2013 11-02 SB Channel East

We departed Santa Barbara Harbor under clear blue skies with warm temperatures. Once away from shore we found mill pond glassy seas. Very quickly we were hopping from hot spot to hot spot, no more than a few miles from shore, and the water was crystal clear and blue in color. Although there were some nice anchovy schools in close to shore, and a few common dolphins were seen feeding upside down on these fish, the "real" show began just south of Platform Hogan. Here the anchovy schools were absolutely massive...millions and millions of tiny silvery fish flowing like a living river and then being forced to group up into a tight ball by the dolphins and sea lions. This huge river of silvery fish frequently attempted to seek refuge in the shade of the Condor Express, with little luck. It did give all whale watchers some spectacular close up looks at hungry common dolphins, sea lions and sea birds gobbling down anchovies. One image stands out in my mind's eye of the river of anchovies fleeing cooperatively feeding dolphins, hitting the hull of the Condor Express and rolling off like a perfect living wave.

Soon the massive bait schools attracted 4 or more Minke Whales. Rather than some typical fleeting glimpses of Minke dorsal fins, today the Minkes were actively surface lunge feeding, and at one point did so pretty darned close to the Condor Express so you could look inside the mouth. Moreover, the Minke would then turn over so it was oriented normally, and dive in the clear water so close to us you could clearly see (and photograph !) the expanded ventral groove blubber and a bubble stream leaving the closed lips. I've seen tons of Minkes before, but nothing like this.

Not far south of these monster anchovy schools and feeding Minke whales, we found two groups of surface lunge feeding humpback whales. First a nice hungry pair, then a trio. Again the little silver fishes did not have much of a chance. One of the initial duo was "Rope Junior," the newly discovered, smaller version of our big female humpback friend "Rope." Both have similar entanglement scars. Later Rope Junior breached and got everybody's heart thumping. In addition to the surface lunge feeding, and Junior breaching, we had a monstrous double breach later in the day. It came out of no where and (excuses, excuses) I did not capture it on disk. Several of the whale watchers had better luck paying attention and did get the double breach imaged. There was one nice episode of tail throwing, a lunge feeding event with two humpbacks upside down on the surface, pectoral wings akimbo, and several very close and friendly approaches.

You can click on "Map This" and see where we took pictures.

Thank You!

Underwater portrait of a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2013 Channel East 032
A very close up look at a long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) swimming through a massive school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax). The dolphin has isolated one fish and is in the process of feeding.
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 129
Very blue and clear water reveals a feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) diving with its ventral groove blubber still slightly expanded and a bubble stream of water being ejected from the right side of the mouth...all this after a surface lunge feeding on anchovies.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2013 Channel East 030
An upside down feeding common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) about to close its jaws around a single northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax).
Delphinus capensis feeding open mouth teeth Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 029
A small portion of a massive school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax).
Engraulis mordax massive school CLOSE 2013 Channel East 007
A head-on close up view of a long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) .
Delphinus capensis head CLOSE 2013 Channel East 005
Image 1 of 3 in a sequence: a breaching humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) .
Megaptera novaeangliae BREACH 2013 Channel East 002
Image 2 of 3 in a sequence: a breaching humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) .
Megaptera novaeangliae BREACH 2013 Channel East 003
Image 3 of 3 in a sequence: a breaching humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) .
Megaptera novaeangliae BREACH 2013 Channel East 004
Predator and prey: here we see a long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) swimming beneath a massive school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) perhaps keeping an eye on a favorite morsel?
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 127
A dense school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) almost masks the presence of a a long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) below.
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 046
A feeding pod of a long beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis ) attacking a massive school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax).
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 042
Surface ripples help magnify a very dense ball northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) with several long beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis ) below.
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 047
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 11-02 SB Channel East-087
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 087
A long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) swimming through a school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax).
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 128
Common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) and anchovies (Engraulis mordax).
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 146
A surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) shows its striped pectoral fins.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding 2013 Channel East 081
A surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 001
Image 1 of 3 in a sequence: Looking down into the lower jaw and open mouth of a surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 002
Image 2 of 3 in a sequence: Looking down into the lower jaw and open mouth of a surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 003
Image 3 of 3 in a sequence: Looking down into the lower jaw and open mouth of a surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 004
A sideways view of the expanded ventral grooves and mouth of a surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 013
Looking at the baleen and open upper jaw of a surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) . The distended ventral groove blubber and a few northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) can also be seen here.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 022
A sub-surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) draws the attention of numerous gulls.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 036
A surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) shows us its ventral grooves.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 023
A surface lunge feeding Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2013 Channel East 039
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 049
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 035
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 069
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 148
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 138
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 174
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 175
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 180
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata rostrum tip 2013 Channel East 064
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2013 Channel East 039
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata rostrum tip 2013 Channel East 065
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata rostrum tip 2013 Channel East 033
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata rostrum tip 2013 Channel East 145
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata surface lunge feeding 2013 Channel East 080
Nice close up looks at a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) .
Balaenoptera acutorostrata spout CLOSE 2013 Channel East 019
An underwater view of a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) diving down after surface lunge feeding.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2013 Channel East 009
Delphinus capensis 2013 11-02 SB Channel East-005
Delphinus capensis 2013 Channel East 005
Two surfing a long beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis ).
Delphinus capensis 2013 Channel East 008
A school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) creates shadow patterns on the back of a long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) in very blue water.
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 018
A long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) in cobalt water.
Delphinus capensis 2013 Channel East 001
A pod of long beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis ) attacks a school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax).
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 015
Image 1 of 3 in a sequence: a long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis ) feeding upside down on a school of northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax).
Delphinus capensis feeding Engraulis mordax CLOSE 2013 Channel East 022

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2013 11-02 SB Channel East

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