Captain's Log

Although a localized fire in Moss Landing canceled our scheduled departures aboard Ocean Spirit today, the harbor cleared by mid-morning, allowing naturalist Luke to scout the bay from his private vessel. Conditions were favorable, characterized by calm water and a light surface chop, which made spotting conditions ideal out on the water.

Luke located well-known transient killer whale Aurora and three members of her pod traveling through Monterey Bay. This matriline has shown strong site fidelity to the area this season, routinely utilizing local canyon edges to hunt marine mammals. Alongside the four killer whales, three humpback whales were also noted in the vicinity, quietly working the mid-bay waters.

With harbor access fully restored, we are set to resume our normal schedule tomorrow. Having transient matrilines like Aurora’s make extended use of Monterey Bay offers an excellent opportunity to document individual associations and movements over time.

Under calm conditions off Moss Landing this morning aboard Ocean Spirit, we encountered a dynamic multi-species interaction centered around killer whales moving through the area. The orcas were actively hunting California sea lions, creating immediate agitation across a large aggregation of nearly three hundred sea lions dispersed near the submarine canyon.

As the hunt progressed, humpback whales moved directly into the perimeter to chase and shadow the killer whales. This type of interspecific intervention is well documented in humpbacks, which frequently disrupt mammal-hunting killer whale operations even when unrelated species are the target. Alongside the hunt, the orcas were also observed tail-swatting common murres resting on the surface, a behavior often associated with prey handling or play.

Across the morning, we accounted for 30 humpback whales spread through the sector alongside an estimated 298 California sea lions. The glassy sea state offered exceptional sightlines, making it straightforward to follow the directional shifts of the orcas and the persistent pursuit by the humpbacks.

Documenting these complex, multi-species interactions remains one of the most compelling dimensions of Monterey Bay, providing a clear window into how apex predators and baleen whales share and contest the same productive waters.

A complex multi-species interaction unfolded just outside Moss Landing today aboard Sanctuary. Members of the CA51 transient killer whale matriline, specifically Aurora's pod (CA51A), were observed actively hunting long-beaked common dolphins in light chop. Nearby, adult male Jimmy (CA50B), Andi (CA51A2), and her calf Astrid (CA51A2A) pursued a California sea lion while a dense group of humpback whales moved in to interfere with the predators.

Interference behavior by humpback whales during Bigg's killer whale hunts is a well-documented occurrence in Monterey Bay. Humpbacks regularly approach active predation events, placing their multi-ton bodies between the orcas and their target while emitting loud, low-frequency blows. The acoustic and physical presence of the humpbacks disrupted the orcas' coordinated pursuit, set against a broader backdrop of roughly 250 common dolphins scattering across the area.

The dynamic conditions spanned both departures, totaling 45 humpback whales and seven killer whales. Our morning trip concluded quietly with several curious humpbacks approaching and remaining alongside our drifting vessel. The mid-day trip shifted back to high energy, featuring powerful lunge-feeding through bait schools alongside repeated breaching.

With water temperatures holding around 60.8°F over the canyon, late-summer foraging remains in full swing. Seeing apex predators, delphinids, and baleen whales cross paths so closely provides an unvarnished look at the ecological tensions that define this bay.

A choppy morning aboard Sanctuary shifted quickly after an encounter with roughly 500 long-beaked common dolphins bow-riding in the swell. The dolphins abruptly stampeded out of the sector as three killer whales moved into the area: adult male Jimmy (CA50B), his great-niece Andi, and her calf Astrid.

The trio was actively hunting California sea lions while also interacting with common murres rafting on the surface. In late summer and early autumn, adult murres undergo a simultaneous post-breeding wing molt, rendering them temporarily flightless and easy targets for tactile play by transient orcas. Watching CA50B and the younger whales maneuver through the chop offered a clear view of how these matrilineal pods pass hunting and handling behaviors down through generations.

On our mid-day departure, we left the orcas and set out toward scattered aggregations of humpback whales, counting approximately 70 individuals across the bay. Three of these humpbacks approached our drifting vessel and remained within meters for nearly thirty minutes, spyhopping gently and rolling on their sides to inspect the hull.

Contrasting the focused predatory drive of transient killer whales with the quiet, deliberate curiosity of baleen whales is a stark reminder of Monterey Bay's layered ecology. Conditions were brisk, but the foraging activity across all trophic levels remains remarkably steady.

Our morning trip aboard Ocean Spirit ran into a light chop off the Moss Landing area, where we came upon a remarkable multi-species interaction. Three killer whales were moving actively through the area, hunting among a dispersed group of roughly two hundred California sea lions, while several of the ten humpback whales present actively trailed the predators.

