2017 05-23 SB Channel
The low stratus stayed off the deck and Captain Dave, along with his renowned crew, “got the job done.” 4 giant blue whales and 300 friendly common dolphins were seen today. The southeastern Santa Barbara Channel was our destination.
On the outbound leg, the first sightings were of two individual blue whales both found in The Lanes. Evidence of subsurface feeding included a characteristic patch of fresh, floating red feces. Feeding dives were interspersed with long surface breathing intervals during which time blue whales may travel in a circular arc. A small but friendly group of dolphins found the boat and rode its’ wake. The stratus became less and the winds became more, so Dave took the Condor Express to the eastern end of Santa Cruz Island including a visit to one of my personal favorite island anchorages, Potato Harbor.
Leaving the island, and 5 miles east of the first blue whales, two more giant whales were intercepted and watched. They had similar behaviors as the first two, and the last sighting included a rare but wonderful tail fluke. On our way home, near Platform Habitat, a larger group of dolphins found us and both species (Delphinus and Homo sapiens) had fun. The coastline and the harbor area were in brilliant sun as we pulled in.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express
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