2015 05-21 SB Channel

Captain Eric ran the show today and what a show it was...thanks, in part, to the keen whale-eyes of deckhand Augie. The adventure started off with a bang as we watched a medium-sized ocean sunfish (Mola mola) about a half mile south of east beach. Continuing out to where Augie saw spouts we found two Minke Whales and 1 nice humpback whale near Houchin. After some nice observations at this first stop we continued east to a spot 1 mile past Henry where a hot spot was developing. Long-beaked common dolphins (a total of 2,500 or so) worked the hot spot and surrounding regions along with lots of sooty shearwaters, a few gulls, and lots of crashing brown pelicans.

There turned out to be approximately 12 #whales in this region, including one mother humpback and her calf. The group came together, got hot, then spread out...and the cycle repeated a few times. On the hotter hot spots some vertical surface lunge feeding was observed. That's always NatGeo. After a while the whales and #dolphins dispersed around the area, and we moved over to two large adult humpback whales because one of them breached twice in the distance and one of the slapped its tail a couple of times.

Upon arriving on the scene, our two humpbacks turned out to be our old pal "Rope" and a friend. This is our first sighting of Rope this season and what a sighting it was. Both whales slammed and threw their mighty tail flukes several dozen times, and the air was filled with trumpet vocalizations as well as that "special" humpback aroma. Some of this aggressive behavior may have been in response to a very pesky young California sea lion that did not leave the two big whales alone. The sea lion came over to the boat a few times, then went back on its mission to swim in and around the whales.

The whole day was overcast as we expect a late storm to drizzle on us later tonight, and the winds associated with this weather system rose steadily throughout the excursion. I personally love seeing humpback whales do their "thang" when the winds are blowing as it adds to the drama.

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Helicopter lands on Platform Houchin
helicopter landing Platform Houchin 2015 05-21 SB Channel-007
helicopter landing Platform Houchin 2015 Channel 007
Captain Nemo rises from the ocean at Santa Barbara Harbor
hard hat diver at boat ramp 2015 05-21 SB Harbor-002
hard hat diver boat ramp 2015 Harbor 002
Humpback whale tail and lots of long-beaked common dolphins
Megaptera novaeangliae & Delphinus capensis 2015 05-21 SB Channel-021
Megaptera novaeangliae Delphinus capensis 2015 Channel 021
Two humpack whales visit their fans on the bow of the Condor Express
Megaptera novaeangliae & passengers 2015 05-21 SB Channel-d-032
Megaptera novaeangliae passengers 2015 Channel 032
Two surface lunge feeding humpback whales
Megaptera novaeangliae 2 LUNGE FEED ON SURFACE 2015 05-21 SB Channel-b-002
Megaptera novaeangliae LUNGE FEED SURFACE 2015 Channel 002
A "hot spot" full of shearwaters and other sea birds attracts a couple of humpback whales
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 05-21 SB Channel-010
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 Channel 010
Humpback whale tail flukes
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 05-21 SB Channel-d-005
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 Channel 005
Tail flukes and offshore oil platforms
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 05-21 SB Channel-050
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 Channel 050
In the distance, a humpback whale breaches on a windy ocean surface
Megaptera novaeangliae breach seq 2015 05-21 SB Channel-001
Megaptera novaeangliae breach seq 2015 Channel 001
Humpack whale and platform Henry
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 05-21 SB Channel-d-016
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 Channel 016
Two surface lunge feeding humpback whales and brown pelicans all around
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding 2015 05-21 SB Channel-b-002
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding 2015 Channel 002
Surface lunge feeding humpback whales
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding 2015 05-21 SB Channel-b-007
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding 2015 Channel 007
Close look at the tail flukes of a humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae tail fluke CLOSE 2015 05-21 SB Channel-100
Megaptera novaeangliae tail fluke CLOSE 2015 Channel 100
Whale fans get a close lool at a tail-throwing humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw & passengers 2015 05-21 SB Channel-d-002
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw passengers 2015 Channel 002
Humpback whale tail throw in the wind
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-006
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 006
Tail throwing humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-021
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 021
Tail throwing humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-012
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 012
Tail throwing humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-058
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 058
A tail throwing humpback is upside down and the tips of its pectoral fins can be seen
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-075
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 075
Tail throwing humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-108
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 108
Tail throwing humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-116
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 116
Tail throwing humpback
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 05-21 SB Channel-354
Megaptera novaeangliae tail throw 2015 Channel 354
Brown pelicans and oil platforms
Pelecanus occidentalis crash diving oil platforms 2015 05-21 SB Channel-024
Pelecanus occidentalis crash diving oil platforms 2015 Channel 024
Crash diving pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis in flight 2015 05-21 SB Channel-003
Pelecanus occidentalis flight 2015 Channel 003
Keeping an eye out - California sea lion
Zalophus californianus pup in water 2015 05-21 SB Channel-002
Zalophus californianus pup water 2015 Channel 002
Neclace wound from an entanglement that wraps the neck of this California sea lion
Zalophus californianus with neclace entanglement on buoy 2015 05-21 SB Harbor-002
Zalophus californianus with neclace entanglement buoy 2015 Harbor 002
Body surfing sea lion
Zalophus californianus pup in water 2015 05-21 SB Channel-006
Zalophus californianus pup water 2015 Channel 006

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2015 05-21 SB Channel

Location of today's photographs