2019 04-14 SB Channel The Condor Express made two excursions into the Santa Barbara Channel today in search of cetaceans. Skies started out with a high marine stratus layer in the morning, then sun broke through during the afternoon. Seas were calm all day. 9 humpback whales and 50 long-beaked common dolphins were seen today. Both trips today worked an …
A monster day of cetacean action!
2019 04-13 SB Channel Clear blue skies, calm seas and over-the-top sightings were encountered today as 3 trips left the SEA Landing docks at 9a, 12n and 3p. Totals for the day included: 6 humpback whales, 1 Minke whale, 30 false killer whales, 700 long-beaked common dolphins and 1 blue shark. But wait! There’s more! The morning trip was busy …
Gray whales interact with dolphins and more.
2019 04-12 SB Coast Calm seas on the morning trip gave way to a moderate breeze during the afternoon excursion. Skies were sunny and bright all day. Sightings for the day included: 3 gray whales and 800 long-beaked common dolphins. The 9am cruise found a single juvenile gray whale northbound (as they all are this time of year) at Hope …
Two gray whales on one beautiful trip.
2019 04-11 SB Coast Captain Dave and the crew of the Condor Express ran a single trip that left the docks at 9 AM. Sea conditions were moderate at best as the wind had been very strong the past few days, so sea conditions were a little confusing. Sightings for the day included two juvenile gray whales. The two gray whales were …
Here They Come: Our First Gray Whale Mom & Calf of the Season!
2019 04-08 SB Coast Captain Dave ran a single 2 1/2 hour trip today leaving the dock at 9 AM. Skies were partly overcast seas were little tiny bit bumpy, but it was warm with no wind. Total sightings for the trip included four gray whales. We intercepted two juvenile whales around the lighthouse and followed them for a while with pretty …
Humpbacks, a Gray and some white-sided dolphins
2019 04-07 SB Coast Captain Tasha and the crew of the Condor Express ran two trips today: one at 9 o’clockand the other 12 noon. Total sightings for the day included: one gray whale, six humpback whales, 10 Pacific white-sided dolphins, one ocean sunfish (Mola mola), one Mylar balloon, and thousands of purple sailors, a.k.a. Velella velella. The morning trip found overcast …
What a day: Grays, Humpbacks, Orcas and a couple thousand dolphins too.
2019 04-06 SB Channel Captain Tasha and her crew ran an epic two trips into the fertile waters off the Santa Barbara coast, especially offshore from UCSB. It was sunny and conditions were fantastic…so were the sightings: 3 gray whales, 12 humpback whales, 2750 long-beaked common dolphins and 6 killer whales. Trips left the docks at 9a and 12n. The …
Lots of humpbacks (feeding on the noon trip) and 2 species of dolphins.
2019 04-05 SB Channel Captain Dave and his crew ran two very similar excursions today, one at 9a and the other at 12n. Skies were partly sunny and seas were very calm…even glassy in the morning. Total sightings for the day included: 7 humpback whales, 900 long-beaked common dolphins and 5 Pacific white-sided dolphins. Lunge feeding activity dominated the noon …
Humpback whales, common AND bottlenose dolphins.
2019 04-03 SB Channel Today’s sightings included: 4 humpback whales, 600 long-beaked common dolphins, and 25 coastal bottlenose dolphins. Seas were calm and skies were partly cloudy as Captain Dave and the crew of the Condor Express worked their magic again. The morning trip took a southwesterly course and slowed to watch the first whale off Campus Point. It was …
Surface lunge-feeding continued non-stop during 2 excursions today…and more!
2019 04-02 SB Coast It was another fabulous sunny calm day in the channel as the Condor Express ran t2 public whale watch trips. One left the docks at 9 AM, and the other at 12 noon. Total sightings for the day included 2 gray whales, 7 humpback whales, 50 pacific white-sided dolphins, and 1300 long-beaked common dolphins. As I …
