[CINC] Double Dolphin/3-21

[paul jr petrich]

Ocean People,
   Both trips of the Double Dolphin went out yesterday in warm, clear weather, with some fun rolling swells from the NW. Captain Tyler and deck hand Quincy found us whales on both trips.
10 a.m. trip: 5 Gray Whales.
1 p.m.trip: 4 Gray Whales and 200 Common Dolphin
 On both trips we spotted all of our whales within a half mile of shore, all going west constantly, except for one curious antic by a juvenile on the second trip ( described below!). All were sighted west of Santa Barbara Harbor except for the one mentioned below. We had 19 passengers on the first trip, including a family from Germany. Half aboard had never seen a whale. One of these was an old classmate from San Pedro HS who I have shamed for years for that un-Pedro like  deficiency. On the second trip we had 24 passengers, with a surprising number from land-locked locales like Idaho, Wyoming, and Switzerland. Immediately outside Santa Barbara Harbor, before I could finish quizzing passengers about the identity of the pinepeds on the buoy just outside the harbor, a spouting Gray juvenile rose up right next to the boat to steal the show! Captain Tyler cruised westward as the whales escort ( it being well over 100 yds shoreside ) all the way to the Mesa Lane steps  and adjacent to the UCSB research buoys there. Here the juvenile whale turned around, and lolly-gagged in the area a short while, doing some diving. It is at this location Captain Tyler said he has seen female Grays dive down with their calves to murk-up the sandy bottom that exists there. As we cruised the adjacent to this whale its sped was exactly 3.5 knots per hour.
On the way to port finishing off the last trip, Captain Tyler diverted to go south off shore a mile and a half to check out some feeding bird activity. There we were all were amazed at the feeding frenzy occurring. Tens  of Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, and Wester Gulls were actively diving and circling amid active sea lions and the 200 Common Dolphin. I surmised they were all feeding on Sardines, which seem to be on the upswing in the Channel since there disappearance in the 1960s. Our trip out on the rollers was a fun one that most aboard really enjoyed!  Keep on Swimmin, Paul Petrich
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