Dolphins and Whales

Common Dolphins swiming - October 7, 2009 (movie)

Humpback Whale - Channel Islands
Humpback Whale Channel Islands - August 1, 2009

I went whale watching with the American Cetacean Society - L. A. Chapter. We went on the Condor leaving from the Santa Barbara Harbor and headed out to the Santa Barbara Channel on the south side of the islands between Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Island. Over 12 Blue Whales and 20 Humpback whales were sighted. It was a fascinating experience observing them feeding on the plentiful krill. The Common Dolphins were out and about some of them in sizable pods. Common Murres, Shearwater, gulls and Sea lions could be seen on the trip; many of them feeding along side of the dolphins and whales. The whales anatomy is something I am still trying to get straight. They scoop the krill into their large spoon shaped mouths in all kinds of fashion, sometimes upside down. Their eyes appear to be closed most of the time, while splashing on the surface of the water, and are located just above the end of the jaw line. Many of the whales eat and hunt very close together. It was a learning experience to see something I had only read about, the baleen, hanging from their top jaw and used to filter the krill.

We also meet Dr. John Calambokidis, and two other people working with the Cascadia Research Collective and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography doing whale research. They were tagging and doing sonar work with noise in the shipping channel. They stopped by to show us about how they were tagging the whales and how special the Santa Barbara Channel was for Blue and Humpback Whales.

The day was mostly foggy so the quality of the slideshow could be better, however the opportunity to photograph whales feeding on the krill that were on the surface was very special.

Dolphins surfing at Jalama
Dolphins Surfing up at Jalama - July 5, 2009

A Drive Up the Coast to Surf at Jalama - July 5, 2009

Common Dolphin at Channel Islands
Common Dolphin - Channel Islands, June 17, 2009

Channel Islands June 17, 2009 (flash slideshow - please note the controls on the lower right hand corner)

Gray Whale

Gray Whales seen on Sea Otter Count near Point Conception - March 16, 2009

Humpback Whales - Santa Barbara Channel

Channel Islands Trip to Santa Rosa Island, April 27, 2008 - sights include: Humpback Whales, Common Loon, Common Murre, Dall's Porpoise, Pelagic Cormorant in Breeding Plumage, Black oystercatcher, dunes, Torry Pines, Santa Cruz Island

Dead Whale

Dead Whale

A 29 Foot subadult Sperm whale (according to Joe Cordaro, National Marine Fisheries Service) washed up on the beach at Depressions, Isla Vista, Santa Barbara, California - April 9, 2007.

Common Dolphin - Santa Barbara Channel
Common Dolphin - Santa Barbara Channel, September 2006

Bottlenose Dolphin - Santa Barbara Channel
Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) - Santa Barbara Channel, September 2006

Common Dolphin
Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Santa Barbara Channel - July 2006

Common Dolphin - Santa Barbara Channel Islands, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz 07/09/06

Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale, Santa Barbara Channel - April 22, 2006

Dolphin
Best ride I saw this morning April 30, 2005 - Dolphins at Sands Beach, Goleta, CA

Dolphin
Dolphins at Sands Beach, Nov. 21, 2004

Gray Whales Journey North | Observation post 7 at Coal Oil Point Reserve (includes other marine mammal sightings)

 

Interests of Callie | Birds | Surfing | Santa Barbara Farmers' Market, Gardening and Farming | Snowy Plovers | Trips and Places

Callie's e-mail: cjbowdish@hotmail.com