2017 07-30 SB Channel – West
As it has gone for the past few days, we started out under a deep, drizzly marine layer and ended up in the warm sun. The seas had a light chop from the west, but were not at all uncomfortable. Total sightings for the day included: 250 long-beaked common dolphins, 30 California sea lions and 5 humpback whales. The whale behavior did not disappoint either.
Captain Eric and his crew headed west to an area past Goleta where the humpback whales have been hanging around lately. On the way, multiple pods with a few dozen dolphins each came and engaged the Condor Express. The first pod was off Campus Point, and the second was west of the Sandpiper. One of the most remarkable and talented sightings I’ve seen in years took place when our second-captain-and-deckhand, Tasha, located humpback whale spouts when we were still 4 ½ miles away! My God! How does she do it?
There whales were dispersed over a mile or so of water, and a few came together for a few minutes, but for the most part were moving around the area solo. Dolphins and sea lions were in the mix. We were just east of Hondo. One whale, with a split dorsal fin, breached at some distance from the boat, but was clearly seen by keen observers. Another whale, dorsal fin unknown, threw its tail around a few times and made a big fuss. A special note: there was a mob of sea lions following the big, split-fin whale around. As so often happens, the sea lions came up to the surface together and marked the spot where the whale was soon to follow. The sea lions descended into the deep when the whale sounded. What fun!
On the way home, not far from the humpback action, another 100 or so dolphins located the Condor Express.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express
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