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Monterey Bay Whale Watch
List of Marine Mammal Sightings
in the Monterey Bay Region

September 1-30, 2018
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Note -- In addition to sightings on Monterey Bay Whale Watch trips, this list includes all reported marine mammal sightings for this region. Unusual sightings of other marine animals such as Leatherback Sea Turtles and Basking Sharks are also listed. California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, and Southern Sea Otters, which are seen on all whale watching trips, are not included in the list.

These sightings are copyright protected and may not be used without permission from Nancy Black. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of this information is a violation of federal copyright law, and is subject to prosecution to the full extent of the law.


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Date # Type of Animal(s)

9/30 4:30 p.m. 19 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge feeding)

9/30 2 p.m. 38 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching and tail slapping)
  30 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/30 1 p.m. 23 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching and pec slapping)
  30 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/30 9 a.m. 44 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding and breaching)
  1 Minke Whale
  50 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/30 8 a.m. 37 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding and breaching)
  50 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/29 4:30 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, pec slapping)

9/29 2 p.m. 2 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail slaps, feeding with Sea Lions)

9/29 1 p.m. 30 Humpback Whales (breaching and pec slaps)

9/29 9 a.m. 42 Humpback Whales (breaching, pec slaps, feeding with Sea Lions)
  25 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  150 Risso's Dolphins

9/29 8 a.m. 30 Humpback Whales
  30 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  200 Risso's Dolphins

9/29 8 a.m. 83 Humpback Whales
8-hr All Day 20 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  400 Risso's Dolphins

9/28 4:30 p.m. 26 Humpback Whales

9/28 1 p.m. 28 Humpback Whales (feeding with California Sea Lions)

9/28 9 a.m. 44 Humpback Whales (breaching, feeding with California Sea Lions)
  100 Risso's Dolphins

9/28 8 a.m. 35 Humpback Whales
  80 Risso's Dolphins

9/28 8 a.m. 100 Humpback Whales (breaching, pec slapping and lunge-feeding)
8-hr All Day 70 Risso's Dolphins and 3 calves
  1 Blue Shark

9/27 2 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales
  7 Killer Whales

9/27 1 p.m. 24 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding and pec slaps)
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/27 9 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding and pec slaps)
  1 Minke Whale

9/27 8 a.m. 33 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching and pec slaps)
  15 Harbor Porpoise

9/26 2 p.m. 13 Humpback Whales (lunging, breaching, tail throwing and tail lobbing)
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/26 1 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales (breaching)

9/26 9 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (lunging, breaching and friendly calf!)

9/26 8 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)
  20 Harbor Porpoise

9/25 2 p.m. 22 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding)
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/25 9 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (breaching, pec slaps, lunge-feeding)
  50 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  150 Risso's Dolphins
  5 Harbor Porpoise

9/25 8 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, tail slaps, breaching, pec slaps)
  10 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  100 Risso's Dolphins
  50 Harbor Porpoise
  1000 California Sea Lions
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/24 2 p.m. 26 Humpback Whales (feeding with Sea Lions)

9/24 9 a.m. 24 Humpback Whales (friendly, breaching)

9/24 8 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (breaching, feeding with sea lions)

9/24 8 a.m. 47 Humpback Whales (lunging, breaching, pec slaps, tail slaps)
8-hr All Day 2 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/23 4:30 p.m. 17 Humpback Whales (breaches)

9/23 2 p.m. 18 Humpback Whales (breaches, pec slaps, head slaps, tail throws)

9/23 1 p.m. 27 Humpback Whales (breaches, pec slaps, tail throws)

9/23 9 a.m. 36 Humpback Whales (breaches, pec slaps, lunges, tail throws)
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/23 8 a.m. 29 Humpback Whales (breaches, pec slaps)
  2 Risso's Dolphins
  17 Harbor Porpoise

9/22 4:30 p.m. 40 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)

9/22 2 p.m. 32 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)

9/22 1 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/22 9 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales

9/22 8 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/21 4:30 p.m. 18 Humpback Whales

9/21 2 p.m. 41 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  hundreds California Sea Lions

9/21 1 p.m. 23 Humpback Whales
  100 Risso's Dolphins
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/21 9 a.m. 36 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, pec slapping)

9/21 8 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales

9/20 2 p.m. 29 Humpback Whales (double breach and cow/calf pair)

9/20 9 a.m. 37 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and breaching)
  65 Risso's Dolphins (one albino!)

