2009 07-15 SB Channel

Sometimes the Santa Barbara Channel just boils over with life of all kinds, and today was one of those days. Humpbacks galore, Blue Whales, Common Dolphins everywhere you looked, sea lions everywhere, and masses of sea birds (primarily sooty shearwaters) covering the oily glass surface.

Image 1 of 2: A Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) mom and her baby in the Santa Barbara Channel.
delphinus cow calf glassy 2009 channel
Image 2 of 2: A Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) mom takes her baby calf for a swim in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Image 2 of A Common Dolphin Delphinus capensis mom and her baby in the Santa Barbara Channel.
A speeding torpedo (Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis) speeds by the whalers on board the Condor Express.
delphinus passengers 2009 channel
Image 2 of 2: Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) tail fluke waterfall.
balaenoptera musculus tail waterfall 2009 channel
Image 1 of 2: Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) tail fluke waterfall.
balaenoptera musculus tail waterfall 2009 channel
Whalers on board the Condor Express take a look at some friendly Common Dolpnins (Delphinus capensis).
delphinus passengers 2009 channel
Whalers on the Condor Express enjoy some aerial acrobatics from a speeding Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) that is keeping pace with the boat.
delphinus passengers 2009 channel
One of a series of images showing two Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) fooling around.
delphinus fooling side glassy 2009 channel
Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) in flight.
delphinus full breach 2009 channel
Close look at two California Sea Lions rafting in a drifting paddy of Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). The object in between the two animals is a pectoral flipper.
delphinus rafting mouth open glassy 2009 channel
One of a series of images showing two Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) fooling around.
delphinus fooling around glassy 2009 channel
One of a series of images showing two Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) fooling around.
delphinus fooling tail glassy 2009 channel
Three Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) fooling around...two under water, one coming up for air.
delphinus fooling around glassy 2009 channel
A Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) among a few Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus).
megaptera novaengliae puffinus griseus 2009 channel
Whalers get the hump of a very friendly Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
megaptera novaengliae passengers 2009 channel
Two speeding Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) and one Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).
megaptera novaengliae delphinus 2009 channel
Two Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae), one with a tail fluke that shows white scars in a rake pattern which suggest a possible Orca attack.
megaptera novaengliae one tail fluke 2009 channel
Megaptera novaengliae FOUR 2009 07-15 SB Channel a - 236mod
megaptera novaengliae four 2009 channel
Megaptera novaengliae 3 in row 2009 07-15 SB Channel b - 109modCROP
megaptera novaengliae row 2009 channel
Megaptera novaengliae & passengers 2009 07-15 SB Channel a - 141mod
megaptera novaengliae passengers 2009 channel
One of a series of images showing two Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) fooling around.
delphinus two fooling around 2009 channel
Very glassy ocean conditions and a Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis).
delphinus one glassy surface 2009 channel
A cluster of Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis), part of a much large pod.
delphinus group shot 2009 channel
More fooling around by a Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis)..this individual is upside down, zooming.
delphinus semi upside 2009 channel
One of a series of images showing two Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) fooling around.
delphinus two fooling around 2009 channel
Agile Common Dolphin speeds along underwater sideways/upside down....(Delphinus capensis).
delphinus side 2009 channel
A leaping Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis).
delphinus breach 2009 channel
A very close approach by an extremely friendly Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae). Glowing pectoral fins can be seen beneath the surface.
megaptera novaengliae head 2009 channel
Image 1 in a series - Krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) are poppin' everywhere in and out of the gigantic mouth of this lunge-feeding Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).
megaptera novaengliae side lunge good 2009 channel
Image 2 - lunge feeding Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) engulfing millions of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera). The animal is sideways, on its right, with upper jaw (top) agape, and ventral pleats fully extended like an accordion.
megaptera novaengliae side lunge good 2009 channel
Image 3 - Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) lunge feeding; krill are still visible to the left of the rapidly closing mouth.
megaptera novaengliae side lunge good 2009 channel
Image 4 - Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) mouth is closing around thousands of gallons of seawater filled with millions of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera).
megaptera novaengliae side lunge good 2009 channel
Image 5 - Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) mouth is closing around thousands of gallons of seawater filled with millions of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera).
megaptera novaengliae side lunge good 2009 channel
Concluding image in the series - Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) lunge feeding sequence...and still a bunch of krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) can be seen to the left of the closed mouth and in the whitewash...escaping their doom, for the moment.
megaptera novaengliae side lunge good 2009 channel
Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaengliae) love to play around in the Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera)
megaptera novaengliae playing macrocystis 2009 channel
Lucky whalers on the Condor Express get a chance to see the "big picture" close up, as a friendly Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) comes by the boat.
megaptera novaengliae whole body passenger 2009 channel
The "big winged New Englander" ... the scientific name of the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) translated into an image.
megaptera novaengliae spout 2009 channel
CINC naturalist Valerie Olson explains the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) basics to a young whaler on board the Condor Express as Michell Stevens prepares a NOAA video and Shauna Bingham captures the audio.
noaa film crew michelle stevens shauna bingham 2009 channel
Hey, look, down there below the water surface! A Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) passes under the boat and the whalers are ready with their cameras.
megaptera novaengliae passengers 2009 channel
Sleek and shiny tail fluke of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).
megaptera novaengliae hump tail glassy 2009 channel
NOAA and CINC videographers witness an extremely friendly approach by a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).
megaptera novaengliae camera crew pasengers 2009 channel
Looking down on a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) tail fluke waterfall.
megaptera novaengliae tail fluke waterfall 2009 channel
Three Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaengliae) in a row.
megaptera novaengliae three 2009 channel
Three Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaengliae), one spouting.
megaptera novaengliae three 2009 channel
Two Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) in the midst of the Sooty Shearwater masses (Puffinus griseus).
megaptera novaengliae two puffinus griseus masses 2009 channel
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) tail fluke close up look.
megaptera novaengliae tail fluke 2009 channel
Distant tail fluke of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae) among the Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus).
megaptera novaengliae tail fluke puffinus griseus masses 2009 channel
Nose of a semi-spyhopping Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaengliae).
megaptera novaengliae spyhop 2009 channel

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2009 07-15 SB Channel