2014 10-02 SB Channel

THE Place to Be

It was flat, calm, sunny, clear skies, clear water, no wind and drop dead gorgeous all day. I have personally never seen so many long beaked common dolphins so concentrated in the north eastern Santa Barbara Channel. There were pods of dolphins everywhere we roamed. At least 3,000 dolphins were closely watched. Most of these little cetaceans were on hot spots full of sea birds and sea lions to the chagrin of the northern anchovy population. Picture a flat smooth blue ocean with hot spots of activity here and there as far as you can see. A few of these hot spots were robust and active, in fact we found one of our 3 humpback whales joining in on a feeding frenzy on one of them. The one largest hot spot had a gang of several dozen California sea lions and a couple hundred dolphins. Sea birds, especially black vented shearwaters, were flying circles around the spot and diving. It was an amazing sight to see. Two earlier humpback whales were located farther to the east and had long down times...near 15 minutes on a couple of dives. Three or so Minke whales were also around the active regions. The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the coolest locations around and is definitely THE place to be.

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Image 1 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
1-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-001
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 001
Image 2 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
2-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-002
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 002
Image 3 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
3-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-003
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 003
Image 4 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
4-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-004
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 004
Image 5 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
5-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-005
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 005
Image 6 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
6-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-006
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 006
Image 7 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
7-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-007
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 007
Image 8 of 8 in a row: a long beaked common dolphin does a comlete 360 degree roll as it swims and surfs
8-Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 10-02 SB Channel-008
Delphinus capensis rolling over sequence 2014 Channel 008
Worker on Platform Houchin dangles his feet
Platform Houchin & worker 2014 10-02 SB Channel-012
Platform Houchin worker 2014 Channel 012
Humpback whale, California sea lions, and long beaked common dolphins convene on an oceanic hot spot
Megaptera novaeangliae & Zalophus in hot spot 2014 10-02 SB Channel-116
Megaptera novaeangliae Zalophus hot spot 2014 Channel 116
Close look at a humpback spout
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 10-02 SB Channel-c-040
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 Channel 040
Humpback whale, California sea lions, and long beaked common dolphins convene on an oceanic hot spot
Megaptera novaeangliae & Zalophus in hot spot 2014 10-02 SB Channel-145
Megaptera novaeangliae Zalophus hot spot 2014 Channel 145
Humpback whale, California sea lions, and long beaked common dolphins convene on an oceanic hot spot
Megaptera novaeangliae in hot spot 2014 10-02 SB Channel-059
Megaptera novaeangliae hot spot 2014 Channel 059
Humpback whale, California sea lions, and long beaked common dolphins convene on an oceanic hot spot
Megaptera novaeangliae in hot spot 2014 10-02 SB Channel-083
Megaptera novaeangliae hot spot 2014 Channel 083
Humpback whale, California sea lions, and long beaked common dolphins convene on an oceanic hot spot
Megaptera novaeangliae & Zalophus & Delphinus hot spot 2014 10-02 SB Channel-518
Megaptera novaeangliae Zalophus Delphinus hot spot 2014 Channel 518
A small portion of a larger pod of long beaked common dolphins
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-a-022
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 022
Two long beaked common dolphins
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-025
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 025
Two long beaked common dolphins
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-e-008
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 008
Two long beaked common dolphins
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-e-013
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 013
Only the tip of the dorsal fin breaks the glass
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-003
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 003
A long beaked common dolphin
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-050
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 050
A leaping Two long beaked common dolphin
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-077
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 077
Bubble reflections
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-052
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 052
Exhalation on the surface
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-c-006
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 006
A common dolphin and her pals ride a wave
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-e-018
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 018
A long beaked common dolphin leaps the surface.
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-e-042
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 042
Side by side
Delphinus capensis 2014 10-02 SB Channel-e-020
Delphinus capensis 2014 Channel 020
Two long beaked common dolphins
Delphinus capensis cow & calf 2014 10-02 SB Channel-020
Delphinus capensis cow calf 2014 Channel 020
Delphinus capensis cow & calf 2014 10-02 SB Channel-021
Delphinus capensis cow calf 2014 Channel 021
Delphinus capensis head first 2014 10-02 SB Channel-e-025
Delphinus capensis head first 2014 Channel 025
In the glare of the sun: common dolphins leap across the swells
Delphinus capensis leaping 2014 10-02 SB Channel-014
Delphinus capensis leaping 2014 Channel 014
In the glare of the sun: common dolphins leap across the swells
Delphinus capensis leaping 2014 10-02 SB Channel-005
Delphinus capensis leaping 2014 Channel 005
Long beaked common dolphin
Delphinus capensis leaping 2014 10-02 SB Channel-033
Delphinus capensis leaping 2014 Channel 033
Captain Stu at work
jetski Stu in small boat 2014 10-02 SB Channel-003
jetski Stu small boat 2014 Channel 003
Minke whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2014 10-02 SB Channel-b-002
Balaenoptera acutorostrata 2014 Channel 002
Tall spout near the coast.
Megaptera novaeangliae SB Harbor in back 2014 10-02 SB Channel-164
Megaptera novaeangliae Harbor back 2014 Channel 164
A mass of black vented shearwaters
Puffinus opisthomelas flock 2014 10-02 SB Channel-a-052
Puffinus opisthomelas flock 2014 Channel 052
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus 2014 10-02 SB Channel-005
Zalophus californianus 2014 Channel 005
Mob of California sea lions
Zalophus californianus mob 2014 10-02 SB Channel-008
Zalophus californianus mob 2014 Channel 008

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2014 10-02 SB Channel

Location of today's photographs from camera GPS