2015 07-16 SB Channel
This trip was a 100pm to 530 pm afternoon trip. By 137 pm Captain Dave had us on approach to a very productive hot spot area about 8 miles south of Hope Ranch. Some small and medium large and very dense bait balls full of northern anchovies were observed through an area that was perhaps a quarter of a mile square. The region was found at a distance due to the abundance of elegant terns fluttering and crashing on the bait. Soon we were closely watching 8 very hungry humpback whales feeding both above and below the surface on these fish. At least 1,000 #dolphins plus several dozen California sea lions were also feasting. Several very dramatic instanced of vertical lunge feeding by the #whales were observed whereby the surface of the ocean would boil with thousands of anchovies as they jumped together and seemed to raise the sea level with their foamy splashing. Soon the tips of the whales rostrums and then their wide open gaping mouths would break the surface sending most, but not all of the anchovy population into their gular pouches. Many anchovies got lucky and escaped, only to re-form the bait ball again.
On one occasion the bait ball came up to the Condor Express and hid underneath the boat. Dolphins and sea lions were still on the attack. Also, something I've written about before, in each case of lunge feeding the whales did not continue to attack the same bait ball very long. Instead, they left much of it intact and swam away to a new ball of anchovies. This seemed to me to be sustainable fishing in action.
Later we took a tour of the west end of Santa Cruz Island including a look inside the world-famous Painted Cave. The whole trip was bright and sunny with very little swells or wind. On the way home we found a 1,000-strong nursery pod of common dolphins and one more humpback about 4 miles outside the Harbor.
What a day !
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Say "ah!" The wide open mouth of a feeding humpback whale shows us the pink soft palate of the upper mouth surrounded by tan baleen. the lower jaw is open beneath the surface as this humpback whale engulfs a school of anchovies.
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2015 07-16 SB Channel-002
Extreme close up view of a feeding humpack whale. Baleen is seen around the margin of the upper jaw, and the ventral gular pouch and its blubber grooves are expanded.
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding CLOSE 2015 07-16 SB Channel-005
Whale fans get a great look at a humpback whale diving in blue water. The whale has white pectoral fins that glow from beneath the surface.
Megaptera novaeangliae & passengers CLOSE 2015 07-16 SB Channel-a-015
Two whales come by for some selfies.
Megaptera novaeangliae & passengers CLOSE 2015 07-16 SB Channel-c-020
Friendly humpback whales.
Megaptera novaeangliae & passengers CLOSE 2015 07-16 SB Channel-c-033
Image 1 of 5 in a row: A close look at the many thousands of northern anchovies that are leaping out of the ocean to try and escape the on-coming humpback whales below. The tip of one whales' rostrum is visible in the mix.
Engraulis mordax bait ball jumping on the surface 2015 07-16 SB Channel-499
