Humpbacks Feeding Alongside Sea Lions and Common Dolphins

Calm surface conditions and a light breeze greeted us on Monterey Bay this morning aboard Sanctuary. Further offshore, we encountered fifteen humpback whales dispersed in several feeding groups, working in close association with roughly fifty California sea lions.

The mixed-species feeding activity was steady, with sea lions diving through the water column and corralling prey around the surfacing humpbacks. Earlier in the morning, we spent time with an energetic pod of approximately five hundred long-beaked common dolphins traveling through open water.

We also noted a sea otter resting in the kelp closer to shore. The flat sea surface offered ideal visibility, making it easy to track these cooperative feeding dynamics throughout the morning.