2015 03-20 SB Coast

2015 03-20 SB Coast

We ran a single 2½ hour whale watch trip and Captain Eric left the docks at 12 noon for the rich and fertile whale grounds of the Santa Barbara Channel. With the eagle-eyed deckhand Augie manning the binoculars, it was not far outside Santa Barbara Harbor that we encountered the first 2 northbound gray whales of what would be a very productive adventure. Next we saw a group of 4 #whales (3 adults and one juvenile), another group of two and finally a group of 3 making our total for the trip a whopping 11 gray whales.

The #dolphin show was also great, especially since the ocean water clarity still persists. The first "pod" was over 100 long-beaked common dolphins and they were scattered here and there over a wide area and only paid marginal attention to the Condor Express. Later, however, we spotted a few larger pods close together perhaps totaling 1,000 or more common dolphins. This pod was far more friendly and rode both the bow and the stern wake as their fan club on the boat cheered. Calves were abundant in both sightings.

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Image 1 of 2: Long-beaked common dolphins swim sideways and upside down.
Delphinus capensis surfing upside down 2015 03-20 SB Coast-002
Delphinus capensis surfing upside down 2015 Coast 002
Image 2 of 2: Long-beaked common dolphins swim sideways and upside down.
Delphinus capensis surfing upside down 2015 03-20 SB Coast-006
Delphinus capensis surfing upside down 2015 Coast 006
Long-beaked common dolphins swim sideways and upside down.
Delphinus capensis surfing upside down 2015 03-20 SB Coast-013
Delphinus capensis surfing upside down 2015 Coast 013
Two long-beaked common dolphins - a private moment.
Delphinus capensis 2015 03-20 SB Coast-073
Delphinus capensis 2015 Coast 073
Two long-beaked common dolphins leap out of the water.
Delphinus capensis 2015 03-20 SB Coast-069
Delphinus capensis 2015 Coast 069
Bubble-up - a long-beaked common dolphin rises to the surface.
Delphinus capensis 2015 03-20 SB Coast-b-009
Delphinus capensis 2015 Coast 009
A long-beaked common dolphin cuts the mirror.
Delphinus capensis 2015 03-20 SB Coast-091
Delphinus capensis 2015 Coast 091
The lone leaper.
Delphinus capensis 2015 03-20 SB Coast-a-150
Delphinus capensis 2015 Coast 150
Two long-beaked common dolphins.
Delphinus capensis 2015 03-20 SB Coast-a-167
Delphinus capensis 2015 Coast 167
A curious long-beaked common dolphin with white pigmentation zones.
Delphinus capensis with white scars 2015 03-20 SB Coast-005
Delphinus capensis with white scars 2015 Coast 005
Abstract ocean surface - blue, purple and shiny
abstract ocean surface 2015 03-20 SB Coast-055
abstract ocean surface 2015 Coast 055
Muliple gray whales cruise the Santa Barbara coastline.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-032
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 032
Two friendly gray whales pay a visit to the Condor Express.
Eschrichtius robustus & passengers 2015 03-20 SB Coast-a-009
Eschrichtius robustus passengers 2015 Coast 009
Gray whale fire hose.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-071
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 071
Gray whale portrait.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-087
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 087
Image 1 of 4: gray whale tail flukes on a sunny day.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-076
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 076
Image 2 of 4: gray whale tail flukes on a sunny day.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-135
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 135
Image 3 of 4: gray whale tail flukes on a sunny day.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-136
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 136
Image 4 of 4: gray whale tail flukes on a sunny day.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-137
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 137
Snorkeling - only the blowhole protrudes from the ocean. Were it not for the water clarity, this gray whale would have been completely camouflaged. Stealth mode.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-154
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 154
Tail fluke of a rolling gray whale.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-213
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 213
Two gray whales, large and small, side-by-side.
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 03-20 SB Coast-204
Eschrichtius robustus 2015 Coast 204
A flock of brown pelicans.
Pelecanus occidentalis in flight 2015 03-20 SB Coast-007
Pelecanus occidentalis flight 2015 Coast 007
A single brown pelican.
Pelecanus occidentalis ONE in flight 2015 03-20 SB Coast-010
Pelecanus occidentalis ONE flight 2015 Coast 010

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2015 03-20 SB Coast

Locations for some of today's photography.