Humpback Feeding Groups and Stampeding Common Dolphins off Moss Landing

Overnight more humpbacks moved in to the bay to gather in groups of four or more and feed on the large, purple bait balls speckling the water. Throughout the day we spotted these groups within the first several miles of Moss Landing feeding and briefly displaying behaviors such as tail-lobbing, spy hopping and breaching.

Brown pelicans joined gulls, common murres, elegant terns and sooty shearwaters feasting on the ample anchovies present in the bay.

Long-beaked common dolphins cavorted near Sanctuary during our first trip before moving northward. Before long we observed them stampeding towards the western horizon.

The nutrient-rich waters of August continue to sustain a diverse plethora of wildlife.