9/20 8 a.m. 45 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
8-hr All Day 1 Killer Whale
  200 Risso's Dolphins (one albino!)
  2 Harbor Porpoise

9/19 2 p.m. 21 Humpback Whales (kelping and spy-hopping)
  7 Harbor Porpoise
  2000+ Sea Lions

9/19 1 p.m. 29 Humpback Whales
  5 Harbor Porpoise

9/19 9 a.m. 28 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and breaching)
  6 Harbor Porpoise

9/19 8 a.m. 43 Humpback Whales (breaching)
  1 Black-footed Albatross

9/18 2 p.m. 26 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching)
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/18 1 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, pec slaps, tail throws)
  20 Risso's Dolphins

9/18 9 a.m. 47 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching)
  30 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  150 Risso's Dolphins
  20 Harbor Porpoise

9/18 8 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching)
  30 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  150 Risso's Dolphins (breaching)

9/17 2 p.m. 22 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching and tail slaps)

9/17 9 a.m. 33 Humpback Whales (feeding with sea lions)
  15 Harbor Porpoise

9/17 8 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (feeding with sea lions)
  2 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/16 2 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales (feeding with sea lions)

9/16 1 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales
  3 Blue Whales

9/16 10 a.m. 35 Humpback Whales
  1 Blue Whale
  10 Common Dolphins
  100 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  75 Risso's Dolphins
  1 Northern Right Whale Dolphin

9/16 9 a.m. 56 Humpback Whales (lunging and chin slaps)
  2 Blue Whales
  100 Risso's Dolphins
  2 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/16 8 a.m. 24 Humpback Whales
  4 Blue Whales
  120 Risso's Dolphins

9/15 2 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales (1 was lunge-feeding)

9/15 1 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  5 Blue Whales
  5 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  15 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
  5 Risso's Dolphins

9/15 10 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
  1 Blue Whale

9/15 9 a.m. 29 Humpback Whales
  1 Blue Whale (lunge-feeding through visible krill patch)
  4 Harbor Porpoise

9/15 8 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales
  7 Blue Whales (lunge-feeding)
  100 Risso's Dolphins
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/14 2 p.m. 23 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/14 9 a.m. 24 Humpback Whales
  5 Blue Whales
  120 Risso's Dolphins
  1 Elephant Seal

9/14 8 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales
  5 Blue Whales
  100 Risso's Dolphins
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/13 1 p.m. 18 Humpback Whales (feeding)
  500 California Sea Lions

9/13 9 a.m. 39 Humpback Whales (pec slapping)
  12 Risso's Dolphins

9/13 8 a.m. 38 Humpback Whales
  120 Common Dolphins
  150 Risso's Dolphins
  5 Harbor Porpoise

9/13 8 a.m. 43 Humpback Whales (breaching and pec slapping)
8-hr All Day 250 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  900 Risso's Dolphins (breaching)
  4 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/12 9 a.m. 24 Humpback Whales
  5 Killer Whales
  2 Harbor Porpoise

9/12 8 a.m. 21 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and chin slapping)
  5 Killer Whales

9/11 2 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales (tail throwing, lunge feeding)

9/11 9 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (breaching)
  1 Killer Whale (tail slapping)
  4 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/11 8 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales (tail throwing, breaching, pec slaps)
  3 Bottlenose Dolphins
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/10 1 p.m. 28 Humpback Whales (lunging and tail throws)
  20 Harbor Porpoise

9/10 9 a.m. 62 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  20 Harbor Porpoise

