Captain's Log

Glassy surface conditions greeted us during this morning's trip aboard Sanctuary, setting an ideal backdrop for observation. The standout moment occurred when a massive pod of approximately one thousand long-beaked common dolphins surged through the area, surrounding a humpback whale that launched into a complete breach amidst the dolphin school.

Interspecific interactions between common dolphins and humpback whales offer valuable insight into local foraging dynamics. Long-beaked common dolphins often travel in high-density pods to herd small schooling fish like anchovies. When humpbacks feed in the same area, the sudden movement and localized noise of a dolphin pod can provoke reactive surface behavior from the larger baleen whales.

Following the breach, our morning trip yielded sightings of fourteen additional humpback whales scattered across the bay. Several individuals were actively subsurface feeding near the Monterey Canyon, taking advantage of rich forage in surface water temperatures around 62°F.

Days with calm seas and multi-species feeding aggregations highlight the ecological richness of Monterey Bay. Observing these distinct cetacean species share the same productive waters remains a steady reminder of the bay's dynamic ecosystem.

Conditions across Monterey Bay provided clear views during both our morning and mid-day trips aboard Sanctuary. The most striking encounter involved an interactive humpback cow and calf pair. The calf engaged in repeated tail throws and playful tail slaps near the vessel, while the mother surfaced directly alongside us with her mouth open, briefly exposing her baleen plates before performing slow barrel rolls near the hull.

Young calves frequently practice energetic surface behaviors like tail throwing to build muscle tone and coordination. Seeing an adult surface with open jaw structures provides a direct look at the keratinous baleen plates used to strain small schooling fish from the water column. Barrel-rolling near the surface is often observed when whales maneuver around dense prey patches or interact comfortably in calm waters.

Across both departures, we cataloged twenty-five humpback whales and a large pod of approximately six hundred long-beaked common dolphins. The dolphins worked in tight coordination around localized bait balls, creating active feeding frenzies at the surface.

After years of observing these waters, watching a curious calf play beside an adult calmly engaged in feeding behavior remains an instructive glimpse into the daily lives of Monterey Bay cetaceans.

Just outside the harbor on a glassy morning aboard Sanctuary, we encountered an expansive pod of approximately one thousand long-beaked common dolphins. As the dolphins moved through the area, a humpback whale breached suddenly directly in front of us, interacting with the surrounding pod at the surface.

Long-beaked common dolphins frequently travel in large coastal herds, often overlapping with feeding humpbacks in productive waters. Breaching behavior can serve multiple biological purposes, including social signaling or dislodging surface parasites, and seeing this dynamic unfold alongside active dolphins offers a clear look at local multi-species interactions.

During our morning trip, we recorded a total of fifteen humpback whales across Monterey Bay. While the breaching whale drew immediate attention near the dolphins, several other humpbacks were dispersed nearby, actively feeding in the calm waters.

Flat, glassy conditions like today's afford excellent visibility for tracking these subtle behavioral details. Observing how different marine mammal species share and navigate the same waters remains a consistently rewarding aspect of our work on the bay.

Calm and clear conditions over Monterey Bay set the stage for remarkable marine mammal encounters throughout the day. During our afternoon trip, operating alongside our RHIB Ocean Spirit, we observed humpback whales engaging in dramatic vertical lunge feeding directly through dense bait balls near the surface.

Lunge feeding is an energetic feeding strategy where whales accelerate upward from depth with gape opened wide, engulfing large volumes of water and concentrated forage fish. A total of 25 humpback whales and roughly 200 California sea lions worked the feeding frenzy, while two sea otters rested in quieter water nearby.

Earlier during our mid-day run aboard Sanctuary, we encountered a solitary blue whale that remained near the surface for extended intervals. The calm seas allowed for exceptionally clear views of the animal surfacing and diving along the bay's deep water boundary.

Days where prey consolidates near the surface offer an invaluable window into the rich ecosystem of the Monterey Canyon. Observing both blue and humpback whales effectively foraging in close proximity remains a highlight for anyone watching these waters.

Leaving Moss Landing on a glassy morning aboard Sanctuary, we initially encountered several solitary humpback whales. As we pushed northwest, activity condensed into pairs and triplets working in tight coordination with a group of approximately one hundred California sea lions to feed beneath the smooth surface.

