2019 09-11 SB Channel
Patriot’s Day in the Channel turned out wonderful. Skies were clear and blue all day. Winds were light and variable. A small bump from the west was hardly noticeable. Sightings included: 1 Minke whale, 7 humpback whales and 2500 long-beaked common dolphins.
Captain Dave and the crew headed south and watched wildlife as they ended up about 12 miles offshore. Dolphins were around all day and were frequently seen on hot spots with whales as both species appeared to be feeding subsurface. As usual, the humpback whales followed the dolphins around.
Our first whale sighting was of three single humpbacks, within a small area, mixed in with dolphins. A huge, distant breach got everyone’s attention and the crew moved the Condor Express further southeast to a second spot that had 2 additional humpbacks. In addition to the breaching whale, a second individual got busy and did quite a bit of “kelpin” (see photograph showing this behavior above). It’s always fun to see huge animals getting excited by algae.
Our final destination was north and east of the previous sighting and south of the Carpinteria oil rig line. Here we watched two large humpback whales with frosty dorsal fins (perhaps indicating that they were adult males). As we watched, a lone Minke whale came by the boat and everyone had much better-than-average looks for this species.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com
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