2015 11-11 SB Channel
You could see from Bony Ridge to the east all the way out to San Miguel Island to the west and every island in between. There was bright sun with a very light breeze, and that famous Santa Barbara cobalt clear water was abundant in the mid-Santa Barbara Channel zones.
About 15 minutes out of Santa Barbara Harbor we saw one single long-beaked common dolphin jumping around all by itself. Later, as we moved into the southbound shipping lanes, we had about 100 more dolphins. But today's excursion was all about the two friendly humpback whales that mugged us for nearly 2 hours. One was a large whale, naturalist Paul estimated at least 55 feet in length, and the other whale was much smaller.
Today's "muggage got started when we arrived in the area to investigate 2 spouts that a sharp-eyed passenger from Simi Valley had located. The 2 humpbacks under the spouts made a bee-line to the Condor Express. The swam up one side and down the other. Then it was under the boat together and separately. Many spy hops very close to the passengers, and virtually no one on the lower deck (and many on the sun deck) did not escape being sprayed down with whale breath. There was also a bit of rolling around and going upside down, mostly by the larger whale.
Both whales had white pectoral flukes and the larger of the two had a small notch in its dorsal fin. It was a spectacular sight to see.
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Read MoreAbout 15 minutes out of Santa Barbara Harbor we saw one single long-beaked common dolphin jumping around all by itself. Later, as we moved into the southbound shipping lanes, we had about 100 more dolphins. But today's excursion was all about the two friendly humpback whales that mugged us for nearly 2 hours. One was a large whale, naturalist Paul estimated at least 55 feet in length, and the other whale was much smaller.
Today's "muggage got started when we arrived in the area to investigate 2 spouts that a sharp-eyed passenger from Simi Valley had located. The 2 humpbacks under the spouts made a bee-line to the Condor Express. The swam up one side and down the other. Then it was under the boat together and separately. Many spy hops very close to the passengers, and virtually no one on the lower deck (and many on the sun deck) did not escape being sprayed down with whale breath. There was also a bit of rolling around and going upside down, mostly by the larger whale.
Both whales had white pectoral flukes and the larger of the two had a small notch in its dorsal fin. It was a spectacular sight to see.
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