2010 07-11 SB Channel

Common Dolphins - mother and calf.

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Common Dolphin - full speed ahead.

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Whalers get a close look at part of the megapod of Common Dolphins.

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A Common Dolphin takes a giant leap.

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Entire body of a young Blue Whale. The head is out of the water and spouting, and the other 2/3rds is still under water but glowing bright blue, from whence the name of this whale comes.

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A very friendly Humpback Whale comes in for a close up look at the whalers on board the Condor Express.

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Whole body - juvenile Blue Whale.

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Just the very start of a spout forms as this huge Humpback Whale approaches the Condor Express.

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Another friendly Humpback heads directly for the Condor Express.

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Image 1 of 3: Common Dolphin feeding. Here the animal is upside down, chasing a school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax). The surface ripples at the top of the image are from the anchovies attempting to flee.

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Image 2 of 3: Common Dolphin feeding. The dolphin has surged out of the water to snap up a northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax). The hunt was not successful this time, and you can see the anchovy just an inch or so away from the mouth of the dolphin.

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Image 3 of 3: Common Dolphin feeding. Another northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) escapes the jaws of death. If you look at the "n" in the Condor watermark, you will see the silvery blue bait fish several inches out of the water.

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Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) roosting on a rock outcropping at Santa Cruz Island.

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California Sea Lions (Zalopus californianus) hauled out on the rocks at Santa Cruz Island.

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A California Sea Lion (Zalopus californianus) takes a good look at the camera.

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Mother Blue Whale (in back) and her calf (front) swim side by side and show their matching dorsal fins.

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Mother Blue Whale (in back) and her calf (front) swim side by side and show their heads, blowholes and the splashguards around their blowholes.

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The enormous mother Blue Whale (in back) and her much smaller calf (front) swim side by side.

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The tall, straight spout of a Blue Whale.

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The shorter, more bushy spout of a Humpback Whale.

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Image 1 of 4: a Blue Whale shows its tail flukes as it starts a deep dive. Several wounds can be seen, most likely from the whale being entangled in commercial fishing gear. Luckily it escaped.

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Image 2 of 4: a Blue Whale shows its tail flukes as it starts a deep dive.

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Image 3 of 4: a Blue Whale shows its tail flukes as it starts a deep dive.

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Image 4 of 4: a Blue Whale shows its tail flukes as it starts a deep dive.

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Image 1 of 2: A Humpback Whale starts a deep dive.

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Image 2 of 2: A Humpback Whale starts a deep dive.

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This is what it looks like to have a giant Blue Whale coming right at you.

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