Month: May 2017

05-25-2017: Moss Landing Whale Park Officially Open, Killer Whales Today, Huge Influx of Humpbacks, Occasional Blue Whale

Monterey Bay Killer Whales Notice the orange coloring on the eye patch of this very young orca. They’ll usually have this coloring until they are about a year old. Then it becomes more white. Photo: Michael Sack, sanctuarycruises.com 05-25-2017.

We had a couple of great looks at about 6-7 killer whales today. But these things were elusive. They gave the whole whale fleet the slip a few times until finally we all gave up as they took off at warp speed to the West. A few of us got lucky and the killer whales and had some great looks as they blasted by us. We saw this same group a few days ago. We had one distant look and that was that. We had a few good looks this time. A CBS news crew came out with us the other day. Here’s what they reported:

CBS News reports from the Sanctuary

Monterey Bay Killer Whales Young killer whale breaches. Photo; Sack , sanctuarycruises.com. 05-11-2017.

The sheer numbers of humpbacks right out in front of Moss Landing is astounding. I doubt there is anywhere else in the world where you can stand on the beach and watch humpback whales on such a consistent basis and so close. These animals have been just outside of the Moss Landing Harbor for about the last month. Most of times we’re seeing them before we even leave the harbor.

Moss Landing Humpback Whale Moss Landing Humpback Whale. Photo: Sack, sanctuarycruises.com 05-25-2017.

We’re basically seeing them in small herds from just outside the harbor to 7-8 miles out and that’s about as far as most everyone’s been going lately. We have heard reports of concentrations of humpbacks and scattered blues as far out as 15-20 miles. They’re feeding on mixed batch of anchovies and krill. I estimate there are about 30-50 or more humpbacks in the Monterey Bay right now. Some days, probably more.

Monterey Bay Mola Mola Mola Mola

As they migrate from their breeding and calving grounds off the coasts of Southern Mexico and Central America, they make their way to Pacific Coast and more specially right here in front of Moss Landing to feed. The humpback population we see along the California coast will feed as far north as Oregon.

Moss Landing Humpback Whale Another pair of humpbacks just off the beach in Moss Landing. Photo: Sack, sanctuarycruises.com 05-25-2017

These animals are thought to be able to consume as much as 3,000 lbs of fish or krill per day. And it’s important that they do. Because when they are in their breeding and calving grounds from about December through March, there is not a lot of food for them to eat there. They rely on the blubber layer that they are building up as they gorge on fish and krill 24 hrs per day, 7-days per week here along the Pacific Coast. That’s pretty much all they’re doing here just off Moss Landing.

Monterey Bay Harbor Seal A friendly young harbor seal. This thing had to have only been two-feet long. Photo: Sack. 05-23-2017.

When they are not eating they’re looking for food or traveling in search of richer feeding grounds. It is truly remarkable that these animals can go without eating much for three months out of the year. Particularly incredible is the pregnant female’s ability to provide sustenance for the calf without eating for three months. Not only while she is carrying the calf, but also after the calf is born. A newborn calf is thought to be able to consume 500 gallons of 40%-50% fat rich milk.
Monterey Bay Humpback Whale Two humpback flukes.

Monterey Bay Elephant Seal This is a young elephant seal we came across.

05-10-2017: Ten to Twenty Humpbacks Just Outside Moss Landing Harbor Mouth, More Blue Whales Show Up

Check out some video from today

Monterey Bay Humpback Whales Humpbacks do a vertical lunge as they chase anchovies up out of the water. This was one of the photographs taken by one of the participants in our photography workshop on Tuesday. Thanks for the awesome photos James! Photo by: Jim Quaschnick 05-09-2017

It just keeps getting better and better. So far sightings and conditions are setting up to be another year where we have the many humpbacks feeding just off the beach in Moss Landing. People can go down to the beach and watch whales from the beach in Moss Landing.

Moss Landing Sea Otter This old guy was hanging out on the dock near the Sanctuary. Photo: Sack, 05-10-2017

We have seen some lunge-feeding outside the harbor, but not frequent yet. There has been huge schools anchovies bunched up against the canyon wall out in front of the Moss Landing Harbor. So it’s attracting many humpbacks, sea lions and birds.

Monterey Bay Humpback Whales This was sort of a combination surface lunge and spy hop.

