2014 11-26 SB Channel
Glassy seas, no swells, blue water, bright sunshine and vistas from Boney Ridge to Pt Conception including all 4 Channel Islands greeted us as we left Santa Barbara Harbor on the way out to the Santa Cruz Island hot spots. The first cetaceans of the many spotted today were about 1,000 very friendly long-beaked common dolphins. We played for a while and then resumed our course to the south. We were still many miles off the Island when a plethora of spouts came into view. The spouts were popping up from inside the Santa Cruz Channel all the way to the east. Some were tall, and some spouts were taller still. Immediately obvious was the simultaneous breaching of two adult humpback whales side-by-side about a half mile away. Captain Dave set a slow and careful course for these breechers. On the negative side, many of the humpback whales had 15 minute down times; on the positive side, their corresponding surface times were quite long and included some logging here and there. Unusual scene #1 of the day: very close to the Condor Express one humpback charged another while just under the surface and the race was on. Wow. These beasts can really move. Was this a pre-courtship thing? another form of socializing? It was special to see for sure. One Minke whale was also spotted.
About this time our 2nd Captain Eric got his bino's on one of those "taller still" spouts I mentioned earlier and confirmed the presence of a giant blue whale heading west. We stayed with this giant through several breathing cycles and had fantastic looks....all the while more and more humpback whales were rising up out of the deep. It looks like we are having a possible late season krill explosion over here. Could this be enough to sustain a blue whale for the winter and give us a "resident" beast? Just speculating! After visiting whale after whale, we finally headed over to the northern seacliffs of Santa Cruz and did a tour which included the world famous Painted Cave. Near the cave we had unusual scene #2: a long-beaked common dolphin was observed very close to the boat chasing and "herding" a Risso's dolphin...visible under the clear blue water.
Hard to imagine what time of year this was.
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The "blue streak." A blue whale reflects sunlight as it swims beneath the waves.
Balaenoptera musculus 2014 11-26 SB Channel-b-013
Head of the giant - a blue whale rises to the surface.
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Santa Cruz Island and a blue whale.
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Image 1 of 3: Right flanks and dorsal fin of a blue whale.
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Image 2 of 3: Right flanks and dorsal fin of a blue whale.
Balaenoptera musculus 2014 11-26 SB Channel-b-035
Image 3 of 3: Right flanks and dorsal fin of a blue whale.
Balaenoptera musculus 2014 11-26 SB Channel-b-039
Humpback whales - Santa Cruz Island.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 11-26 SB Channel-a-072
Humpback whales - Santa Cruz Island.
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Head and spout of a humpback whale in clear blue water.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 11-26 SB Channel-c-002
Profile of a humpback whale - note the long pectoral fin beneath the surface.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 11-26 SB Channel-c-007
A duo of humpback whales.
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Tail flukes of a humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 11-26 SB Channel-c-062
A mighty humpback pushes a wave of clear water ahead as it swims.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2014 11-26 SB Channel-c-078
