Morning Surface Activity and Hundreds of Common Dolphins

Sanctuary's morning tour included humpbacks breaching, tail throwing and chin slapping. Some of these behaviors may have been related to the hundreds of long-beaked common dolphins spread out in small, active groups over several miles of Monterey Bay. Everywhere we looked dolphins were headed our way to bow ride and then porpoise off in another direction.

Dense flocks of seabirds stretched to the horizon. Thousands of sooty shearwaters worked low over the swell alongside common murres, pelicans and western gulls.

During our late morning trip, passengers were once again treated to waves of common dolphins while pairs and trios of humpbacks dove to feed on the glistening bait balls of anchovies.

As we turned south into the harbor we encountered two southern sea otters resting in the calm waters and a shy harbor seal near the returning sea lions.