Captain's Log

Our morning departure aboard Sanctuary took us out into a moderate chop, where we encountered four humpback whales active in the bay. Despite the wind-roughened surface, the tall, bushy blows of these baleen whales were highly visible, rising several meters into the cool morning air.

The whales were moving steadily, demonstrating the methodical dive profiles typical of humpbacks when they are searching for schooling forage like anchovies or krill. In choppy conditions, whales often adjust their surfacing intervals, taking several quick breaths before raising their flukes for a deeper descent into the water column.

This single morning trip allowed us to track the small group as they worked a localized area of the bay. Observing these animals in less-than-glassy conditions offers a clear look at their power and adaptability, as they navigate the swell with apparent ease.

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.

Our morning run aboard Sanctuary encountered an exceptional wildlife event in Monterey Bay, highlighted by an encounter with twelve killer whales actively foraging. After receiving a radio report, we located the well-known CA51A pod along with the adult male CA50B, known as "Jimmy," feeding on sea lions and displaying high-energy breaching behavior.

These transient, or Bigg's, killer whales are mammal-eating specialists. Observing CA50B traveling and hunting alongside the CA51As provides a clear look into the fluid social dynamics of these apex predators. The sheer power of these animals is always remarkable to witness, especially when they engage in coordinated hunts and surface-active behaviors in the light chop.

Earlier in the trip, we spent time at the Soquel Hole, where we observed a massive aggregation of thirty-two humpback whales. The whales were concentrated in a heavy feeding group, capitalizing on abundant schools of anchovies. A large raft of California sea lions joined the feeding activity, creating a highly active zone of multi-species foraging.

With northwest winds at 11.7 knots and a water temperature of 58.3°F, the bay's productive upwelling canyon system continues to support these dense concentrations of marine life. It remains a privilege to observe these complex food web interactions firsthand.

We headed north toward Santa Cruz on this morning's run aboard Sanctuary, encountering a group of eight humpback whales traveling through moderately choppy waters. Despite the wind-chop, the blows were highly visible against the horizon, allowing us to track their movements as they moved steadily through the northern bay.

Accompanying the whales were five California sea lions, likely capitalizing on the same bait schools the humpbacks were targeting. At this time of year, these waters are rich with small schooling fish, drawing both pinnipeds and cetaceans into loose feeding associations where they exploit the same localized food resources.

As we returned toward the harbor, we noted a welcome sight in Moss Landing: the historic vessel Western Flyer has returned to port after being away since April. Seeing this landmark vessel back in local waters adds a nice touch of maritime history to our daily observations on the bay.

The choppy conditions today reminded us of the dynamic nature of Monterey Bay, where wind, water temperature, and coastal geography constantly shape the movements of the marine life we study.

Our morning departure aboard Sanctuary encountered a highly active feeding group of eight humpback whales in the bay. Despite a light chop on the water, we easily located the whales by the massive gathering of approximately two hundred California sea lions sharing the bait ball.

The most compelling behavior today was the frequent vertical lunge-feeding. This energetic foraging strategy occurs when humpbacks accelerate upward through a dense school of small schooling fish, breaking the surface with their pleats expanded to engulf massive quantities of food and water before filtering it through their baleen.

Operating in close coordination with the sea lions, the whales repeatedly lunged vertically, providing us with clear views of their rostrum and ventral pleats. Seeing these two species exploit the same food source so efficiently is a testament to the productivity of the Monterey Canyon's nutrient-rich waters during the summer feeding season.

We experienced exceptionally calm sea conditions on the bay today, providing excellent visibility for our morning runs aboard Sanctuary. We encountered a total of twelve humpback whales actively feeding throughout the morning, with several individuals operating in close proximity.

The whales were focused on dense bait schoolings below the surface. Humpbacks in Monterey Bay during the summer months rely heavily on these nutrient-rich waters to forage on schooling fish, utilizing their baleen plates to filter massive quantities of food.

Across our morning trips, the calm water allowed us to track the animals easily by their prominent blows and the glassy surface patches left by their flukes, known as fluke prints.

Watching these twelve individuals work the bay under such quiet, glassy conditions is a reminder of how productive this marine sanctuary remains throughout the summer feeding season.

Our sunset departure aboard Sanctuary was met with rough, choppy conditions, but we did not have to travel far for our first encounter. Just outside the harbor mouth, a young humpback whale—one of three we would observe during the evening—was actively lunge feeding, breaking the surface to filter feed on schooling forage fish.

Lunge feeding is a highly energetic behavior typical of younger humpbacks capitalizing on rich coastal food sources. By accelerating rapidly from below, these whales engulf massive volumes of water and prey, utilizing their expandable throat pleats before using their baleen plates to strain out the water.

Pushing further out toward the deep waters of the Monterey Canyon, we encountered a highly active group of approximately 40 Pacific white-sided dolphins. They were traveling alongside a large aggregation of about 110 California sea lions, both species likely drawn to the same concentrated bait balls in the choppy seas, with winds holding out of the south at 11.7 knots.

Observing these multi-species feeding associations near the canyon edge is always a reminder of Monterey Bay's immense productivity. Even on rougher evenings, the convergence of deep canyon waters and coastal currents creates a highly reliable engine for marine life.

The morning run aboard Sanctuary provided a truly exceptional series of sightings, highlighted by the rare appearance of a deep-diving sperm whale over the Monterey Canyon. To observe a sperm whale in the bay is uncommon, but today we were treated to its distinct angled blow and a clean fluke-up dive as it descended to forage in the deep trench.

In addition to the sperm whale, the morning trip yielded sightings of a fin whale and two blue whales—the largest animals on earth, drawn to the bay by dense aggregations of krill. We also observed five humpback whales throughout the day, some of which exhibited energetic breaching behavior, and a pod of four orcas navigating the deeper waters.

Across our morning, mid-day, and afternoon trips, conditions shifted from calm seas to a light chop under a gentle 5.8-knot southerly breeze, with a long 16-second swell rolling through. Alongside the larger cetaceans, we encountered fifty California sea lions rafting near the canyon edge, two sea otters resting in the kelp, and two black-footed albatrosses gliding low over the water.

Having observed these waters for many years, days with this level of species diversity—spanning four distinct families of cetaceans in a single day—remain a humbling reminder of the Monterey Canyon's immense biological productivity.

We were barely out of the harbor mouth on our morning run aboard Sanctuary when we encountered our first humpback whale of the day. On its second dive, the animal launched into a full breach, a striking display of power that is always a privilege to witness so close to shore.

Breaching behavior in these shallow coastal areas can serve multiple purposes, from acoustic communication to shedding skin irritants. After this active individual settled, we headed south through the calm, foggy morning waters toward Marina.

In total, we observed six humpback whales during the trip. Near Marina, we watched a group of four whales feeding in close association with a raft of 45 California sea lions, while a solitary sea otter rested near the kelp. With the water temperature at 58.8°F and a gentle easterly breeze, the bay's surface remained exceptionally calm.

The heavy fog hanging over the bay today reminded us of how productive these cold, nutrient-rich waters remain. It was a quiet, highly active morning that showcases the steady, daily rhythm of the Monterey Canyon.