2009 08-05 SB Channel

Two Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are pictured here, a cow and her calf.

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Two Blue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus) head into choppy and windy seas: a cow-calf pair in the Santa Barbara Channel.

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High winds aloft.

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A very young Common Murre (Uria aalge) with fluffy feathers and not yet able to fly.

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Here they come! A pod of Common Dolphins (Delphinus capensis) head for the Condor Express.

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Old Faithful. Like a giant geyser, the blow from this Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) stands tall before it is carried by the breeze.

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A Humpback Whale (Megapera novaeangliae) lifts its tail flukes.

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Close up look at a Humpback Whale (Megapera novaeangliae) head and its spout.

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Another spout from a Humpback Whale (Megapera novaengliae).

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A deeper dive is on the way. A Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) shows its tail flukes.

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In the distance, behind this spouting Humpback Whale (Megapera novaeangliae), you can see the West End of Santa Cruz Island on your left, and the East End of Santa Rosa Island on your right.

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Tail flukes of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Patterns along the margins of the tail and coloration schemes on the under side help identify individual Humpbacks like a fingerprint.

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A curious California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus).

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A very young Common Murre (Uria aalge) with fluffy feathers and not yet able to fly exercises its wings.

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