Month: October 2014

10-27-2014: Humpbacks Still Going Strong In Front of Moss Landing

Moss Landing Humpback Whales

This humpback almost looked like it was yawning. It just sat there with it mouth open. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com 10-27-2014.

There seems to be no end in sight as the humpbacks continue to feed in front of Moss Landing. They’ve been coming and going between just outside to harbor mouth to 4-5 miles out.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
This bird just about lands on the hump of a humpback whale. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-27-2014.

We continue to see large numbers of sea lions feeding with the humpbacks. It’s a pretty wild spectacle to behold.  When it is calm enough, we can turn the engine off and wait.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Humpbacks on the prowl. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-27-2014.

Looking around the boat, the only sound is the light swell sloshing against the hull.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales

Then the next thing we know, sea lions start coming up around the boat. First a just a few start coming up. Then suddenly they all come up at once. All 200+ of them. Splashing and barking.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Humpbacks going down for some anchovies. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-27-2014.

This is soon followed by 4-6 humpbacks whales surfacing in the middle of the sea lions just off our starboard side.

Moss Landing Sea Lion
Sea lion mad-dogging a fish. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-27-2014.

 

They make their presence known with a loud blast from their massive nostrils as the sea lions scatter.

Moss Landing Sea Lion
It lookes like this sea lion may be onto a small shark. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-23-2014.

10-09-2014: The Humpback Friendlies Invade, Whales and Sea Lions Everywhere

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
We had whales and sea lions coming up all around the boat. Then we turned the engines off and all we could hear was the splashing of the sea lions and startling blasts of humpback whale spouts all around us. Just incredible. Photo: Giancarlo Thomae, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-09-2014,

It really doesn’t get much better than this. At least that’s what we keep thinking. And then we have 10-15 humpback whales swarm the boat! It’s really hard to imagine. Our boat is 43′ long. About 30 tons in weight. Most of the whales around us today each weighed over 30-tons.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Two humpbacks go down for more anchovies. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com.

Today, once we got onto the scene of where we were seeing spouts, we slowed the boat and put her into neutral.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
The feeding frenzy continues. Photo:Michael Sack.

The next thing we knew, we were in them. Literally. We had 10-15 whales interested in us.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
More surface feeding. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com

They were popping up all around the boat. And these animals were not shy.  They regularly popped up next to the boat with the starling blast of it’s spout.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Humpback whales everywhere. Photo: Michael Sack

And then there were the sea lions. We have been seeing the whales and sea lions feeding in the same area a lot this year.

Moss Landing Sea Lion
Moss Landing sea lion feeding on a fish. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com.

Moss Landing Sea Lion 

10-06-2014: Warm and Glassy, Many Lunge-feeding Humpbacks, Sea Lions, Birds and More

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Humpbacks surface lunge-feeding. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com.

Epic fall conditions are here. October and November are by far the best time months for whale watching on The Monterey Bay.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Aggressive lunge-feeding humpback just outside of Moss Landing Harbor. Photo Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-03-2014.

It’s been warm, with little wind and glassy ocean conditions most of the day. We’ve had a couple of days where the chop picked up for a couple of hours during mid-day.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Feeding humpbacks on the home stretch before they begin to head south in late November. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-03-2014.

The afternoon trips have been my favorites lately. The lighting is spectacular. Sunsets from the water are remarkable.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
The feeding frenzy continues. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-03-2014.

Everything and everyone has this warm orange glow about them from the low in the sky sun reflecting off the ocean.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Warm and glassy conditions just outside the Moss Landing Harbor. Surface feeding humpbacks. It doesn’t get much better than this. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-03-2014.

And then there is the marine life. We’ve been seeing many surface-feeding humpback whales. We’ve had some really solid vertical lunge-feeding. This is when one or more humpbacks chase a swarm of shallow anchovies from depth up out of the water.

Moss Landing Sea Lion
This sea lion was able to snag itself a skate. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-06-2014.

 

Moss Landing Ray
This skate was getting tossed around by the sea lion. Photo: Michael Sack, 10-06-2014.

It happens like this: We see a bubble blast, followed by a swarm of anchovies jumping out of the water and then the gaping jaws of the mighty humpback whale. Baleen, throat pleats and all.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
Tail-lobber right behind the boat. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-06-2014.

We’ve also been seeing the orcas passing through randomly. But now is a good time to see the orcas. But we never know with them.

Moss Landing Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine falcon lands on a mast at “A” Dock a couple of boats down from the Sanctuary. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-06-2014.

Over the last few days we’ve been seeing a lot of co-feeding going with the sea lions and humpback whales. Being in the middle of 200 sea lions and 10-15 humpback whales is intense experience. The noise and splashing of all the sea lions. The loud trumpet blows of 45′-50′ humpbacks blasting right next to the boat. The taste of a spout as an upwind humpback blasts 10′ upwind of the boat. It has a salty quality about it. Just incredible.

 

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
These humpbacks can’t seem to get enough. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-03-2014.

It should just keep getting better until the end of November.

Moss Landing Humpback Whales
The giant throat pleats of the mighty humpback whale. Photo: Michael Sack, www.sanctuarycruises.com, 10-03-2014.