Scattered Humpbacks and Southern Sea Otters in Monterey Bay

A steady northwest breeze of fifteen knots created light chop across Monterey Bay during our mid-day trip aboard Sanctuary. Out a few miles from shore, we encountered eight humpback whales moving through the area in a loose, scattered distribution.

Rather than forming dense feeding groups, these humpbacks were spread out across open water, surfacing independently between routine dive cycles. Approximately twenty-five California sea lions were observed in the surrounding waters, while a pair of southern sea otters gave us two quiet, close looks inside the harbor before we reached the open bay.

We also investigated reports of a blue whale and traveling dolphins further out, though they stayed out of view in the afternoon wind. Tracking scattered animals across choppy seas is a standard part of working this dynamic bay, where conditions and animal distribution shift continuously from hour to hour.