2018 10-06 SB Channel Captain Dave and the crew of the Condor Express searched the Santa Barbara Channel and came up with a great trip full of wonderful sightings. 1000 long-beaked common dolphins, 2 humpback whales and 50 California sea lions were closely watched today. The day was sunny but included a moderate bump and swell. The first groups of … Read More
Mother humpback and her calf go berserk.
2018 09-25 SB Channel Overcast skies stayed with us most of the day until we got on the hotspot out near Santa Rosa Island. Seas were calm in the north Channel and a little breezy in the south. Sightings for the day included: 2 humpback whales, 1500 long-beaked common dolphins, 100 Risso’s dolphins and about 500 California sea lions. There … Read More
Humpbacks get into a feeding frenzy with dolphins and sea lions.
2018 09-22 SB Channel Today’s excursion took us to the western coastal region near Platform Holly, then on a big loop out past the mid-Channel NOAA buoy before heading home. A deep marine layer and mill pond glass surface persisted until 130pm, and then it got sunny with a slight breeze. Most of the action took place from Holly and … Read More
Very tiny humpback juvenile steals the show.
2018 08-24 SB Channel Captain Dave took the Condor Express up to the Santa Rosa Island hot spot again today and, Wow, what a day! Most of the day the sky was covered by a stratus marine layer, but it cleared on the way home. The breeze was fresh, but not difficult. Total sightings, which reflect closely watched animals, included … Read More
Great fall season whale watching
2017 11-10 SB Channel It was a cool and clear day in the Santa Barbara Channel which made for spectacular wildlife watching and amazing vistas. Captain Erik and his crew report seeing 9 humpback whales and at least 3000 long-beaked common dolphins. It was great fall season whale watching for sure. The action began just south of our local Carpinteria … Read More
Krill gets giant blue whales and humpbacks excited.
2017 09-29 SB Channel Totals for the day included: 2 blue whales, 8+ humpback whales, and over 1,000 long-beaked common dolphins. The action today was 8 or 9 miles southwest of Santa Barbara Harbor where the Condor Express crew found excellent conditions for wildlife location and viewing. Seas were calm. Skies were sunny, and there was a pleasant breeze wafting … Read More
Sea lions play a game during dinner…and more!
2017 09-18 SB Channel Captain Eric reported closely watching: *4 humpback whales, 500 long-beaked common dolphins, 1 Minke whale and 500 California sea lions. Skies were mostly overcast, but the ocean was calm. Additionally, Eric reports that the water clarity got even better today with that Santa Barbara cobalt color. If you drew a straight line from UCSB Campus Point … Read More
7 humpback whales and 1,000 dolphins
2017 08-13 SB Channel Sightings included 7* humpback whales and over 1,000 long-beaked common dolphins. It was overcast in the morning and the skies turned sunny by late morning. A very light breeze wafted across the decks of the Condor Express in the afternoon. Dolphins located the boat Captain Eric took us past Platform Holly, and they were located in … Read More
Two species of whales, two species of dolphins
2017 08-12 SB Channel There was hardly a breath of wind. Skies had a thin stratus layer that came down to the deck once or twice as we headed 25 miles to the western Santa Barbara Channel. Conditions were good except for some residual surface bump coming from stormy conditions last night far to the north and west. Sightings for … Read More
Lots of humpback whales, some Minke whales, dolphins and 2 Mola mola
2017 08-09 SB Channel It was sunny all day. The day started out with a light bump on the surface but this laid down as the day moved along. The ride home from the southwest was great. Total sightings included 10* humpback whales, 2 Mola mola, 1 Minke whale and 2,000 long-beaked common dolphins. Captain Dave took the Condor Express … Read More