Image: Why do friendly humpbacks love to swim around the boat upside down?
2023 07-15 SB Channel
Captain Dave and the crew reported blue skies, very little wind and a light bump in The Channel today. Sightings were very good: 9 humpback whales, 50 California seal lions, and 1800 long-beaked common dolphins.
Again, small, dispersed common dolphins began to pay attention to the Condor Express just 2 miles out from the harbor. Also, there were plenty of sea birds and a few sea lions following these scattered pods.
When we were about 8 miles offshore the situation got hot. The first area we stopped had 7 whales. The first was a large whale, then 6 more popped up around us. Also, larger pods of dolphins in long lines were present here, as were a couple more sea lions. One of the 6 whales became enamored with the boat and mugged us for 45 minutes! This included a few swims away for a few minutes, only to return quickly and pick up where it left off being friendly. It also did a lot of rolling, then swam around the boat upside-down (see and example of this in today’s photo). For a while another whale joined the original friendly beast.
About a mile further offshore we watched yet another humpback throw its tail around, and then throw it some more while it, too, was upside-down. It also did a bit of rolling around on the surface. [If this happens on the surface, imagine what they are doing underwater]. Another, final whale, was seen in the area.
You never know what Mother Nature has in store.
Bob Perry
Condor Express, and
CondorExpressPhotos.com