2015 05-07 SB Coast
A moderate breeze tore through the coastal zone today as the edge of a very late winter storm (that will probably produce a lot more wind than rain) began to show itself. Wind waves were 4 feet or so from the west, but this did not deter our crafty and multi-talented Captain Dave from gingerly heading into it and successfully locating 4+ #whales and 2 species of #dolphins. The fresh air alone was worth the trip ! Here's the scoop:
Proceeding westward into the seas we located a quad pod, 2 mother gray whales with their calves, bunched together tight, in very shallow water just up past the Santa Barbara Light. As we approached the whales were apparently in shallow water for a rest, relaxation, play and possibly a nursing break. Bubble blasts, rolling around, tiny tail flukes in the air, and spy-hops were seen by all the whale fans on board the Condor Express. During this playtime, about 5 coastal bottlenose dolphins passed by, perhaps foraging. The rolling and blasting continued for about 20 minutes and then the 4 whales got back on their migratory path. We followed along past Hendry's Beach and into Hope Ranch. Up ahead and into the seas we clearly saw two more spouts from a third mother gray whale and her calf, but to minimize the bumping and so forth, Dave took us southeast with the swells at our stern.
After a short introduction to Platform Charlie we came across a good sized pod of long-beaked common dolphins accompanied by numerous gulls and elegant terns. We watched these small cetaceans bust through the swells as they led us in the general direction of home (Santa Barbara Harbor). It is always a wild thing to see dolphins in rough seas and how marvelously adapted they are.
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Read MoreProceeding westward into the seas we located a quad pod, 2 mother gray whales with their calves, bunched together tight, in very shallow water just up past the Santa Barbara Light. As we approached the whales were apparently in shallow water for a rest, relaxation, play and possibly a nursing break. Bubble blasts, rolling around, tiny tail flukes in the air, and spy-hops were seen by all the whale fans on board the Condor Express. During this playtime, about 5 coastal bottlenose dolphins passed by, perhaps foraging. The rolling and blasting continued for about 20 minutes and then the 4 whales got back on their migratory path. We followed along past Hendry's Beach and into Hope Ranch. Up ahead and into the seas we clearly saw two more spouts from a third mother gray whale and her calf, but to minimize the bumping and so forth, Dave took us southeast with the swells at our stern.
After a short introduction to Platform Charlie we came across a good sized pod of long-beaked common dolphins accompanied by numerous gulls and elegant terns. We watched these small cetaceans bust through the swells as they led us in the general direction of home (Santa Barbara Harbor). It is always a wild thing to see dolphins in rough seas and how marvelously adapted they are.
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Eschrichtius robustus 2015 05-07 SB Coast-016
Gray whale in the giant kelp forest
Eschrichtius robustus 2 in kelp Macrocystis 2015 05-07 SB Coast-002
Two gray whale calves cavort - one has giant kelp on it's head.
Eschrichtius robustus 2 in kelp Macrocystis 2015 05-07 SB Coast-008
Two gray whale calves horse around in the giant kelp and are shown here with kelp on their backs. Note also how close to shore the whales are.
Eschrichtius robustus 2 in kelp Macrocystis 2015 05-07 SB Coast-005
Waves in the kelp forest and a gray whale in the midst.
Eschrichtius robustus waves in kelp Macrocystis 2015 05-07 SB Coast-137