9/10 8 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (lunging, rolling and tail throws)
  50 Harbor Porpoise

9/9 2 p.m. 30 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding,
tail throws, tail lobs)
  20 Harbor Porpoise

9/9 1 p.m. 28 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/9 9 a.m. 37 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding,
chin slaps, tail slaps)
  30 Harbor Porpoise

9/9 8 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, chin slaps)
  100 Harbor Porpoise

9/8 4:30 p.m. 35 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding and pec slaps)
  100 Common Dolphins
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/8 2 p.m. 16 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  2 Harbor Porpoise

9/8 1 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and breaching)

9/8 9 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  80 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  7 Harbor Porpoise
  500 Sea Lions

9/8 8 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)
  200 Common Dolphins

9/8 8 a.m. 53 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding)
8 hour All Day   1 Killer Whale
  100 Common Dolphins
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/7 2 p.m. 13 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/7 1 p.m. 22 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and breaching)
  150 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/7 9 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  170 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  4 Harbor Porpoise

9/7 8 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales (friendly)
  170 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  1 Harbor Porpoise

9/7 8 a.m. 64 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching,
pec slapping and tail slapping)
8 hour All Day   500 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  30 Harbor Porpoise

9/6 2 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  700 Common Dolphins
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/6 1 p.m. 29 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)
  400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/6 9 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  700 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  40 Harbor Porpoise

9/6 8 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)
  700 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  1 Bottlenose Dolphin
  100 Harbor Porpoise

9/5 4:30 p.m. 24 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and breaching)

9/5 2 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales

9/5 1 p.m. 22 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throws and lunge-feeding)
  15 Harbor Porpoise

9/5 9 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales
  700 Common Dolphins
  6 Risso's Dolphins

9/5 8 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (breaching and tail throws)
  120 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  70 Risso's Dolphins
  8 Harbor Porpoise

9/4 2 p.m. 24 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throwing)
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/4 1 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throwing)
  2 Blue Whales
  25 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  10 Harbor Porpoise
  2 Steller Sea Lions

9/4 9 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales
   2 Blue Whales
  1 Minke Whale
  1000 Common Dolphins
  5 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)
  1 Black-footed Albatross

9/4 8 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching)
   4 Blue Whales
  1 Minke Whale
  500 Common Dolphins
  1 Black-footed Albatross

9/3 4:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales
  600 Common Dolphins

9/3 2 p.m. 13 Humpback Whales (breaching and tail throwing)
  1000 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/3 1 p.m. 27 Humpback Whales
  850 Common Dolphins
  20 Risso's Dolphins

9/3 9 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  1100 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/3 8 a.m. 45 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
  1500 Common Dolphins

9/3 8 a.m. 51 Humpback Whales (lots of lunge-feeding with dolphins)
8 hour All Day   1 Killer Whale
  13 Blue Whales
  1800 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  400 Risso's Dolphins

9/2 4:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales (feeding)
  10 Bottlenose Dolphins
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/2 2 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales (breaching and pec slaps)

9/2 1 p.m. 16 Humpback Whales (lunging, breaching and pec slaps)

9/2 9 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales
  1500 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  280 Risso's Dolphins

9/2 8 a.m. 24 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunging, pec slaps and tail throws)
  1500 Long-beaked Common Dolphins

9/2 7:30 a.m. 60 Humpback Whales
12 hour Full Day   1 Killer Whale
  17 Blue Whales
  1100 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
  45 Risso's Dolphins
  10 Harbor Porpoise

9/1 2 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales (tail slaps, pec slaps, breaching)
  200 Common Dolphins

9/1 1 p.m. 27 Humpback Whales (tail slaps, tail throws, pec slaps)

9/1 10 a.m. 60 Humpback Whales (breaching)
  600 Common Dolphins
  1 Mola Mola (ocean sunfish)

9/1 9 a.m. 27 Humpback Whales (tail slaps, pec slaps, breaching)
  500 Common Dolphins

