Tag: humpback

10-17-2018: Incredible Fall Conditions All Day Long, Feeding Humpbacks, Risso’s Dolphins and More

Breaching Humpback Whale
Humpback whale breaches right next to us. Photo: Dekker, www.sanctuarycruises.com

We had a surreal experience the other day as we listened to a singing humpback whale! We dropped the hydrophone near a pod of Risso’s dolphins and through their clicks (which you can hear) picked up a singing whale! You can hear his grumbles, moans, and high pitch calls as it echoes across the deep. While singing whales are common in the tropics (breeding grounds), it’s fairly rare to hear it in the feeding grounds. There’s still loads of active humpbacks and other animals in the bay. Weather looks great! Filmed by: Chase Dekker www.sanctuarycruises.com

It’s been incredible out there over the last couple of weeks. Kind of hit or miss on the lunge-feeding and other behaviors. But when they put a show it’s quite the spectacle to behold.

Thanks to Sanctuary Passengers Michael R. for sharing! www.sanctuarycruises.com

09-23-2013 A Whale of a Week so far!

 

Surface lunge-feeding Humpback near Moss Landing
Surface lunge-feeding Humpback near Moss Landing

This Photo by Giancarlo Thomae shows the inside of a whale’s mouth with the two rows of baleen and the pink palate. Note the tiny anchovies escaping from the gaping whale mouth. This week has been quite incredible aboard Sanctuary and on the Monterey Bay. The whale action really picked up over the weekend with many breaching, lobtailing and pec slapping whales. Then the group lunge-feeding began. Quite the spectacle with as many as nine whales surfacing in synchrony with their massive mouths agape and anchovies leaping for the lives. The conditions got wild for our afternoon trips this past weekend, causing us to cancel our Saturday 3 pm, but the Sunday 3 pm went well with continued awesome sightings. Monday the massive lunge feeding event had subsided near Moss but there were incredible sightings more to the northwestern part of the bay. Our trips are filling up fast as word spreads about the best September ever on Monterey Bay for whale watching.

09-17-2013 Synchronized Swimming Gone Wild

Photo:Dorris Welch 09/17/2013
Photo:Dorris Welch 09/17/2013

Today was wild at Moss Landing with a tightly packed mob of California sea lions and a dozen close-knit humpback whales swimming circles around a school of anchovies for hours. Sanctuary was instantly surrounded by whales and sea lions as soon as we exited the harbor this morning. We spent over three mesmerizing hours amongst this enthralling event. As we sat there in neutral, the whole gang would swim right towards the boat rapidly and whales surfaced over an over again only feet from the boat. At one point there were twenty whales within a quarter mile of the boat and more in the distance. The thrill of having so many whales so close swimming synchronously surrounding the boat is one we will never forget. This September is one for the record books in Monterey Bay whale watching history!