2018 05-10 SB Channel
Two excursions left the docks today, one at 9am and the other at noon. Sightings for the day include: 4 gray whales and 600 long-beaked common dolphins. It was a nice day with a little bit of residual bump on the water that did not influence our sightings.
On the morning trip a pair of gray whales was located almost immediately after leaving Santa Barbara Harbor. The pair consisted of a mother with her very young calf. The calf had a peculiar swimming pattern which must have driven its mother crazy. Instead of moving towards the Alaskan feeding grounds in a direct route, the little calf kept doubling-back and swam in large circles which made little to no forward progress. (The mom must have convinced junior to swim straight eventually, because the pair was not seen on the noon trip).
At noon, a pod of several hundred dolphins located the Condor Express as the animals were in a spread-out feeding episode. Birds were diving and dolphins were seen chasing bait upside down as they do most of the time. Later in the trip a different mother-calf gray whale pair was followed from Hendry’s to More Mesa.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com
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