American Bald Eagle with what is left of it's meal. This Bald Eagle is a juvenile, and in an Eucalyptus tree.
The view of Prisoners Harbor and beyond from Pelican Bay trail on Santa Cruz Island.
Humpback & Blue Whales... First official whale watch trip of the season with Island Packers . We spent a couple of hours with these whales. Overall, we saw/encountered at least 25 Humpbacks, and 3 Blue Whales, but saw many more spouts in the distance. Humpback and Blue Whales come to the west end of the Santa Barbara Channel late spring through early fall yearly to feed.
Humpback Whale lunge feeding
Humpback Whale tail lobbing
2 Blue Whales with Santa Cruz Island in the background.
Just some fun facts.....
*The Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to in-habitat earth - 100 feet long (equivalent to two city buses)
*They can weigh up to 2 tons (that is 15 school buses).
*Their tongue weighs as much as an elephant (100 people can stand on it. A volkswagon bug can park inside its mouth).
*Their Heart is the size of a Mini Cooper, and a human can easily crawl through its major arteries.
*A toddler can fit in its blow hole.
A photo of a Blue Whale at the end of its blow taken in 2010.
