2018 08-02 SB Channel
Captain Tasha and the crew of the Condor Express ran across the Santa Barbara Channel to a previous whale hot spot several miles off the northern face of Santa Rosa Island. Sightings for the day included 2 humpback whales and 500 long-beaked common dolphins. There was a fresh breeze blowing and generating a moderate swell.
On the way across on our southwesterly course to Santa Rosa, several small groups of dolphins located the Condor Express. We had decent looks at these agile mammals as they leaped across the swells and surfed the waves…including the waves we generated. There were even more dolphins when we got into the whale hot spot.
The hot spot today produced two nice whales that were together, split up, only to get back together again. At one point the two surfaced very close to the bow of the Condor (we were “in neutral” at the time) then split up with each whale coming down the length of the boat, each taking a different side. The whale fans got great looks all the way around. Several instances of whaled following the dolphin pods were also observed, as the two species were probably feeding on a single prey, northern anchovies.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com
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