2016 03-24 SB Channel
9 am
Our first cetacean was a juvenile gray whale found just off the Yacht Club. We followed it west and it had long down times. It did do a few 180° turnaround which brought it close to the Condor Express and its whale fans. Later on this morning trip we found and watched two more pairs of small gray whales about 20 minutes apart coming up the coast. Again, these mostly had long down times and a couple of them were snorkelers. About this time, the extremely sharp visual powers of our deckhand, Tasha, located some hot spots a few miles offshore and their associated humpback whales.
Once on the scene we did see several medium sized northern anchovy bait ball hot spots replete with about 200 long-beaked common dolphins, 50 or so California sea lions and 4, large, very hungry humpback whales. The rest of the morning excursion went by very quickly as we watched these knobby-headed beasts vertically lunge feed at the surface time after time. What a show! The dolphins would coral the anchovies and move them into a tight ball in one spot, the humpback would move in and lunge in the middle of the fish. The humpbacks would then move to the next spot where other dolphins had the fish all balled-up. After that, they would return to the first spot after the dolphins regrouped the bait ball. The hungry sea lions went about their feeding everywhere anchovies were still wiggling.
12 noon
No crew member was surprised when Captain Dave left Santa Barbara Harbor and set a course directly back to the spot where we had left the feeding humpback whales on the morning adventure. Sure enough, there were still a few living anchovy balls and the humpback whale were still there. We spent the whole trip watching the action-packed show. There were, again, 4 humpback whales, and in the mix we watched at least 300 long-beaked common dolphins, 50 Pacific white-sided dolphins (aka, Lags), and a minimum of 50 California sea lions. There were periods when the whales were down underwater and all we did was stare at the bait ball...soon enough the waters would erupt and the humpback whales would emerge from the depths with their mouths open, baleen exposed, and millions of tiny silvery-green fish leaping for their lives.
3pm
The show continued during the late afternoon trip. The Lags were back, about 25 of them, along with at least 200 common dolphins, several dozen sea lions, and the same 4 humpback feeding machines. At one point a ballooned humpback rose to the surface from the depths belly-first. The gular pouch was fully distended and full of water laden with anchovies. It was a mysterious, even surreal sight until the humpback rolled back and righted itself. At first we all said "Whaaaaa?" These fascinating and highly active whales never cease to amaze.
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Surface lunge-feeding humpback whales. Mouths are showing baleen plates. The left whale is showing the pink soft palate of the roof of its mouth. Ventral groove blubber is expanded and the gular pouches are full of seawater and anchovies.
Megaptera novaeangliae lunge feeding 2016 03-24 SB Channel-020
Cell phone cameras go crazy as a friendly gray whale does a U-turn and heads for the boat.
Eschrichtius robustus & passengers GOOD 2016 03-24 SB Channel-a-008
Close and friendly gray whale.
Eschrichtius robustus 2016 03-24 SB Channel-033
Gray whale under the waves.
Eschrichtius robustus UW 2016 03-24 SB Channel-047
Gray whale under the waves.
Eschrichtius robustus UW 2016 03-24 SB Channel-024
Pacific white-sided dolphins feeding with California sea lions.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens & Zalophus californianus 2016 03-24 SB Channel-010
LagenorhynchusobliquidensZalophuscalifornianus2016Channel010
Three Pacific white-sided dolphins seen close up.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 2016 03-24 SB Channel-022
The striking black and white color of a lone Pacific white-sided dolphin is seen under the surface.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens UW 2016 03-24 SB Channel-a-023
On the left, here comes the California sea lions, on the right, here comes the Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens & Zalophus californianus 2016 03-24 SB Channel-007
LagenorhynchusobliquidensZalophuscalifornianus2016Channel007
Three humpback whales surface lunge feeding in unison. In the back, it looks like a pelican has been caught in the humpback's mouth. Photo images immediately after this shot show that the bird was in the water, close to the whale's mouth, but not inside it.
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding 2016 03-24 SB Channel-146
Three mouths full of northern anchovies. The yellow/tan baleen is visible in the roof of their mouths.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2016 03-24 SB Channel-016
Surface lunge-feeding humpback whales.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2016 03-24 SB Channel-017
The gular pouches of these humpbacks are fully distended now as evidenced by the expanded ventral groove blubber.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2016 03-24 SB Channel-019
Ond of the two feeding humpbacks almost looks like its "smiling." It's gular pouch is enormously distended.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2016 03-24 SB Channel-023
Humpback whale tail and four brown pelicans.
Megaptera novaeangliae 2016 03-24 SB Channel-e-063
Brown pelicans fly away from the impact zone as a trio of surface lunge feeding humpback whales break the surface together. Hundreds of escaping anchovies can be seen.
Megaptera novaeangliae surface lunge feeding Engraulis mordax baleen 2016 03-24 SB Channel-012
MegapteranovaeangliaesurfacelungefeedingEngraulismordaxbaleen2016Channel012
