2014 08-04 SB Channel

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Loads of Humpbacks including "Lucky" the Rescued Whale !

All of the action was along the coast in the north Santa Barbara Channel and we never went more than a few miles offshore. Common dolphins were with us all day and the total numbers were inestimable, easily 5,000 or more. The seas had a light to moderate chop and the wind was causing whitecaps to just show. The dolphins ran up swell and down swell, surfed the bow and stern of the Condor Express, leaped and chased each other all around in the bright sunlight. The show never stopped. Many of the more dense concentrations of common dolphins were also areas of black vented shearwater masses with a few cormorants, western gulls and elegant terns too. Not far outside the Harbor entrance there was a Minke whale that swam in a straight line westward and came up to spout fairly regularly...looks were not bad.

The humpback whales were another story. We watched 3 closely and there was at least one more nearby. The first one was our new friend "Top Notch," and TN was around most of the trip with its signature short down times and frequent tail flukes. The second whale was a dark whale with a completely black tail and it had longer down times plus it had a habit of covering a vast territory on one breath. Finally, the most exciting whale of the day was "Lucky" the humpback whale that was entangled in spot prawn fishing gear near Santa Cruz Island, and was rescued by a local Santa Barbara team (including our own Captain Dave) in early June. We saw this whale after it was set free once before (see this gallery of photos http://www.condorexpressphotos.com/2014/2014-07-03-SB-Channel/ ), and today is the second time the freed whale has been spotted. At first glance, it looks like many of the wounds are starting to heal now. After a few breathing cycles it made another deep dive and then, when nobody expected, Luck got airborne with a full body breach. I'd say it must be feeling better now.

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A friendly long-beaked common dolphin looks up from beneath the glassy ocean surface
Delphinus capensis 2014 08-04 SB Channel-007
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 007
The sleek body of a long-beaked common dolphin casts a unique shadow on the glassy ocean surface
Delphinus capensis 2014 08-04 SB Channel-013
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 013
Two common dolphins glide through the blue ocean water
Delphinus capensis 2 UW 2014 08-04 SB Channel-a-014
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 014
A common dolphin heads directly for the camera lens
Delphinus capensis 2014 08-04 SB Channel-003
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 003
A mother common dolphin (left) and her calf
Delphinus capensis cow & calf 2014 08-04 SB Channel-a-013
Delphinus capensis cow calf 2014 Channel 013
A common dolphin sends out a bubble stream from its blowhole as it rises to the surface of the cobalt blue ocean
Delphinus capensis 2014 08-04 SB Channel-008
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 008
Two common dolphins blow bubbles underwater simultaneously
Delphinus capensis 2014 08-04 SB Channel-a-011
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 011
A mother common dolphin and her calf take a leap
Delphinus capensis cow & calf 2014 08-04 SB Channel-a-032
Delphinus capensis cow calf 2014 Channel 032
The wave riders
Delphinus capensis 2014 08-04 SB Channel-b-014
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 014
Dave's favorite bird hovers above his head and is captured by the camera against the clear blue sky
Larus occidentalis tattered tail in flight 2014 08-04 SB Channel-004
Larus occidentalis tattered tail flight 2014 Channel 004
An offshore oil platform stands in back of a spouting humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae & offshore oil platform 2014 08-04 SB Channel-003
Megaptera novaeangliae offshore oil platform 2014 Channel 003
A humpback whale sends up a tall spout wth the cliffs and Shoreline Drive in Santa Barbara in the background
Megaptera novaeangliae & SB Coast 2014 08-04 SB Channel-k-057
Megaptera novaeangliae Coast 2014 Channel 057
A humpback whale approaches a small sail boat
Megaptera novaeangliae & vessel sailboat 2014 08-04 SB Channel-e-145
Megaptera novaeangliae vessel sailboat 2014 Channel 145
Profile of a humpback whale's knobby head and spout
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-d-014
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 014
A humpback whale with a brown furry friend
Megaptera novaeangliae & Zalophus 2014 08-04 SB Channel-e-131
Megaptera novaeangliae Zalophus 2014 Channel 131
A close up look at a friendly humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-e-004
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 004
The massive tail flukes of a humpback whale are shown as the animal arches up for a deeper dive
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-d-074
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 074
A head-on look at a very friendly humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-e-060
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 060
A small waterfall is caused by the upward stroke of this humpback whale's mighty tail
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-e-042
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 042
Another friendly pass by a humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-k-070
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 070
Head and spout - a humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-e-071
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 071
A whale we call "Lucky" because it was located entangled in commercial fishing gear and then freed. Scars across the back serve as reminders of this whale's ordeal.
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-009
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 009
A side view of "Lucky" the humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-010
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 010
"Lucky" the humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-011
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 011
"Lucky" the humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-012
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 012
This humpback whale is called "Top Notch" because of the notch shown here in its dorsal fin
Megaptera novaeangliae top notch dorsal fin 2014 08-04 SB Channel-d-060
Megaptera novaeangliae top notch dorsal fin 2014 Channel 060
Side view of a humpback whale with its white pectoral fins glowing under the water
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-k-003
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 003
Various scars across the back of "Lucky" the humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-k-013
Megaptera novaeangliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 013
A humpback whale and its sea lion pal
Megaptera novaengliae & Zalophus 2014 08-04 SB Channel-a-010
Megaptera novaengliae Zalophus 2014 Channel 010
A humpback whale and a sea lion
Megaptera novaengliae & Zalophus 2014 08-04 SB Channel-h-035
Megaptera novaengliae Zalophus 2014 Channel 035
A look at nearly the entire body of a humpback whale traveling underwater
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-aa-001
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 001
Chin, rostrum, mouth and spout of a humpback whale
Megaptera novaengliae 2014 08-04 SB Channel-g-011
Megaptera novaengliae 2014 Channel 011
Another shot of "Lucky" the humpback whale
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-h-008
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 008
A humpback whale's body seen under the clear blue water
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-h-021
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 021
Whole body view of a humpback whale
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-aa-011
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 011
A humpback whale seen spouting in very clear water
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-h-025
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 025
Side view of a humpback whale
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-h-044
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 044
"Lucky"
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 08-04 SB Channel-h-053
Megaptera novaengliae disentangled Lucky 2014 Channel 053
Sailboat in the warm afternoon sunlight
vessel sailboat backlight afternoon sun 2014 08-04 SB Channel-a-002
vessel sailboat backlight afternoon sun 2014 Channel 002
California sea lion antics
Zalophus californianus 2014 08-04 SB Channel-b-002
Zalophus californianus 2014 Channel 002
A curious California sea lion
Zalophus californianus 2014 08-04 SB Channel-b-019
Zalophus californianus 2014 Channel 019
California sea lion antics
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 08-04 SB Channel-014
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 Channel 014
A friendly California sea lion
Zalophus californianus 2014 08-04 SB Channel-f-005
Zalophus californianus 2014 Channel 005
California sea lion antics
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 08-04 SB Channel-052
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 Channel 052
California sea lion antics
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 08-04 SB Channel-045
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 Channel 045
A trio of California sea lions porpoising
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 08-04 SB Channel-053
Zalophus californianus porpoising 2014 Channel 053
Minke whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2014 08-04 SB Channel-019
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2014 Channel 019

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2014 08-04 SB Channel

Location of today's photogaphs from camera GPS