Many humpbacks close to Santa Barbara including that wild little calf again
So much food in the form of massive anchovy schools has moved north in the Santa Barbara Channel it has resulted in an astounding amount of humpback activity. We closely watched 12 humpback whales, but there were many spouts all around and several were coming and going so the final count is probably much higher. Included in the count we watched the same mother-calf pair we saw on Wednesday and the little hyperactive calf was at it again today. The calf loves to roll around, slap its pectorals, lob its tail and spy hop all morning long. Perhaps this is a response to the thousands of common dolphins that were feeding on the anchovy schools in all directions. In fact, the crew was again unable to even guess the population size of these #dolphins….certainly well over 3,000 individuals. Seabirds, sea lions and humpbacks all shared the same banquet and it was like being in the middle of a National Geographic documentary. A single Minke whale was also observed in the mix. All this took place on very calm seas with a marine layer that persisted until just after noon. Conditions are forecast to remain the same for the weekend. I hope to see y’all on board.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express
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