2015 08-18 SB Channel
Between the Minke #whale sighting and 1105 am when we spied our first cluster of humpback whales, there were several hundred long-beaked common dolphins mostly observed moving around the area. The humpbacks were another story as they had grouped up on a very active oceanic hot spot loaded up with black-vented shearwaters, California sea lions, elegant terns and lots of #dolphins. There were a few subsurface bubble-blasts and lunges at first, then the predators all apparently got the anchovies balled-up near the surface. There were several dramatic surface lunge feeding episode by both single whales and cooperative pairs. It is always amazing to see those silvery anchovies flying everywhere. If they escape being engulfed by whales they face a gauntlet of dolphins, sea lions and sea birds.
Moving a bit further south, around 1145 am we hit an area in which there were at least 10 humpbacks spread out over a mile in each direction. At this point we were about 8 or 9 miles south of Campus Point. A highlight of this sighting was a brief kelping activity by one of the larger humpbacks. We left this area and moved on to Santa Cruz Island. Captain Dave gave his masterful interpretation of the history, geography, and paleontology of the island with emphasis on the world-famous Painted Cave which we found to be amazingly calm and flat inside.
On the way home we found a mega-pod of long-beaked common dolphins in the Lanes, and another humpback whale just a few miles outside the Harbor.
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Close look at a very friendly Minke whale.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2015 08-18- SB Channel-003
Close look at a very friendly Minke whale.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2015 08-18- SB Channel-008
Close look at a very friendly Minke whale.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata & passengers 2015 08-18- SB Channel-a-007
Close look at a very friendly Minke whale.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2015 08-18- SB Channel-011
Close look at a very friendly Minke whale in relatively clear water so the whole body can be seen.
Balaenoptera acutorostrata CLOSE 2015 08-18- SB Channel-a-005
Whale fans get a great look at a humpback with white pectorals and glassy seas.
Megaptera novaeangliae & passengers 2015 08-18- SB Channel-y-003
Image 1 of 2: a flock of black-vented shearwaters sitting on the ocean surface in a "hot spot" start to panic and take flight to clear out an area where a feeding humpack whale is just about ready to break the surface.
Megaptera novaeangliae & Puffinus opisthomelas 2015 08-18- SB Channel-114
Image 1 of 2: a flock of black-vented shearwaters sitting on the ocean surface in a "hot spot" start to panic and take flight as a feeding humpback whale rises to the surface upside down. The ventral groove blubber is seen just under the surface.
Megaptera novaeangliae lunge feed & Puffinus opisthomelas 2015 08-18- SB Channel-116
MegapteranovaeangliaelungefeedPuffinusopisthomelas2015Channel116
A stream of bubbles is seen the wake of a spouting humpback whale.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 08-18- SB Channel-027
A very close look at a humpback whale head-first and spouting.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 08-18- SB Channel-028
Unusual fin color patterns as a feeding humpback whale rolls around.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 08-18- SB Channel-088
Black-vented shearwaters scatter as the giant pectoral fin of a feeding humpback whale looks like it will slap them silly.
Megaptera novaeangliae pectoral & Puffinus opisthomelas 2015 08-18- SB Channel-072
MegapteranovaeangliaepectoralPuffinusopisthomelas2015Channel072
