Offshores in Santa Barbara Channel

05 April 2008

Comments on the orca report in Santa Barbara Channel, CA by Anthony Lombardi: This sighting has not yet been confirmed as offshores through photo-ID. Anthony believes them to be offshores due to the large group size and temporal proximity to the previous day's sighting at Catalina Island. He said this was the largest pod of killer whales that he had ever seen (20-23+). I've asked him to send me any ID photos: these will verify if it was the same group. We have no documentation of offshore killer whales ever beating up any marine mammals; however, large transient groups of 25-30 have been documented to attack gray whale cow/calf pairs on multiple occasions. However, offshores have been known to make very close approaches to marine mammals, appearing to be especially curious in a manner similar to dolphins approaching (and often interacting with) gray or humpback whales.
Offshores confirmed & ID'd in Santa Barbara Channel, CA: After receiving photos from Anthony Lombardi, Alisa Shulman Janiger was able to confirm this sighting as offshores & ID several of the whales: Two of these are good ID shots: DEFINITELY OFFSHORE KILLER WHALES!! The ones that I recognize include the large male O155, the adult female CA502 (O150), and the female AP73 (all photographed off Pt. Loma on 11 March 2008; CA502 was confirmed in photos taken off Newport Beach on 23 March 2008). This encounter really adds to our record of a very nice series of offshore killer whale sightings off southern California.
Alisa Schulman-Janiger, ACS/LA Gray Whale Census Director