Rolling in the kelp, spy hopping in the kelp, and generally acting like an infant

2017 04-28 SB Coast

What a week full of high wind forecasts we have had! Today there were moderate winds from the west that were quite cool with patches of down-sloping Santa Ana’s that were very hot, a crazy mixture of forces out on the ocean! Two trips were run and a total of 4 gray whales and several thousand ladybugs were observed. These little hitch-hikers probably got blown out to sea by the Santa Ana winds and were randomly luck to land on the solid “ground” of the Condor Express.

9am The first trip of the day was a private charter full of young executives on a corporate holiday. Their departure was a little later than usual and consequently the time spent with whales was a little bit shorter than a public trip. Nevertheless we found an excellent mother gray whale and her calf along the Isla Vista kelp bed. The little calf spent some time rolling in the kelp, spy hopping in the kelp, and generally acting like an infant whale full of joie de vivre.

12 noon At noon, we left the docks and ran along the kelp bed superhighway to the west where we finally picked up a mother gray whale and her calf near the blue house at Hope Ranch. These two whales were spotted underwater where they spent much of their time. Fortunately the water was clear enough to be able to follow their path and watch them swim even though they were down underneath the surface. We watched them for about an hour and it was a great sighting.

A special note. On our way back into Santa Barbara Harbor there were 14 Pacific harbor seals on the bait dock. That is a record (for me anyway).

You never know what Mother Nature has in store. Bob Perry Condor Express