2015 10-03 SB Channel

The wildlife moved north about 15 miles from where we had it yesterday and that was a good thing for a couple of reasons. First, it was close to home and we could spend more time with the animals, and second, the sea conditions were much nicer near shore. Deckhand "ojo del águila" Auggie spotted spouts about 20 minutes out of the Harbor. Here we found 5 out of the 6 humpback whales that we would watch for over 2 hours. Mixed in the humpbacks were 4 Minke whales and at least 20 Pacific white-sided dolphins. Several of the humpback whales came over and swam under the Condor Express in that cobalt clear water we've been having. One whale breached, a single random act, near the boat. The white-sided dolphins were Chris Matthews fans and were playing "hardball." Actually they did not spend any time on the surface or come play with the boats as it appeared they were feeding most of the day. Later in the trip we found at least an acre of very small rockfish dead and floating on the surface. It looks like by-catch from a bottom dragger that got shoveled over the side.

Lucky us.

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A humpback whale does a strange and unique "triple tail flick" and sends water flying in an unusual arc pattern.
Megaptera novaeangliae unusual tail fluke sequence 2015 10-03 SB Channel-e-003
Megaptera novaeangliae unusual tail fluke sequence 2015 Channel 003
Pacific white-sided dolphin
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2015 10-03 SB Channel-003
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2015 Channel 003
Humpback whale "triple flick" tail flukes with spray.
Megaptera novaeangliae unusual tail fluke sequence 2015 10-03 SB Channel-e-006
Megaptera novaeangliae unusual tail fluke sequence 2015 Channel 006
Pacific white-sided dolphin shows off its highly curved dorsal fin. I have one of those on my old 8'6" longboard.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2015 10-03 SB Channel-005
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2015 Channel 005
Another photograph in the "tail flick" sequence shows the underside of the tail flukes.
Megaptera novaeangliae unusual tail fluke sequence 2015 10-03 SB Channel-e-007
Megaptera novaeangliae unusual tail fluke sequence 2015 Channel 007
Pacific white-sided dolphin
Lagenrhynchus obliquidens 2015 10-03 SB Channel-f-025
Lagenrhynchus obliquidens 2015 Channel 025
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus 2015 10-03 SB Channel-042
Zalophus californianus 2015 Channel 042
A Pacific white-sided dolphin emits a nice bubble stream from its blow hole.
Lagenrhynchus obliquidens 2015 10-03 SB Channel-f-036
Lagenrhynchus obliquidens 2015 Channel 036
Platform HIllhouse in the foreground with supply boat Alan T. From right to left the platforms in the back are A, B, and C.
vessel Alan T & Plaform Hillhouse 2015 10-03 SB Channel-011
vessel Alan Plaform Hillhouse 2015 Channel 011
Pacific white-sided dolphin
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2015 10-03 SB Channel-006
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2015 Channel 006
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus 2015 10-03 SB Channel-032
Zalophus californianus 2015 Channel 032
Pacific white-sided dolphin
Lagenrhynchus obliquidens 2015 10-03 SB Channel-f-037
Lagenrhynchus obliquidens 2015 Channel 037
Northern fulmar with injured beak
Fulmaris glacialis 2015 10-03 SB Channel-025
Fulmaris glacialis 2015 Channel 025
Humpback whale and twin spouts
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 10-03 SB Channel-b-031
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 Channel 031
Two humpback whales (one is underwater in the foreground)
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 10-03 SB Channel-b-044
Megaptera novaeangliae 2015 Channel 044
Two brown pelicans soar across the waves.
Pelecanus occidentalis flock in flight 2015 10-03 SB Channel-008
Pelecanus occidentalis flock flight 2015 Channel 008
Twin humpback whales and twin spouts. Hope Ranch can be seen in the back.
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO 2015 10-03 SB Channel-b-001
Megaptera novaeangliae TWO 2015 Channel 001
One of several thousand dead, small rockfish found floating belly-up on the surface. This is usually caused by bottom trawlers throwing their by-catch over the side. Rockfish float because their swim bladders are expanded full of air from the pressure differential between the bottom of the ocean and the surface.
Scorpaenidae juv rockfish bycatch floating on surface 2015 10-03 SB Channel-023
Scorpaenidae juv rockfish bycatch floating surface 2015 Channel 023
California sea lions rest on a mooring can.
Zalophus californianus & mooring can Platform Hillhouse 2015 10-03 SB Channel-005
Zalophus californianus mooring can Platform Hillhouse 2015 Channel 005
A California sea lion with its protective drifting kelp paddy.
Zalophus californianus 2015 10-03 SB Channel-018
Zalophus californianus 2015 Channel 018
The tall "high flyer" marking flag is attached to one end of some submerged commercial fishing gear.
flag commercial fishing gear 2015 10-03 SB Channel-003
flag commercial fishing gear 2015 Channel 003

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2015 10-03 SB Channel

Location of today's photographs