2009 07-09 SB Channel

A young California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) stares back at the whalers on board the Condor Express. The multi-colored reflections are from the sun shining on the Santa Barbara harbor entrance buoy.

zalophuscalifornianuswatermulticolorreflections2009harbor081

A mom and her calf take a leap over the glassy waves - Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis).

delphinuscowcalfleapingawaycamera2009channel

Image 1 of 5 in a series - a young Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) performs a vertical lunge to capture a ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) near the ocean surface. In this photo you can clearly see the baleen attached to the upper jaw, and the ventral (belly) pleats under the chin. The white in the water to the lower left is the left pectoral fin shining under the water.

megapteranovaengliaeupwardlungemouthbaleen2009channel

Image 2 of 5 in a series - a young Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) performs a vertical lunge to capture a ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) near the ocean surface. This is the same image as the previous, but enlarged to see the mouth and baleen close up.

megapteranovaengliaeupwardlungemouthbaleencrop2009channel

Image 3 of 5 in a series - a young Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) performs a vertical lunge to capture a ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) near the ocean surface.

megapteranovaengliaeupwardlungemouthbaleen2009channel

Image 4 of 5 in a series - a young Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) performs a vertical lunge to capture a ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) near the ocean surface.

megapteranovaengliaeupwardlungemouthbaleen2009channel

Image 5 of 5 in a series - a young Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) performs a vertical lunge to capture a ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) near the ocean surface.

megapteranovaengliaeupwardlungemouthbaleen2009channel

A pair of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) feed in very shallow water along the beach inside Santa Barbara Harbor. This species is the only kind of bird that has a larger lower jaw than upper, and as shown here, the lower jaw "skims" the water to capture fish.

rynchopsnigerskimming2009channel

Image 1 of 4 in a series: A large ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) starts to bulge upward and thousands of individual krill actually leap out of the water to escape the lunging Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) just below.

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Image 2 of 4 in a series: a lunging Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) just below the surface attacks a large ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera). Thousands of individual krill actually leap out of the water to escape their fate.

megapteranovaengliaelungekrillthysanoessaspiniferaits2009channel

Image 3 of 4 in a series: a lunging Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) just below the surface attacks a large ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera).

megapteranovaengliaefeedingthysanoessaspiniferakrillbulge2009channel

Image 4 of 4 in a series: a sideways-lunging Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) with its mouth wide open engulfs a large ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera). The upper jaw can be seen on the right, the lower jaw, with its expanded accordionlike pleats, is on the left.

megapteranovadngliaesidelungemouthopen2009channel

Whalers aboard the Condor Express experience a "kodak moment" as Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) make a close approach.

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An adult female and her young Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) take a leap on glassy blue water.

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Like a speeding bullet - a single Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis).

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This curious Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) takes a look up at the whalers on board the Condor Express.

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Spouting while eating - a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) engulfs a ball of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera). The krill can be seen jumping out of the water all around the underwater head and mouth of the whale.

megapteranovaengliaesidelungethysanoessaspiniferakrill2009channel

One of my personal favorite behaviors of Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) is shown here. A dolphin rides a small open ocean wave and leans sideways to get the maximum energy force.

delphinussurfingwakesideways2009channel

Twin exhaust pipes (blowholes) and back of an adult Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).

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Head, spout, back and glowing right pectoral fin of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).

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Image 1 of 2 in a row: A mighty sideways lunge of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae). The baleen in the upper jaw (right side of photo), and the expanded accordionlike ventral pleats (left side of photo) can be seen here.

megapteranovaengliaesidelungemouthopenbaleenpleatskrill2009channel

Image 2 of 2 in a row: A mighty sideways lunge of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae). The hugely expanded accordionlike ventral pleats (left side of photo) can be seen here.

megapteranovaengliaesidelungemouthopenbaleenpleatskrill2009channel

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) head and spout.

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Thousands of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) escape their doom and can be seen actually riding the back and side flanks of this Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).

megapteranovaengliaelungekrillthysanoessaspiniferaits2009channel

A flock of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) in flight.

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A flock of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) in flight. A few Heermann's Gulls (Larus heermanni) are sitting in the water.

rynchopsnigerflockflight2009channel

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) on the harbor entrance buoy, Santa Barbara Harbor.

zalophuscalifornianusbuoyflippersneighbor2009harbor

A ball of reddish krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) on the ocean surface. See 2009 05-25 or 2009 06-24 galleries to see microscopic photos (close up images) of these krill.

thysanoessaspiniferakrillsurface2009channel