Old Friends in the form of Killer Whales

Another one of those incredible December days. A bit of a bump from yesterday's high winds resided in the channel, but didn't stop us from finding a whole bunch of marine life!

Captain Devin reports incredible marine sightings. 7 humpback whales, 10 Dall's porpoise, and 100 common dolphins are a great way to start any trip. But ending the trip with a friendly pod of killer whales was THE BEST way to end it.

On the way home, we happened upon a group of killer whales known as the 122's. Captain Devin recalls immediately recognizing them upon arriving on the scene. Although not all of the members were present, our crew has seen these whales before. 2 past encounters come to mind: one on December 12th, 2021, and another on September 4th, 2022. The pod is easily identifiable by the large male, 122C, who has a massive dorsal fin with a notch in it.

The group hunted multiple california sea lions as they made their way through the Santa Barbara Channel.

Video from friend and wildlife cinematographer Mark Romanov.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSgzrsKjKqx/

Until Next Time,

The SBWW Crew