Seventy Humpback Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins in Monterey Bay

Today brought some of the most concentrated feeding activity we have seen so far this season, with an estimated seventy humpback whales active in the bay. Despite a persistent light chop and a heavy 8.5-foot swell, we encountered massive bait balls of anchovies being heavily exploited by both whales and approximately five hundred California sea lions.

The whales were engaged in intense lunge-feeding, a highly energetic foraging behavior where they engulf entire schools of baitfish from below. This cooperative multi-species feeding frenzy also attracted harbor porpoises, which darted through the edges of the activity, capitalizing on the disoriented anchovies.

We observed this dramatic lunge-feeding behavior across all three of our scheduled trips today. On the mid-day run, we received an additional treat when five coastal bottlenose dolphins joined Sanctuary near the harbor mouth, riding our bow wave as we made our transit back inside.

With water temperatures holding at 59.7°F, these rich, nutrient-filled waters are drawing in incredible numbers of forage fish. As we move further into the summer, these conditions suggest we are entering what promises to be some of the most consistent and productive whale watching of the year.