Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish at Soquel Hole

Aboard Sanctuary for our morning trip, we encountered twenty humpback whales actively feeding alongside one hundred and fifty California sea lions, with activity concentrated from just outside the harbor mouth out toward Soquel Hole.

These feeding aggregations often form along the canyon edges where localized oceanographic features concentrate forage fish. Interspersed within these feeding zones, we observed Mola mola (ocean sunfish) drifting near the surface layer in the 62.8°F water, along with two sea otters resting closer inshore.

Conditions were choppy throughout the run, with a 4.3-foot swell and a light southerly wind. Despite the surface chop, the animals remained highly active, giving us steady observations of the humpbacks surfacing in close association with the sea lions.

Observing surface-basking sunfish in the same waters where humpbacks are actively foraging serves as a quiet reminder of the productivity fostered by Monterey Bay's submarine canyon system.