Orcas Hunting Sea Lions and Curious Humpbacks in Monterey Bay

A choppy morning aboard Sanctuary shifted quickly after an encounter with roughly 500 long-beaked common dolphins bow-riding in the swell. The dolphins abruptly stampeded out of the sector as three killer whales moved into the area: adult male Jimmy (CA50B), his great-niece Andi, and her calf Astrid.

The trio was actively hunting California sea lions while also interacting with common murres rafting on the surface. In late summer and early autumn, adult murres undergo a simultaneous post-breeding wing molt, rendering them temporarily flightless and easy targets for tactile play by transient orcas. Watching CA50B and the younger whales maneuver through the chop offered a clear view of how these matrilineal pods pass hunting and handling behaviors down through generations.

On our mid-day departure, we left the orcas and set out toward scattered aggregations of humpback whales, counting approximately 70 individuals across the bay. Three of these humpbacks approached our drifting vessel and remained within meters for nearly thirty minutes, spyhopping gently and rolling on their sides to inspect the hull.

Contrasting the focused predatory drive of transient killer whales with the quiet, deliberate curiosity of baleen whales is a stark reminder of Monterey Bay's layered ecology. Conditions were brisk, but the foraging activity across all trophic levels remains remarkably steady.