2017 10-01 SB Channel
Captain Eric and the crew of the Condor Express spent the trip entirely in the northern Channel averaging 6 to 8 miles offshore. Wildlife was abundant, and the following close observations were made: 10 humpback whales including a calf, 1500 long-beaked common dolphins and a dozen or so California sea lions. Skies had a high stratus layer. There was a slight breeze and a long-period open ocean swell rolled down the Santa Barbara Channel albeit hardly detectable our deep water region.
The first small group of dolphins located the boat about 6 miles out from Santa Barbara Harbor and various sized pods were around most of the time thereafter. After a short while watching the first pods, a single juvenile whale, about 20-feet long, was located as it was on an easterly track.
Eric had the boat heading west, and before long the small groups were getting larger. By the time we were 7 miles off USCB we were intercepted by a mega-pod containing nearly 1,000 dolphins. Whales were in this region too, and that included adult whales that were moving around and diving a few hundred feet away from each other. Also among these whales there was a mother humpback and her tiny calf. Great looks were had by all. What fun it was to see the little calf.
On the way back to the harbor we were with dolphins all the way.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express
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