Multi-species feeding groups like these are common in Monterey Bay, where sea lions and humpbacks feast on the same schooling baitfish. Later in the morning, a small pod of five Risso's dolphins, including a juvenile, altered course to approach our vessel, spending several minutes near the hull. Risso's dolphins are deep-water specialists, and juveniles typically display a dark gray coloration that lightens with age as social scar tissue accumulates.

Our morning trip logged a total of twelve humpback whales along our track. Nearer to the harbor, we also observed four sea otters and two harbor seals, taking full advantage of the flat water to spot marine life across the surface.

Days with zero surface chop offer a clear look into the routine behaviors of Monterey Bay marine mammals.

During our morning trip aboard Sanctuary, remarkably calm conditions across Monterey Bay provided excellent visibility, highlighted by a sighting of a single blue whale alongside fifteen humpback whales.

Blue whales rely on dense krill aggregations supported by deep ocean upwelling near the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Observing a blue whale in proximity to fifteen humpback whales offers a clear look at how nutrient-rich waters sustain multiple baleen whale species simultaneously.

In addition to the large whales, we encountered a pod of twenty-five Risso's dolphins traveling through the flat water, along with fifty California sea lions. Data from Buoy 46042 near the canyon rim reflected the tranquil conditions, noting light SSE winds at 5.8 knots and a water temperature of 61.9°F.

Days like today underscore the quiet complexity of Monterey Bay. Watching these distinct marine mammal species share the same body of water remains a rewarding observation after all these years.

Aboard Sanctuary for our morning trip, we encountered twenty humpback whales actively feeding alongside one hundred and fifty California sea lions, with activity concentrated from just outside the harbor mouth out toward Soquel Hole.

These feeding aggregations often form along the canyon edges where localized oceanographic features concentrate forage fish. Interspersed within these feeding zones, we observed Mola mola (ocean sunfish) drifting near the surface layer in the 62.8°F water, along with two sea otters resting closer inshore.

Conditions were choppy throughout the run, with a 4.3-foot swell and a light southerly wind. Despite the surface chop, the animals remained highly active, giving us steady observations of the humpbacks surfacing in close association with the sea lions.

Observing surface-basking sunfish in the same waters where humpbacks are actively foraging serves as a quiet reminder of the productivity fostered by Monterey Bay's submarine canyon system.

Surface-active humpback whales greeted us almost immediately after clearing the harbor mouth during our afternoon trip aboard Sanctuary. We observed fifteen humpbacks exhibiting energetic surface behaviors, including repeated breaches and forceful chin slaps, just outside the harbor entrance.

Chin slapping and breaching are prominent surface display behaviors often observed when whales are in close proximity to one another or moving through dynamic coastal waters. While the exact motivation for these displays can vary—ranging from acoustic signaling and social interaction to dislodging surface parasites—the physical impact produces a sharp sound that travels effectively both above and below the water.

Conditions across the bay were calm with a light chop, supported by a mild west-southwest breeze of 5.8 knots and air temperatures near 60°F. Working the same nearshore area alongside the humpbacks were fifty California sea lions scattered throughout the surface waters.

Observing such vigorous activity so close to shore offers a clear window into the daily movement and social dynamics of Monterey Bay's summer whale population.

During our morning trip aboard Sanctuary, light fog and calm seas set a quiet backdrop for a prominent multi-species feeding event near Moss Landing. We encountered eight humpback whales working in tight association with an estimated 200 to 300 California sea lions to corral bait beneath the surface.

This cooperative feeding dynamic is typical in Monterey Bay when prey is concentrated in the upper water column. Humpbacks utilize physical movement and deep dives to drive school fish together, while sea lions dive around the perimeter, preventing the shoal from dispersing. Moving through the nearby waters, we also noted ten Risso's dolphins alongside a pod of long-beaked common dolphins navigating the quiet swell.

Overcast skies and calm water often produce ideal conditions for tracking blow plumes across the surface long before seeing the animals themselves. It was a grounded look at the rich productivity that defines the Moss Landing canyon edge.

During our mid-day trip aboard Sanctuary, we encountered six humpback whales working the waters directly in front of Moss Landing. Despite a light chop on the surface, conditions allowed for excellent observations as the whales surfaced regularly near the shore.

Moving amongst the humpbacks was a pod of long-beaked common dolphins. These coastal cetaceans are well-adapted to shallow nearshore waters and frequently associate with humpbacks around the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon, where upwelled nutrients aggregate dense schools of forage fish.

Observing these two species utilizing the same productive stretch of water offers a reliable window into the functional ecology of the bay. We left the animals surfacing steadily against the backdrop of the coastline before heading back in.