Another day with spectacular sea conditions allowed us to find all the wildlife we could've hoped for!
Out of the harbor and into the shipping lanes, we started to find some nice groups of common dolphins. These friendly fellows would accompany us for the rest of the ~2 hours we enjoyed with wildlife; in total we estimate ~3,000 throughout the day.
To the south of the lanes and close to Santa Cruz Island we started to pick up whales as we traveled. First, a pair caught our attention in the distance, but even closer a trio popped up close to us. It appeared to be a mother with her young calf accompanied by an escort. As we sat and watched them a blue whale popped up near our bow. Before we could meander to the blue, the escort threw its large tail in the air! Quite the spectacle to see. After a few sequences, another cow/ calf pair joined from the east. The two mothers and calves briefly interacted before going their separate ways again. One of the calves was enticed into a bout of playful activity by a young California sea lion. The two rolled around before continuing to our next sighting (although as we left the calf started to breach, go figure). We then caught up with the blue whale, a young adult but breathtaking nonetheless. We spent 4 or 5 sequences with it as it surfaced on either side of a large group of common dolphins. Before sending it home, a second blue whale popped up near us.
Another banger of a day delivered to us by the breathtaking wildlife that calls our backyard home.
Until Next Time,
The SBWW Crew
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