9/1 8 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales (tail slaps, tail throws, pec slaps)
  350 Common Dolphins

   All photos © 2018 Daniel Bianchetta

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales and California Sea Lions, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales and
California Sea Lions (September 30, 2018)

Brandt's Cormorant, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Brandt's Cormorant (September 30, 2018)

Humpback Whales, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whales (September 28, 2018)

Mother and pup Southern Sea Otter, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Mother and pup Southern Sea Otter
(September 27, 2018)

California Sea Lion, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
California Sea Lion (September 25, 2018)

Humpback Whale tail, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail (September 24, 2018)

Elegant Tern with Anchovy, being chased by Parasitic Jaeger, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Elegant Tern with Anchovy, being chased by
Parasitic Jaeger (September 23, 2018)

Humpback Whale with rainblow and California Sea Lion, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale with rainblow and
California Sea Lion (September 20, 2018)

Male Killer Whale Fat Fin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Male Killer Whale Fat Fin (September 20, 2018)

Albino Risso's Dolphin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Albino Risso's Dolphin (September 20, 2018)

Humpback Whales lunge-feeding, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whales lunge-feeding (September 18, 2018)

Southern Sea Otters mother and young pup, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Southern Sea Otters mother and young pup
(September 18, 2018)

Humpback Whales lunge-feeding by the Blackfin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whales lunge-feeding
by the Blackfin (September 18, 2018)

Male California Sea Lion, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Male California Sea Lion (September 18, 2018)

Mother and Calf Risso's Dolphins, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Mother and Calf Risso's Dolphins (September 16, 2018)

Humpback Whale tail, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail (September 15, 2018)

Harbor Seal, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Harbor Seal (September 15, 2018)

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Lunge-feeding Humpback Whale (September 14, 2018)

Rhinoceros Auklet, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Rhinoceros Auklet (September 14, 2018)

Breaching Risso's Dolphin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Risso's Dolphin (September 14, 2018)

Humpback Whale pec slapping, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale pec slapping (September 13, 2018)

Snowy Egret, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Snowy Egret (September 13, 2018)

Breaching Humpback Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale (September 9, 2018)

Humpback Whales and Sea Lions, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whales and Sea Lions (September 9, 2018)

Long-beaked Common Dolphins, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Long-beaked Common Dolphins (September 8, 2018)

Humpback Whale by the Blackfin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale by the Blackfin (September 8, 2018)

Killer Whale (Fat Fin) tail throwing, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Killer Whale (Fat Fin) tail throwing (September 8, 2018)

Brown Pelicans, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Brown Pelicans (September 7, 2018)

Southern Sea Otter eating a crab, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Southern Sea Otter eating a crab (September 6, 2018)

Tail-throwing Humpback Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Tail-throwing Humpback Whale (September 6, 2018)

Long-beaked Common Dolphin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Long-beaked Common Dolphin (September 6, 2018)

Harbor Porpoise, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Harbor Porpoise (September 6, 2018)

Breaching Humpback Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale (September 6, 2018)

Blue Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Blue Whale (September 4, 2018)

Minke Whale and Sooty Shearwater, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Minke Whale and Sooty Shearwater (September 4, 2018)

Southern Sea Otter, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Southern Sea Otter (September 4, 2018)

Lunge feeding Humpback Whales, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (September 3, 2018)

Blue Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Blue Whale (September 3, 2018)

Long-beaked Common Dolphins, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Long-beaked Common Dolphins (September 3, 2018)

Risso's Dolphin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso's Dolphin (September 2, 2018)

Tufted Puffin, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Tufted Puffin (September 2, 2018)

Lunge feeding Humpback Whale, Common Dolphins with Sea Wolf II, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Lunge-feeding Humpback Whale & Common Dolphins
with Sea Wolf II in background (September 2, 2018)

Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish - September 1, 2018)



All photos © 2018 Daniel Bianchetta


Copyright © 2018 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.


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Last updated October 9, 2018