[CINC] CX 05/03/08

[Sally Eagle]

Condor Express

Saturday, 05/03/08

3 trips: 900, 1200, 1500

8 Humpbacks (including “Rope” on the 1500 trip), sea lions, pacific white
sides, commons, more sea lions, hundreds of sea lions, 2 Xantus’s Murrelets,
and 3 harbor seals on the bait barge.

Most activity in the 34° 17.20  119° 41.27 vicinity, all day

 

 

 

The Channel is filled with bait and all those that love to eat bait fish.
The ocean is clear and cold. Big swells but not all that much wind.

 

This morning two lively humps perfected their breaching, performing
together, side by side. Could you hear the whoops on shore? Certainly every
creature in the water heard or felt the impact when those two hit the water.
I don’t think anyone captured it on camera, but none of us will forget it.

 

For humpback tricks today John Kuizenga and I tallied:

1 double (duo) breach

2 single (solo) breaches

1 spy hop

4 pec slaps

5 tail throws

Flukes too numerous to count

Lots of trumpeting

 

And, yes, the multitudes of sea lions did their versions of all of the
above.

 

However, not all the visitors to the Channel are humpbacks --- there are
many tourists from “away” spending their Euros in Santa Barbara and
exploring the bounty of our waters. We may have to add a foreign language
component to the CINC training.

 

As ever, a wonderful day


..on one of the last trips of the gray whale
season.

 

BTW Bob Perry was out photographing the 9:00 and 12:00 trips. He says he
will have those photos posted on his website by Monday. You can see the fun
for yourselves.

 

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