Humpbacks Outside Moss Landing and Bow-Riding Common Dolphins

Thick morning fog and calm water greeted us aboard Sanctuary as we cleared the harbor mouth. We did not have to travel far before encountering humpback whales gathered directly outside Moss Landing, surrounding the vessel on all sides for over an hour. In total, we logged sixteen humpbacks working the nearshore waters along the canyon head.

The proximity of these whales to the harbor entrance is typical when coastal upwelling concentrates forage fish near the shallow shelf breaks. Even with reduced visibility in the dense marine layer, the distinct blows and low-frequency exhalations made it easy to track multiple individuals surfacing quietly through the calm swell.

After spending an extended period with the humpbacks, we moved further out into the bay and encountered a group of approximately one hundred long-beaked common dolphins. The pod quickly approached to bow ride, utilizing the vessel's forward wake as they traveled through the morning fog.

It was a productive late-August morning on Monterey Bay, demonstrating how concentrated marine life can be right at the harbor's doorstep regardless of visibility.