T&T: Santa Barbara Channel

[PrncessKHY at aol.com]

Yes, fortunately and unfortunately, so true........
 
We fortunately saw a live blue whale in the channel not  quite 2 weeks ago 
and were absolutely thrilled!
 
Then, Saturday, as we came across the channel from Ventura to Catalina, we  
happened upon a dead whale floating in the water -- so  depressing......
 
It looked like it had been dead for a while; we could see the ribs exposed  
and blubber layed out, and birds were atop it, feeding on the dead flesh.   To 
us, it definitely looked like it might have been hit by a boat.  We were  not 
in the traffic lanes at the time, but there were several large container  
ships heaving-to nearby, that we surmised must have been waiting for clearance  
into Long Beach or the like.
 
The scary thing is that we would have hit it had we not noticed it from the  
pilothouse -- we were on a direct collision course with the poor creature and  
had to divert around it.  We called the CG straight away, and they  issued an 
alert at the lat/long we provided, but beings that it was  floating....... 
well....just one more reason to always keep a  good watch at all times.
 
 
 
John & Kathy Youngblood
m/v Mystic Moon - Selene 53
(lying Two Harbors, Catalina Island)
 
 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 10/1/2007 9:36:45 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
lalicata at alum.rpi.edu writes:

The US  Coast Guard issued a press release urging mariners transiting  
the  Santa Barbara Channel to exercise caution.  Blue whales are   
feeding in channel, including the shipping lanes.  The National   
Marine Fisheries Service expects the whales to be present in feeding   
groups through the middle of November.  (9/28/07).

http://tinyurl.com/26b69v
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