2017 09-08 SB Channel
Captain Dave and his crew encountered sunny skies, a moderate breeze and some residual choppy seas from yesterday’s winds. Total sightings for the trip included 2 blue whales and 300 long-beaked common dolphins…but that’s not the whole story.
The action was in The Lanes again, where krill schools are lurking deep beneath the surface. This resulted in rather long dive times by the giant blue whales. On the other hand, the surface times between dives were long. In addition to normal surface breathing, both whales (although a mile or more apart) exhibited logging behavior. The logging was not on the surface, rather about 10 feet down. The Santa Barbara cobalt clear water gave everyone a special view of the giants underwater, resting alongside the Condor Express. This is something we don’t see every day! The second giant blue fluked-up a lot.
We encountered dolphins in two groups. The first group located the boat as we approached The Lanes and the first blue whale. It was a small but super friendly pod. The second was a much larger herd and came to the boat as we crossed the Santa Barbara Channel on our way home. Again, the clear blue water greatly enhanced the sightings.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express
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