11-10-2012 Orcas Rule in Monterey Bay!

We just spent several hours with a pod of eight Orcas out in the middle of the bay. The distinctive male we call “Choptop” due to his cut off dorsal fin was hunting with his pod of mostly females and young orcas. We zig-zagged back and forth with them as they hunted. Finally they made a kill below the surface so we never saw the actual prey item. It was likely the lone sea lion I had spotted minutes before. The seabirds, including a majestic lone black footed albatross, swooped in immediately to scoop up the scraps. We were treated to a series of really high spy hops by one of the Orca youngsters and some nice tail slaps. Another great day on the bay with killer whales!

On our way back in a nice pod of about a dozen Rissos dolphins came right up to our boat and gave all good views. To top this off, right before we got back to the harbor mouth, a humpback whale surfaced!

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *