2016 03-16 SB Channel
9am
A little hot spot was sighted in the East Beach anchorage and consisted of about 25 Pacific white-sided dolphins (aka, Lags), and a bunch of feeding California sea lions. The spot quickly dispersed and we were able to follow the dolphins down east for a while with great looks. Around 930am we saw spouts out in front of Santa Barbara harbor so we back-tracked to the west and ended up watching 2 separate gray whales with about 100 yards between them. Following them west (the way you get northbound to Alaska in our Channel) brought us to another widely dispersed group of 25 more Lags off Hope Ranch.
By 1030 our westward trek had us just off Coal Oil Point (aka, Counter Point) where the northbound gray whale census happens every year. We located a trio of gray whales here along with a mixture of 5 Lags and 5 common dolphins. On our way back home there were two more gray whales off UCSB.
12noon
Off Leadbetter, Captain Dave pointed to a surface mud plume and moments later a single gray whale surfaced just north of the Condor Express. Was it bottom feeding? Kicking sediments with its powerful tail flukes? Rubbing itself on the bottom? or?
A few moments later a second gray whale for this trip spouted and we attempted to follow along. Both the muddy whale and the second one had other ideas and had long down times which kept everyone on edge. At 100pm a small group of 5 Lags swam by and spent a little time riding our wake. Ten minutes later we found a pair of gray whales moving quickly west and, again, long down times. 125pm and a group of 10 more Lags came by. Finally, not far from the harbor, a very cooperative pair of gray whales were sighted and we followed along for quite a while. Their down times were short and most of their travel was just a foot or so beneath the waves. They spouted together and were exceedingly photogenic.
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Pacific white-sided dolphin heads for the camera on a very glassy surface.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens head-on CLOSE glassy 2016 03-16 SB Channel-b-015
Rain from spout spray falls all around this gray whale.
Eschrichtius robustus 2016 03-16 SB Channel-c-022
A pair of gray whales travel just beneath the surface of the ocean near Hope Ranch, Santa Barbara. A commercial lobster fishing boat is coming home with a load of traps as the season has just ended.
Eschrichtius robustus TWO & SB Coast 2016 03-16 SB Channel-a-120
The left flanks of two gray whales swimming side by side. This is the area used for the photo identification of individual gray whales. As you can see, these two are very different from each other.
Eschrichtius robustus 2016 03-16 SB Channel-e-046
A submerged gray whale in clear water.
Eschrichtius robustus UW 2016 03-16 SB Channel-e-049
Pacific white-sided dolphin glides beneath the surface.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2016 03-16 SB Channel-b-027
Whale lovers enjoy a close up and personal view of Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens & passengers 2016 03-16 SB Channel-a-029
If you look close when you magnify this image you can see some of the teeth of this Pacific white-sided dolphin.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2016 03-16 SB Channel-b-056
A trio of Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2016 03-16 SB Channel-b-034
Emitting a bubble stream on the way up to the surface to breathe - a Pacific white-sided dolphin.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens head-on CLOSE glassy 2016 03-16 SB Channel-b-073
Two Pacific white-sided dolphins and a brown pelican patrol a hot spot.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens TWO & Pelecanus on water 2016 03-16 SB Channel-002
