2025 03–28 SB Channel
Today we ran a single 9 AM public whale watch adventure. Although skies were clear and bright, there was a mixture of a long period ground swell and a pretty heavy short period chop that made things a bit uncomfortable. However, we were rewarded with some of the most amazing sights of the year. Species today included: 2 Gray whales, and 1 Humpback whale. But please read on because there’s far more to the story than just the numbers.
We started the trip by running southwest to a position that was just west of the Kelp Farm. Unidentified spouts in the distance kept us moving until we found a single juvenile humpback whale. But wait! Two more spouts were seen with the humpback. It was, believe it or not, a pair of adult gray whales. The two grays and one humpback formed a tight trio, and they never left each other‘s side for the next hour and we watched them carefully as they moved westward in The Channel.
Speaking for myself, I have personally never seen a mixed species group that was so cohesive for such a long period of time. They dove together. Their breathing cycle was coordinated. They had short downtimes so it was doubtful any sub surface feeding was going on. What an amazing and unique experience.
And if that wasn’t enough, the little humpback let loose with a big, full body, breach that included a midair rotation. I gave it a 10 out of 10 using the International Olympics scale. (See today’s photo for an example).
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry