It was a leisurely afternoon full of cetaceans of all sizes. Captain Dave left the dock at 12 noon and headed out into the Santa Barbara Channel as the morning low clouds began to break to allow spots of afternoon warmth. Sea conditions were also excellent. On this trip the Condor Express crew located 2 trios, or 6 gray whales … Read More
An all time epic “killer” day in the Santa Barbara Channel
Killer day in the Santa Barbara Channel An all time epic or “killer” day in the Santa Barbara Channel As the Condor Express headed south out of Santa Barbara Harbor we were met with a mill pond flat glass sea surface, no wind and long sleeve tee shirt weather. The water was clear and blue, and the above water vistas … Read More
Five gray whales, Rissos dolphins, Dall’s Porpoise and lots more
Across to beautiful Santa Cruz Island we went today, and it was clear enough to see all 4 of the Channel Islands. At the mid-Channel point we encountered 5 wonderful little Dall’s Porpoise and circled around with them a few times. This is our first Dall’s sighting of the Winter. About 3 miles north of the island we ran alongside … Read More
Humpback whale sets new Santa Barbara Channel record for pectoral fin slaps
A humpback whale set a new Santa Barbara Channel record for pectoral fin slaps today with 114 consecutive slams. In addition, extra “style points” had to be awarded for using both the right pectoral fin and the left pectoral fin. At several points in the episode one could see the humpback whale upside down with both pectorals in the air … Read More
Humpback Whales “Fall Asleep” Under the Condor Express
Whales “Fall Asleep” Under the Condor Express There were four humpback whales out on the feeding grounds of the northeast Santa Barbara Channel today. Two of them consisted of our mascot, Rope, and her pal. You may recall that they have been exceedingly friendly to the boat these past few weeks. Today was no exception, and they came over to … Read More
Drop Dead Gorgeous Day with Santa Barabara Channel Full of Life
Drop Dead Gorgeous & Full of Life Wow! What conditions we had this morning as we left the dock at 8am heading for the northeast Channel. Clear blue skies, oily glass surface, zero wind and a perfect temperature…excellent conditions for spotting spouts. Not long after we cleared the offshore oil platform rig line the amount of life in the water … Read More
Humpback Whales and Minke whale sightings on the rise today
Humpback Whales and Minke whale sightings on the rise today With ideal whale watch conditions in the northeast Santa Barbara Channel again today, we were blessed with some amazing total whale sightings. We closely watched 5 humpback whales and there were at least 3 more within visual range. One of the whales we knew from its prominent deep prop scars … Read More
Again, Santa Barbara whale watching is the hot spot.
Summary: 1 Humpback Whale 2 Minke Whales 500 Long beaked Common Dolphins 1,000 Short beaked Common Dolphins 150 California Sea Lions 2 Pacific Harbor Seals 3,500 Surf Scoters (close to Sta Cruz Island) The mighty Condor Express ran towards the east Channel today looking for hot spots of Santa Barbara whale watching activity. Captain Dave Beezer broke his foot, was … Read More
Last whale watching cruise until Nov 21
Last whale watching cruise until Nov 21 Today was our last whale watching cruise until Wed. Nov. 21, as we will be hauling out and in the boat yard for annual maintenance and inspections. But, boy oh boy, what a whale watching cruise we had today. It was a bright, clear and sunny day with visibilities so great you could … Read More
California Humpback whales in the Santa Barbara area continue to thrill whale fans.
California Humpback whales in Santa Barbara California Humpback whales in Santa Barbara area continue to thrill whale fans daily. A warm, clear, sunny summer-like day out on the Santa Barbara Channel brought the California humpback whales to the near eastern portion of the feeding area today. Among the 3 humpback whales was our friend “Rope,” who, by coincidence, had a … Read More
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