2013 06-18 SB Coast
2,000+ common dolphins
50+ California sea lions
There was a balmy southwesterly breeze in my face as I walked down to the Sea Landing in Santa Barbara to get on the Condor Express this morning. Although the NOAA marine weather forecast was a bit pessimistic, the sharp eyes and keep wit of Captain Mat and deck hand Captain Eric almost immediately got the boat situated on the same mother and calf pair of humpback whales we watched yesterday. Despite a moderate bump on the sea surface and winds increasing all morning, we had fantastic looks at these two humpback whales. Although their primary objective seems to be surface lunge feeding on the occasional ball of northern anchovies and moving around the area, there were a couple of show stopping escapades out of the youngster. In addition to one nice full body breach, junior also slapped its tail on the water a couple of times, perhaps as a signal to the abundant common dolphins that were competing for an anchovy dinner. These same dolphins were around all day and continually passed by and rode the bow of the Condor Express as we traveled around the extreme north edge of the Santa Barbara Channel. It was a spectacular bright sunny day.
Image sequence 1 of 3. A surface lunge feeding humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with it's huge mouth wide open and containing thousands of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) all trying to escape their fate. The lower jaw and huge oral pouch is under water and full of bait fish. The baleen rimmed upper jaw stands straight up out of the water. Various sea birds circle around hoping to pick up a few fish.
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Image sequence 2 of 3. A surface lunge feeding humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with it's huge mouth wide open and containing thousands of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) all trying to escape their fate. The lower jaw and huge oral pouch is under water and full of bait fish. The baleen rimmed upper jaw is closing rapidly at this point.
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Image sequence 3 of 3. A surface lunge feeding humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with it's huge mouth wide open and containing thousands of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) all trying to escape their fate. The lower jaw and huge oral pouch is under water and full of bait fish. The baleen rimmed upper jaw is about to close so the excess water in the oral cavity can be expelled and the fish retained and swallowed.
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The later stage of a feeding surface lunge by a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
The knobby tubercles on the rostrum (head) are visible in this view of a spouting humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
The left side of the head of a very photogenic humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
Abundant barnacles inhabit the chin and head of this humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
Mother and calf humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).
The ventral grooves of this humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) are expanded and water is being ejected from the mouth as the whale feeds on a school of anchovies. Common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) and sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) are also in the picture.
A juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) spouts as it swims next to its mother.
A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) spouts as it heads up a swell.
A surface lunge feeding humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
The tip of a tail fluke of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that is rolling over after surface lunge feeding. Western gulls (Larus occidentalis) circle around to pic up escaping and injured anchovies.
A California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).