The humpbacks repeatedly closed distance on the orcas while producing resonant trumpet blows at the surface. This acoustic behavior is well-documented during competitive interactions, often signaling high agitation when humpbacks move to disrupt killer whale hunts. The orcas continued to maneuver through the area, pressing sea lions while also directing surface energy toward the local seabirds.

Intriguingly, the younger orcas in the group spent time swatting common murres with their flukes, leaving several dead birds drifting in their wake. This kind of tail-slapping behavior directed at non-target prey species is frequently seen in juvenile killer whales, likely serving as motor skill practice or object play during the broader hunt.

Around one hundred common murres, one hundred Brandt’s cormorants, and fifty brown pelicans lingered in the surrounding slick, tracking the commotion. Documenting direct encounters between hunting killer whales and intervening humpbacks provides valuable insight into the complex behavioral ecology that plays out over the Monterey Submarine Canyon.

A light chop off Moss Landing set the stage for an extraordinary behavioral display during this morning's trip aboard Sanctuary. We arrived in the area to find ten killer whales actively hunting sea lions and long-beaked common dolphins, closely pursued by several of the twenty humpback whales working the area.

Seeking safety from the pack, a targeted sea lion took refuge directly beneath our stationary hull. With their prey sheltering alongside us, the orca pod methodically circled Sanctuary for over an hour. Between surfacing sequences, individuals were seen tail-slapping at common murres sitting on the water, a displaced or play-driven behavior often observed when killer whales are heightened during an active hunt.

Humpback whales are well known for intentionally disrupting transient killer whale hunts, often expending significant energy to harass the apex predators regardless of what prey species is being targeted. Watching these two powerful cetaceans negotiate that boundary around our vessel offered a clear, compelling window into the complex ecology at play in Monterey Bay.

Today's morning trip began with humpback whales treating our passengers to repeated breaches and tail throws. While we were with the humpbacks, about a hundred long-beaked common dolphins fed alongside.

This active scene quieted suddenly when the whales, dolphins and birds all slowed their activity or disappeared from sight. Superficially, the eery calm that ensued was a bad sign for our trip; however, moments later, our hopes were realized when we received word that orca had been sighted to west.

We dashed to the location of the orca, and were rewarded with an extended encounter with two killer whale groups that were actively hunting California sea lions and long-beaked common dolphins. While the presence of orca nearby put the other animals on alert and reduced their surface behaviors, this loss was more than offset by the unforgettable sight of the apex predators of the the sea showing off their speed, intelligence and stealth.

Under completely glassy seas off Moss Landing this morning aboard Sanctuary, we encountered roughly twenty-five humpback whales actively feeding across the area. The focal encounter occurred when a group of four humpbacks surfaced in powerful vertical lunge-feeds right through the center of an active pod of about two hundred long-beaked common dolphins.

Vertical lunge-feeding requires precise timing and momentum. The whales drop beneath schools of forage fish—typically northern anchovy in this nearshore zone—and accelerate upward toward the surface with their ventral pleats expanding to engulf hundreds of gallons of prey-laden water. Common dolphins frequently work the upper margins of these same bait balls, effectively tightening the school and creating an ideal target for the surging rorquals below.

Throughout our morning transit, we documented roughly 300 long-beaked common dolphins scattered across the area, alongside approximately 100 California sea lions and 100 brown pelicans scavenging at the surface. The mirror-flat water allowed us to track subsurface movements clearly and observe how seamlessly these different marine predators shared the concentrated patches of prey.

Multi-species feeding aggregations like this illustrate the high productivity concentrated near the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Observing apex predators coordinate their foraging efforts in calm water provides valuable, direct insight into the trophic dynamics of the bay.

As Sanctuary embarked on our 8:30 a.m. tour of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, groups of humpbacks were already active, lofting sunlit blows above the glassy water. We headed west toward an active feeding group, where we were joined by rafts of California sea lions and innumerable sea birds.

The humpbacks displayed a variety of surface feeding behaviors, including vertical and horizontal lunge feeds that sent silvery anchovies flying. Soon after, long-beaked common dolphins arrived to join the feast.

We were fortunate to reunite with the same feeding group of humpbacks during the 11:30 trip. While feeding activity had moved below the surface, our afternoon passengers were treated to multiple breaches and more dolphins. On the way back to harbor, we enjoyed a visit from a sunbathing adult mola mola, punctuating another amazing day of wildlife viewing on Monterey Bay.