Orcas and Intervening Humpback Whales off Moss Landing

A light chop off Moss Landing set the stage for an extraordinary behavioral display during this morning's trip aboard Sanctuary. We arrived in the area to find ten killer whales actively hunting sea lions and long-beaked common dolphins, closely pursued by several of the twenty humpback whales working the area.

Seeking safety from the pack, a targeted sea lion took refuge directly beneath our stationary hull. With their prey sheltering alongside us, the orca pod methodically circled Sanctuary for over an hour. Between surfacing sequences, individuals were seen tail-slapping at common murres sitting on the water, a displaced or play-driven behavior often observed when killer whales are heightened during an active hunt.

Humpback whales are well known for intentionally disrupting transient killer whale hunts, often expending significant energy to harass the apex predators regardless of what prey species is being targeted. Watching these two powerful cetaceans negotiate that boundary around our vessel offered a clear, compelling window into the complex ecology at play in Monterey Bay.