Image: A humpback mugger slaps its tail very close to the Condor Express.
2024 09-22 SB Channel
There was a high stratus layer all day. The sea surface was glassy and flat most of the day. Conditions were ideal for finding and watching 4 different kinds of cetaceans. Sightings included: 3 inshore bottlenose dolphins, 40 offshore bottlenose dolphins, 1000 common dolphins and 6 humpback whales.
We took a short detour to follow 3 coastal (inshore) bottlenose dolphins near The Harbor, before moving offshore to see a few hundred common dolphins near the Kelp Farm. We moved south.
Close to The Buoy we found our first pair of humpback whales, and they were not easy. Their dive times ran 15 minutes or more and surface times 4 minutes. We believe there must be a deep layer of northern anchovies. While we waited for the whale to come back up for air, a large pod of around 800 or so common dolphins streaked by in a high-speed stampede.
We ultimately moved to our farthest point south, at the northern edge of The Lanes and near The Buoy. A second pair of whales in this area immediately mugged us, spending time lounging in our jet wash, hanging around the bow, rolling around alongside, vocalizing, and (see today’s photograph for an example) doing mighty pectoral fin slaps close to the boat. There was another pair of whales nearby, but we did not have time to get set up on them.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
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