2009 08-04 SB Channel

First mate, Dennis James, handles the cage and its door as a rehabilitead California Sea Lion pup (Zalophus californianus) is released back into the wild. This pup had to take a good look at the ocean conditions before leafing the swimstep on the stern of the Condor Express, but it eventually took the plunge. This was one of two sea lions released today from the care of CIMWI, the Channel Islands Marine And Wildlife Institute.

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Bright Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) swimming just beneath the water.

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Ball of krill being attacked by a giant Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Image 2 in a sequence.

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Whalers on board the Condor Express greet a herd of Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) as they make a friendly approach.

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Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) foolin' around underwater.

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Close look at a Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) leaping out of a wave.

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Giant Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) with a very tall spout.

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Another ball of krill being attacked by a giant Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). The whale's pectoral fin is just starting to break the water.

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A lunge feeding Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) on its right side. We are looking at its greatly expanded ventral pleats and the underside of its left pectoral fin...the head is to the left side, underwater.

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Ball of krill being attacked by a giant Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Image 3 in a sequence.

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Ball of krill being attacked by a giant Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Image 4 in a sequence.

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Ball of krill being attacked by a giant Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Image 1 in a sequence.

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A Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) lunges sideways at a shoal of krill. The top of the head is facing the camera and the lower jaw is expanded and full of water/krill.

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Water is seen rushing out of the expanded mouth and pleats of this Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). The baleen is visible here.

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Head of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) just begins to break the surface amidst a concentration of krill.

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Wide open mouth and we are looking directly into it -- a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

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Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) chomping on krill.

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Mouth agape, this Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is closing in on a nice bite of krill.

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Here we see the wide open mouth of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) underwater with a big ball of krill ready to meet their doom.

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More action from this lunge feeding Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae).

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Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) always seem to look so knobby.

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A slightly more vertical angle to a lunge feeding Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

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We are looking into the mouth with a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that is wide open. The pink palate is seen and bushy brown baleen can be seen hanging from the roof of the mouth.

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A close look at the baleen (bottom) and the massive lower jaw (top) of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

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The southbound container ship Albert Rickmers passes close to a couple of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).

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Tail flukes of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

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A friendly California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus).

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