Over the last week or so we’ve had about ten, rampant lunge-feeding humpbacks off of Marina beach out in front of the sand plant. The first day we were with them I was in about 18-feet of water just outside the surf. We’re talking full on vertical lunge-feeding. These things were popping their big-fatty-heads ten feet up out of the water. Hundreds of sea lions and birds going wild right in the middle of it all. Quite a spectacle.

Monterey Humpback Whales More lunging. This went on for about three hours. Photo: Michael Sack, 05-09-2017

We were fortunate enough to have the same feeding frenzy happening on our afternoon, sunset photography workshop on Tuesday. Passengers got some amazing photographs. Here’s a few of the photo’s

Monterey Bay Humpback Whales A Humpback whale lunge feeding the in the Monterey Bay. Photo: Jim Quaschnick, JQphoto.com 05-09-2017

Monterey Bay Humpback Whale A Humpback whale side roll feeding the in the Monterey Bay, Monterey Ca.. Photo: Jim Quaschnick / JQphoto.com 05-09-2017

No one has found the killer whales for the last few days. But everyone’s looking. We did a few runs along where we’ve been seeing them but didn’t find them. We did find a lot of black-footed albatross. We’ve seen a couple of flocks of about 8-9. And more flying around.

Monterey Bay Humpback Whale More lunge-feeding. Photo: Chase Dekker

There were also several sightings of blue whales. We had excellent looks at a blue that tracked along side us and then turned toward us at one point. So that was incredible. Conditions were also perfect today. Calm and glassy all day long.

Monterey Bay Humpback Whale Side lunge. If you look closely you can see the whale’s eye. Photo: Chase Dekker

We’ll see what happens Thursday. Eric Mailander will be out there scouting around on his high speed skiff “Flatline”. We’re due for another orca sighting. This time of year there are usually a few boats out there focused on finding the orcas. So hopefully someone will find them on Thursday. We’ll report back later Thurs. or Friday morning.

California Brown Pelican California brown pelican cruises for leftovers. Photo: Chase Dekker.

05-08-2017: Incredible Monterey Bay Feeding Event Continues

Here’s some video from today’s trip:

https://youtu.be/QZuwwxN-KMg

The action continues to get better and better. And it’s all happening just outside the Moss Landing Harbor. Today we had humpback whales right out the gate. We’re actually seeing the humpbacks before we even get out of the harbor mouth. So that’s always good. Makes it easier on everyone.

Monterey Bay Killer Whales Moss Landing Killer Whales on the hunt. Photo: Michael Sack, sanctuarycruises.com 05-08-2017

Well, except the boats out of Monterey. Because they’ve been having to come over here to Moss Landing lately to get in on the real action. The Moss Landing Whale Park is officially open for the season. Usually lasting from now until the end of November. With peak action between now and October.

Moss Landing Humpback Whale The humpbacks have been feeding just outside of the Moss Landing Harbor. Photo: Michael Sack, sanctuarycruises.com, 05-08-2017

After about an hour we decided to head out and look for orcas along the north ledge of the Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon. There always seems to be more productivity along the canyon ledges.

Storm Petrel

So I made a course for an area where we’ve been seeing them for the last couple of weeks. It wasn’t long before we spotted tall black fin of the male orca. On a full-size male that dorsal fin can be up to six feet tall. Then we spotted the other three. They were not shy at all. They cruised next to the boat and under the boat multiple times. I love seeing these animals so close up. You get a better appreciation for how big they are. We saw them on both trips today and had fantastic encounters.

Monterey Bay Blue Whale There seems to always be at least one blue whale in The Monterey Bay over the last couple of weeks. As we get closer to June we generally start to see bigger numbers of blue whales in the Monterey Bay. Photo: Michael Sack, 05-08-2017

We also had a couple of great looks at the mighty blue whale. The largest animal to have ever roamed the earth. So that was cool. The heavy winds we’ve had lately seem to have been pushing some birds that we don’t see as often into The Bay. Good looks at storm petrels and many black-footed albatross.

Moss Landing Humpback Whale Two humpbacks head back toward Moss Landing in pursuit of anchovies. Photo: Michael Sack, 05-08-2017.

At one point we came across a flock of about 9-10 albatross in the water and more flying around. The Monterey Bay is incredible right now. Everything is on a feeding frenzy. It’s an incredible spectacle to behold.