Pelagic Expedition a Huge Success ! Captain Dave and Captain Eric steered the Condor Express out of Santa Barbara Harbor around 7am to start a 10-hour pelagic bird (and mammal) expedition. We were initially greeted with moderate shop and swells from winds blowing robustly in the western Santa Barbara Channel. As the day progressed the seas subsided and most of … Read More
Many Mammal Species and a pair of Bald Eagles on Santa Cruz Island
Mirror Glass, Many Mammal Species and a pair of Bald Eagles Today A tiny bit of haze but extremely glassy conditions again today on the Santa Barbara Channel as the Condor Express motored out for another adventure packed trip full of unexpected surprises. The first surprise of the day was a big pod of 15 or more elusive Dall’s … Read More
Two mid-Santa Barbara Channel gray whales and more
Two mid-Santa Barbara Channel gray whales and more We ran south heading offshore and ran smack into a nice herd of long beaked common dolphins. The were heading east in super clear, blue water. After some nice playtime, we continued east-southeast and quickly came upon two southbound gray whales. This is pretty far off the beach an no where near … Read More
Eight humpback whale gluttons amaze whale watchers.
Ideal conditions again on the Santa Barbara Channel feeding grounds. Today we watched as 8 humpback whales and 6 Minke whales gorged themselves on anchovy schools. The humpbacks were once again lunge feeding on the surface for all to witness. At least 1,000 common dolphins were observed (plus or minus) feeding alongside the seabirds, whales and sea lions. Hope to … Read More
Five “new” Humpback Whales and More
Five “new” Humpback Whales and More Another fire cracker experience in the Santa Barbara Channel’s northeast regional hotspot today. Things heated up a bit with more bird and dolphin activity/ feeding frenzy preying on big schools of anchovies. The common dolphin count went up to at least 700 today and a minimum of 4 Minke Whales were also on patrol … Read More
Calm seas and a nice humpback whale
Calm seas and a nice humpback whale. Once again we took advantage of the extremely nice sea conditions along the mainland coast to find humpback whales and Minke whales. As is has been for a few weeks now, the day featured overcast skies and a sea surface that remained mill pond glassy smooth until we were well on our way … Read More
Humpback whales fest plus a special visitor from deep pelagic realms
It was a bright sunny day with moderate seas and a fresh breeze as El Capitan Mat ran southwest towards the east end of Santa Rosa Island, but he never made it. No worries. Nothing happened to Mat, he just located one of the most massive oceanic hot spots full of life that we’ve seen all summer long. No lie, … Read More
Huge patch of activity including humpback whales
When humpback whales are very close, almost anyone can smell them. But it takes a seasoned veteran captain like Captain Dave to sniff-out cetaceans when they are 8 or 10 miles “out there.” After an initial contact with a humpback whale just outside Santa Barbara Harbor, Dave pushed offshore keeping the moderate chop on our bow quarter for a smoother … Read More
Humpback whales, common dolphins and a bald eagle.
5 humpback whales 3,000+ common dolphins 1 bald eagle Captain Mat reports ideal conditions, with sunny and calm seas. Mat’s keen eyes and whale sense prevailed againg today. The humpback sightings were nice and one breached for the fans. The common dolphins were observed all day long throughout the Channel, and the bald eagle was on Santa Cruz Island. best … Read More
Bald Eagle sighting tops off a great humpback whale trip
Tail flukes from a humpback named “Moustachio” Two humpback whales were observed gobbling down schools of anchovies with their surface lunge feeding again today. This is always dramatic. A whale we saw 2 years ago and nicknamed “Moustachio” was one of them. This whale has a very peculiar way of lunge feeding that involves between a 45 and 90 degree … Read More
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