2013 02-16 SB Channel
Four northbound gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) on a mirror glass sea. Platform Holly and her crew boat are seen in the distance.
Tail fluke of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).
A spouting gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with Santa Cruz Island in the back.
A gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) swims along on its journey north as a patch of "rain" falls directly on it's back. (The "rain" is water from its spout which, with absolutely zero wind, went up in the air and came right back down again).
Tail fluke of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).
A cluster of northbound gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus).
A sailboat encounters our gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). The Santa Ynez mountains of the eastern Santa Barbara County coast can be seen in the back.
Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) with the Santa Ynez mountains of the mainland coast in the back.
Two gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) on a rippled glass ocean.
Tail fluke of a gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus).
Three gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) head directly at the camera with the late afternoon sun reflecting off their heads.
Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) being gray whales....heading north to their feeding grounds.
Twin gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) spouts with Point Conception in the upper left corner.
Three gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) with UCSB in back.
Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) hug the western Santa Barbara coast.
Another gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in the "rain."
A coastal northbound gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with rainbow tones in its spout.
A gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with coastal bluffs and the mighty Santa Ynez moutain range in back.
Clear blue glassy water makes it look like this humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is swimming in milk. The long left pectoral fin can be seen under the water.
A humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with the coast of Santa Barbara seen in back.
Swimming in milk. The tip of the head (rostrum) is barely breaking the surface as a humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) gently rises up to take a breath.
A humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in a big bowl of milk.
A photograph of the "hump" from whence the humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) got its nickname.
Another humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) swimming in mik.
A side view of a humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with its white right pectoral fin visible under the milky water.
Calm seas and a humback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
Mylar helium filled balloon pollution.... Two days after Valentine's day and there were at least 3 dozen balloons and clusters of balloons such as these on the surface of the ocean. When left to the forces of nature, the paint comes off and leaves behind a floating mass of clear plastic garbage. Some fish that prey on gelatinous animals may mistake the plastic garbage for food and kill themselves. Others become entangled. Society must ban helium filled mylar balloons as they are a menace to marine life and add to the horrible plastic debris problem in the Pacific.
Happy Valentine's Day...NOT! ...Mylar helium filled balloon pollution. Two days after Valentine's day and there were at least 3 dozen balloons and clusters of balloons such as these on the surface of the ocean. When left to the forces of nature, the paint comes off and leaves behind a floating mass of clear plastic garbage. Some fish that prey on gelatinous animals may mistake the plastic garbage for food and kill themselves. Others become entangled. Society must ban helium filled mylar balloons as they are a menace to marine life and add to the horrible plastic debris problem in the Pacific.
