A Social Trio among 7 humpbacks. Plus a single PWSD?!
- Santa Barbara Whale Watch
- Aug 15
- 1 min read
Another beautiful day stacked with lots of marine life!
Our first sighting of the day was a pod of ~500 or so common dolphins. We would see upwards of 1100 dolphins throughout the day, feeding with the whales. Southwest of the dolphins, closer to Santa Cruz Island, we began to find humpback whales. The first few were singles circling with sooty shearwaters, clearly fixated on capturing anchovies. Nearby, a cow/ calf approached the boat. They repeatedly circled us, rolling around with one another. Among them, oddly enough, was a single Pacific white sided dolphin. While these dolphins used to be a common sighting in the spring in the channel, it has been years since we have seen them. It was certainly a treat to see one after such an absence!
Soon, another whale joined the pair. The three whales spent the next hour rolling around underneath us, trumpeting, and flipping their tails up in the air. It was such a cool and unique encounter!
On the way home, we encountered a noticeable nursery pod of common dolphins, where nearly every dolphin was a female with a brand new calf. 2025.5 model for sure!
Until Next Time,
The SBWW Crew