Rare Trap-Feeding Humpback Whale in Outer Monterey Bay

As wind stirred the water this morning, miles-wide bird work alerted us to raucous lunge feeding humpbacks, rampaging dolphins and ravenous California sea lions that ranged over miles of the outer bay.

As we entered the area, a large humpback was skim feeding (or trap feeding). Excited to observe one of the first times this strategy has been seen in Monterey Bay, our passengers took numerous photographs to memorialize this feat. A more recent discovery, trap feeding involves humpbacks floating vertically with mouths wide open near the surface. They use their pectoral fins to funnel fish and krill into their gaping jaws, minimizing energy expenditure while maximizing intake - a strategy observed primarily off the coasts of British Columbia. There are only 32 individual whales known to apply this feeding strategy. Unfortunately we were unable to identify this whale.

On the outer edges of the feeding area, satiated whales breached all around us. Overall, the day was characterized by frenetic activity across multiple species. We observed breaches, lunge feeding, skim feeding, and general multi-species mayhem that underscored the richness of Monterey Bay as a foraging location for an incredible array of wildlife.