March 2020 Monterey Bay Whale Watch Marine Mammal Sightings List

Monterey Bay Whale Watch
List of Marine Mammal Sightings
in the Monterey Bay Region
March 2020

Note — This list includes reported sightings from Monterey Bay Whale Watch trips. Unusual sightings of other marine animals such as Leatherback Sea Turtles and Basking Sharks are also listed, in addition to unusual seabirds such as Albatross and Brown Boobies. California Sea Lions are mentioned only if numbers or behavior are of interest. Harbor Seals and Southern Sea Otters, which are seen on all whale watching trips, are not included in the list. Sightings from March 1 through March 17 are from regularly scheduled Whale Watch trips.

Sightings after March 17 are from Survey Days – Our biologists monitor and count species. Sightings from Survey Days are highlighted in pale yellow.

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.

Date	#	Type of Animal(s)
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3/30 (6 hrs)	4	Gray Whales
Research Survey	18	Humpback Whales (7 were feeding with 500 sea lions)

3/24 (4 hrs)	26	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, tail throwing)
Research	2500	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
Survey	2000	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	1500	California Sea Lions

3/21 (8 hrs)	11	Gray Whales (rolling around, mating)
Research Survey	40	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, pec slapping, tail slapping)
	500	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	100	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	2	Bottlenose Dolphins

3/17 10 a.m.	6	Gray Whales
	15	Humpback Whales
	3	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/16 10 a.m.	15	Gray Whales
	3	Black-footed Albatross
	2	Brown Boobies

3/15 10 a.m.	4	Gray Whales
	4	Black-footed Albatross

3/14 10 a.m.	12	Gray Whales
	2	Humpback Whales (breaching & pec slapping)
	800	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	250	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	8	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross

3/13 10 a.m.	12	Humpback Whales (breaching & pec slapping)
	1200	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	250	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	6	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/12 1:30 p.m.	3	Gray Whales
	4	Humpback Whales (breaching)
	19	Black-footed Albatross

3/12 10 a.m.	6	Gray Whales
	8	Humpback Whales
	1400	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	35	Risso’s Dolphins
	6	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/11 1:30 p.m.	15	Gray Whales
	4	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/11 10 a.m.	10	Gray Whales
	8	Humpback Whales
	300	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	2	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/10 10 a.m.	13	Gray Whales
	1	Humpback Whale
	5	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/9 1:30 p.m.	9	Gray Whales
	1	Humpback Whale
	35	Dall’s Porpoise
	1	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/9 10 a.m.	20	Gray Whales
	5	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/8 1:30 p.m.	14	Gray Whales
	4	Humpback Whales
	2	Black-footed Albatross
	3	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/8 10 a.m.	2	Gray Whales
	9	Humpback Whales
	900	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	700	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	1	Brown Booby

3/8 8:30 a.m.	4	Gray Whales
	2	Humpback Whales
	600	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	900	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	2	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/7 1:30 p.m.	8	Gray Whales

3/7 10 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales (double breach)
	40	Risso’s Dolphins

3/6 1:30 p.m.	12	Humpback Whales
	700	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	650	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	2	Black-footed Albatross

3/6 10 a.m.	4	Gray Whales
	10	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	1400	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	650	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	4	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/5 1:30 p.m.	8	Gray Whales

3/5 10 a.m.	9	Gray Whales

3/4 1:30 p.m.	3	Gray Whales
	1	Black-footed Albatross
	2	Brown Boobies

3/4 10 a.m.	19	Gray Whales
	3	Humpback Whales
	200	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	200	Risso’s Dolphins
	5	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	2	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/3 1:30 p.m.	8	Gray Whales
	4	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross

3/3 10 a.m.	3	Gray Whales
	2	Humpback Whales
	150	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	300	Risso’s Dolphins
	2	Black-footed Albatross

3/2 1:30 p.m.	3	Humpback Whales (breaching)
	10	Harbor Porpoise
	2	Black-footed Albatross

3/2 10 a.m.	3	Gray Whales
	8	Humpback Whales (tail throws)
	800	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	500	Northern Right Whale Dolphins
	4	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/1 12:30 p.m.	1	Gray Whale
	9	Humpback Whales
	500	Pacific White-sided Dolphins

3/1 10 a.m.	5	Gray Whales
	200	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	1	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)
	9	Black-footed Albatross
	1	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

3/1 8:30 a.m.	5	Gray Whales
	80	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	8	Black-footed Albatross
	2	Laysan Albatross
	1	Brown Booby

California Sea Lions photo by Daniel Bianchetta
California Sea Lions (March 30, 2020)

Bottlenose Dolphins photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Bottlenose Dolphins (March 21, 2020)

Gray Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Gray Whale (March 21, 2020)

Heart-shaped Gray Whale blow photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Heart-shaped Gray Whale blow (March 16, 2020)

Southern Sea Otters photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Southern Sea Otters (March 15, 2020)

Pacific White-sided Dolphin and
breaching Humpback Whale (March 13, 2020)

Brandt's Cormorants and Snowy Egret photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Brandt’s Cormorants and Snowy Egret (March 12, 2020)

Breaching Humpback Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale (March 12, 2020)

Black-footed Albatross photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Black-footed Albatross (March 10, 2020)

Dall's Porpoise photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Dall’s Porpoise (March 9, 2020)

Elephant Seal photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Elephant Seal (March 9, 2020)

Gray Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Gray Whale (March 8, 2020)

Great Egret over the kelp photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Great Egret over the kelp (March 8, 2020)

Pacific White-sided Dolphin photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Pacific White-sided Dolphin (March 6, 2020)

Northern Right Whale Dolphin photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Northern Right Whale Dolphin (March 6, 2020)

Surf Scoters photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Surf Scoters (March 5, 2020)

Close-up of Humpback Whale lunge-feeding
(March 6, 2020)

Gray Whale tail photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Gray Whale tail (March 3, 2020)

Risso's Dolphins photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso’s Dolphins (March 3, 2020)

Humpback Whales photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whales (March 2, 2020)

Pacific White-sided Dolphins surfing down a wave
(March 2, 2020)

Humpback Whale tail - good ID shot photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail – good ID shot (March 2, 2020)

Brown Booby photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Brown Booby (March 1, 2020)

Laysan Albatross photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Laysan Albatross (March 1, 2020)

MARCH 2020 MONTEREY BAY WHALE WATCH MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS LIST

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY REGION