[CINC] Condor Express April 9

[Cubby Winkel]

0900 Trip:

12 Shoreline Bottlenose Dolphins

2 Grays

2 Humpbacks

 

1200 Trip:

3 Humpbacks

 

1500 Trip:

2 Humpbacks

 

On Board:  Capn' Dave,  Capn' Jacques,  DJ

Bob Perry (Mr Zalophus) Malibu High Marine Bio teacher / Professional
Photographer

Sally Eagle as PID and Cubby Winkel

 

MIA:  Capn' Mat Curto   For those of you who may be unaware, Mat is in the
Hospital in Santa Maria.  He has some sort of intestinal problem which is
still a bit of a puzzlement to the Docs.  However, his appendix is enlarged
and they are planning on removing it.  Hopefully, that is the problem and
Mat will be back on deck soon!

 

On the 0900 trip Dave found the Bottlenose Dolphins about five minutes west
of the harbor entrance.  We just barely settled in to watch the Dolphins
when a Gray whale was spotted.  It turned out to be a pair of Grays.  We
stayed with them for several breathing cycles then Dave decided to go in
search for some Humpbacks.  We looked for probably close to an hour when
Dave finally proclaimed "we've got whales."  It was a pair of Humpbacks.  We
stayed with them for as long as possible then made a mad dash for the harbor
to pick up the noon trip.  To say the least everybody was very happy when
they left the boat.

 

On the 1200 trip Dave headed straight for the GPS coordinates where we had
seen the two Humpies on the 0900 trip.  When we arrived there were now three
whales.  We spent the next two hours with these whales.  Well, it was not
only a close encounter of the Whale kind it was an up close and personal
encounter lasting most of two hours.  All three whales came within inches of
the boat.  They would nuzzle their noses up close to the boat.  Surface
parallel to the boat with their blow holes just a few feet from the side of
the boat.  The entire boat was showered continually with whale blow and
breath .   There was no way to avoid the "stinky blessing"  everybody was
absolutely enthralled.  When we finally had to make tracks for the harbor
nobody really wanted to leave.  It was truly a magical whale encounter!

 

1500 trip.  Guess where we went?  YUP!  Right back the same Humpies.  There
were only two by this time, the sea had come up a bit but the two whales
proceeded to put on a great show.  They stayed a little farther away from
the boat, possibly due to the larger swell, but nobody was disappointed.

 

T 'was truly a Magical day on the SB Channel!  May your next trip be just as
fantastic!

 

Cubby Winkel

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