd consecutive day and enhanced the wonderful mammal observations (and general seascapes, selfie backgrounds, etc.).  Today we closely watched 2 fin whales, 1 giant blue whale and 2500 long-beaked common dolphins. Dolphins were abundant all day, starting just past the Summerland oil platforms which we passed on … Read More

2020 06-25 SB Channel – East There were flat, calm seas all day today with a high stratus layer all morning and sunny patches after 12 noon. Captain Dave and his crew ran southeast to an area that was very productive yesterday adjacent to the National Park Service property on Santa Cruz Island. From there he continued west. Sightings today … Read More

2020 06-24 SB Channel – East Skies were overcast on the way out in the morning and sunny on the way back home in the afternoon. The ocean surface was mill pond flat glass all day. Sightings included 3+ giant blue whales, 1+ fin whale and 3000 long-beaked common dolphins. Large pods of common dolphins located the Condor Express starting … Read More

2020 6-21 SB Channel Happy Father’s Day! Captain Colton and the crew of the Condor Express reported super conditions in the Santa Barbara Channel today. Although there was a marine stratus layer (so typical of June), the surface of the ocean was mill pond flat glass. Sightings included: 1 fin whale, 4 blue whales and 2500 long-beaked common dolphins. Although … Read More

2020 06-20 SB Channel Happy Summer Solstice Day! It was surely a typical summer day in the Channel. Captain Dave and his crew took the Condor Express across the entire Channel, to the southwest and back. Sightings today included: 1 humpback whale, 1 fin whale, 4 giant blue whales and 1500 long-beaked common dolphins. The only humpback of the excursion … Read More

2020 06-19 SB Channel Hooray! Today we resumed our normal summer excursion schedule with trips running daily from 10am to 230pm. Our run across the Santa Barbara Channel towards the western end of Santa Cruz Island, then eastward paralleling the shores of Santa Rosa Island, was very productive. Sightings for the day included: 5 giant blue whales, 1 large fin … Read More

2020 06-17 SB Channel Sightings for today included 100 long-beaked common dolphins and 1 fin whale. The skies were blue and the seas were calm. We had a visit from two small pods of dolphins, the first happened on our way out to The Lanes, and the second on the way home.  Our sighting of the fin whale took place … Read More

2020 06-15 SB Channel Although you’d never guess we only ran a single noon trip for 2.5 hours by looking at our sightings, it was indeed a short trip full of action. Sightings included: 1 giant blue whale, 100 offshore bottlenose dolphins and 1200 long-beaked common dolphins. In addition, there were numerous flocks of 100 or so sooty shearwaters around, … Read More

2020 06-14 SB Channel   Captain Colton and his crew ran two trips today, one at 9 AM and the second one at noon. The 9 AM trip started out quite rocky with winds from the south blowing again swells from the west, but fortunately everything laid down within the first hour and it became quite nice.. Skies were sunny and blue. … Read More