2018 02-23 SB Coast – Two Condor Express excursions left the SEA Landing docks today, one at 9am and the other 12 noon. Totals for the day include: 3 gray whales and 800 long-beaked common dolphins. It was exceptionally clear and sunny on both trips. The wind was blowing pretty hard in the morning then switched direction (from NW to … Read More
Dolphins and humpbacks
2017 09-12 SB Channel Seas were calm. Skies started out overcast but got sunny later in the morning. Conditions were fine for locating and watching wildlife. Today the Condor Express closely watched: 5 humpback whales and 1,500 long-beaked common dolphins. Captain Dave and his crew headed towards one of the spots that has been very productive off and on this … Read More
The Condor Express had a beast of a day!
2017 08-23 SB Channel Captain Eric and the crew of the Condor Express had a beast of a day! 8 giant blue whales and 2 fin whales were seen today through crystal clear Santa Barbara cobalt blue water. Seas were calm and a light breeze kicked up in the afternoon. The Lanes north of the eastern end of Santa Cruz … Read More
Calm seas yield great cetacean diversity today.
2017 08-06 SB Channel Seas were calm in the northern Channel, and windy in the south. Captain Eric and his crew found plenty of great animals in the north, including: 1,000 long-beaked common dolphins, 300 short-beaked common dolphins, 8 humpback whales and 2 Minke whales. The dolphins found the Condor Express starting about ½ mile out of Santa Barbara harbor … Read More
2017 07-02 SB Channel Calm seas reigned across the zone and the sunshine popped out of the morning stratus layer for a fantastic day of wildlife sightings in the Santa Barbara Channel. Captain Eric and his crew reported the following: 10 humpback whales, 7 blue whales, 750 long-beaked common dolphins and 1 Mola mola (ocean sunfish). South of Santa Barbara … Read More
10 humpbacks, 8 blues, 200 dolphins, and 1 ocean sunfish
2017 06-30 SB Channel 10 humpback whales, 8 blue whales, 200 long-beaked common dolphins, and 1 ocean sunfish made for a rich and enjoyable wildlife tour in the Santa Barbara Channel today. Captain Eric and his crew covered a lot of water under a gray stratus layer and with fairly calm seas. It was on the 50-fathom line near UCSB … Read More
Massive numbers of highly active humpback whales and dolphins
2017 06-26 SB Channel Wind and seas may have stopped a Santa Barbara Channel crossing to the blue whale feeding grounds, but it did not stop the massive numbers of highly active humpback whales and dolphins. 15 humpbacks and 2,400 long-beaked common dolphins were closely watched today out on the 100-fathom curve in front of Santa Barbara. It is always … Read More
Cetacean sightings were in the stratosphere.
2017 06-24 SB Channel A mixture of bright sunny areas and a few overcast areas created an excursion with lots of different moods. Cetacean sightings were in the stratosphere. 7 blue whales, 13 humpback whales and 2,500 long-beaked common dolphins were closely watched. The seas were calm until we got to the Santa Cruz Island whale grounds where the breeze … Read More
The saga continues – cetaceans are hot in the Channel.
2017 06-22 SB Channel The saga continues – cetaceans are hot in the Channel. Captain Eric and his trusty deckhand/whale spotter, Steve, steered the Condor Express across the Santa Barbara Channel again today to the fertile whale grounds near Santa Cruz Island. Totals for the day included: 5 blue whales, 3 humpback whales and 1,500 long-beaked common dolphins. There was … Read More
Another fabulous day – blue whales, humpback whales, dolphins.
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