2020 10-15 SB Channel
Humpback whale mega-sightings day
As yesterday, there was no wind and flat, calm seas in the Channel. The water was crystal clear which greatly enhanced the closely watched 21+ humpback whales and 4000 long-beaked common dolphins. Five deadly Mylar balloons were also retrieved from the ocean.
It was a day with non-stop dolphin pods. Dolphins first located the Condor Express when we were just 6 miles offshore, and we were amidst these friendly little cetaceans for the rest of the day. The dolphins were actively feeding and drawing the attention of thousands of seabirds (such as you see in my photo above). All this action ultimately garnered the interest of the humpback whales. The dolphins and whales interacted all day including lots of dolphin “bow riding” of whale rostrums.
Whales were, therefore, also present in large numbers starting at the 6 mile point mentioned above. There were single whales, pairs and an especially active group of five among the 21 beasts we watched. The five member group consisted of very large whales with shorter dive times than those previously encountered today. After a short while the five got friendly with the boat and with each other. There was plenty of pectoral fin slapping, rolling around, vocalizing and even a few instances of kelping.
We ran out of time with many more whale spouts all around us both near and far. Wow!
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com
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