Tag Archives: whales

Twin Harbors – a beautiful Santa Cruz north shore anchorage in the Santa Barbara Channel Islands in Southern California

Posted on by
SAIL CHANNEL ISLANDS HOME
Share
[Facebook] [Google] [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

As predicted, Memorial Day weekend found an enormous flotilla heading to Santa Cruz. From a distance of 2 miles or so we counted 30+ boats in Prisoners and saw masts so thick in Pelican that it looked like a toothpick box. This was midafternoon on Saturday. By Sunday, we were told, there were more than 125 boats on the eastern end of the island, spilling out of Yellowbanks-Smugglers from Hungryman almost to Sandstone Point.

Even though we’d waited too long to look for a refuge on Saturday – we’d been side-tracked by a pair of Humpbacks in the vicinity of Cavern Point (above) – we got lucky and found that Twin Harbors only harbored one small runabout.

I wouldn’t want to squeeze more than two boats in here. Truthfully, I’d prefer to be solo unless it’s flat calm.

In addition to the video, take a look-up at our cruising guide for Twin Harbors and if you have anything to add or dispute, please comment below.

Whales of Fall

Posted on by
SAIL CHANNEL ISLANDS HOME
Share
[Facebook] [Google] [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Fin Whale near Santa Cruz Island

Several Blue Whales were killed in the Santa Barbara Channel last fall. The whales are back and the Coast Guard has posted the following alert in this week’s Local Notice to Mariners:

CALIFORNIA SEACOAST-WHALES-POINT CONCEPTION TO POINT DUME

Large whales, including Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, and Fin Whales, have recently been sighted in the Santa Barbara Channel and Traffic
Separation Scheme between Point Conception and Point Dume. These large whales are listed as endangered species and are protected under
Federal Law.

Mariners are advised to keep a sharp lookout for these large whales. NOAA strongly recommends that vessels 300 gross registered tons or
larger transiting the Traffic Separation Scheme do so at speeds not in excess of 10 knots.
Please report any collisions with whales and any observed live, injured, or dead whales including time and position, to NOAA at 562-980-4017 or
the U.S. Coast Guard.

I’d also like to point out that we’re not supposed to close to less than 100 yards to any marine mammal. However, they can approach us. In general, when I find myself in close proximity, I maintain a steady course and speed, treating them as “stand-on.”

You can see in this video that they will get close and can be downright frolicsome.

Whale of a trip

Posted on by
SAIL CHANNEL ISLANDS HOME
Share
[Facebook] [Google] [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

We hosted David Gallup – the artist who has been painting scenes throughout the Channel Islands for the past several years.

In addition to being a fine artist and a fineartist, he’s got the best sailor’s eye I’ve ever witnessed. And what he saw this week, before anyone else, were lots of whales. Twenty or so in the course of three days, 20 spouting, feeding and – occasionally – leaping whales. We didn’t get very much on film. Like fishing, there were more fine shots that got away than we were able to capture. And here’s the best of the bunch.

We also ran across the laziest dolphins in these parts. Click to watch.