2019 07-14 SB Channel
Skies were lightly overcast today but the good news… no fog. Captain Colton and the crew had a mega day for whales and dolphins. He reported 14+ humpback whales, 200 California sea lions, and over 2500 long-beaked common dolphins. This is a record-breaking time of year! Dolphins were around all day. There were large pods in the hundreds, and when we got on some of the hotspots where the whales, birds, and sea lions were all feeding, dolphins were found in the thousands. If you’re a dolphin lover, or you want to take yourself for a Delphi, this is the time for you!
There were a few whales when we first approached The Lanes directly south of the harbor. There were a few juveniles and a few adults in this first group. Nearby, however, we came upon an area which had eight whales to start with, then mote started to move and from all directions: from the north, from the south, and from the east. What a magnificent rich hotspot this was. There were several very close visits by friendly whales. Most of them were feeding just beneath the surface…you didn’t see much baleen, but when they came up their ventral grooves were fully expanded. One whale breached behind us early in the trip. Another threw its tail a little bit closer to the boat later in the trip. We ran all the way to the west end of Santa Cruz Island, and we found even more whales on the trip back home to the harbor. Wow! You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express, and CondorExpressPhotos.com
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