2021 05-15 SB Channel
Skies were overcast again. Seas were running 3 – 4 feet, and the wind kicked up a tad from the middle of the Channel onward. There in nothing better than fresh sea air to make your day, and it seems to have a positive effect on the cetaceans too. Dolphins ride the big swells then jump high in the air to get over the crests. Humpback whales (personal observation) breach more often in the wind, and, at minimum look more dramatic to human observers when they do! Totals for the day include: 2 humpback whales, 5000 long-beaked common dolphins, 50 Pacific white-sided dolphins and 200 California sea lions.
Captain Colton took the Condor Express south across the Channel and our first encounter was with a HUGE mega pod of common dolphins that located the boat and stretched out across 6 miles of ocean. As we watched this spectacular common dolphin herd, a small pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins came through the zone as well. One rather shy and highly mobile humpback was found in the mix. Sea lions were all over this dolphin-infested region.
A second humpback whale was found just 1 mile off Fry’s Harbor at Santa Cruz Island. It was a juvenile whale and fun to watch in the swells with an island backdrop. Sea lions were around this whale as well.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com
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