Image: a close look at a high-speed Dall's porpoise with its characteristic "rooster tail" spray pattern.
2024 11–27 SB Channel
Captain Eddy and the crew transected the entire Channel out to the West End of beautiful Santa Cruz Island, then did a figure 8 on the way back. The sea surface was glassy all day. Skies were overcast and, in the southern half of The Channel, there was dense fog. At times you could not see the bow of the boat. Sightings included one Minke whale, one humpback whale and 20 Dall's porpoise.
Just before we entered the dense fog north of the lanes, we had wonderful looks at a single Minke whale. It surfaced five or six times with good looks for all. We continued south towards The West End.
After searching the waters near The Island, captain Eddy and the crew looped back to the northwest near the NOAA East Channel Buoy. A young adult juvenile humpback whale I was watched here. It had very short, four minute, dives and appeared to be in travel mode.
As we were watching this whale, a pod of high speed cetacean "torpedoes" known as dolls porpoise came through the area. They looped around near the Boat and everybody on board was thrilled. We have Not seen the species in the channel since last winter. As they departed, we went back to watching the same whale.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Dall's porpoises are thick, muscular fast moving animals that are usually seen in small pods of less than 15. They prefer deep, colder waters (less than 63 F) that are both found in the Santa Barbara channel. Winter weather can't be far away!