September 2020 Monterey Bay Whale Watch Marine Mammal Sightings List

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

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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9/30 10 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales
	10	Harbor Porpoise
	1	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)

9/29 10 a.m.	8	Humpback Whales (cow/calf pair and breaching)
	10+	Harbor Porpoise
	many	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)

9/28 10 a.m.	14	Humpback Whales (cow/calf pair and breaching)
	6	Harbor Porpoise

9/28 8 a.m. All day	19	Humpback Whales (feeding and breaching)

9/27 2:30 p.m.	7	Humpback Whales (head slapping, breaching)
	5	Harbor Porpoise

9/27 10 a.m.	30	Humpback Whales (lunge feeding)
	5	Harbor Porpoise

9/26 10 a.m.	14	Humpback Whales

9/26 9 a.m.	10	Humpback Whales

9/25 10 a.m.	12	Humpback Whales (Mom/calf pair Angel Wing and Halo, kelping)
	800	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	1200	Risso’s Dolphins

9/24 9 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales
Charter	10	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	300	Risso’s Dolphins

9/23 10 a.m.	25	Humpback Whales (tail throws)
	50	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	300	Risso’s Dolphins
	8	Harbor Porpoise

9/22 10 a.m.	12	Humpback Whales (feeding)
	4	Killer Whales (Orcas – CA140Bs)
	20	Risso’s Dolphins

9/21 10 a.m.	15	Humpback Whales (tail throwing, breaching, lunge feeding)

9/21 8 a.m.	39	Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching, tail throwing)
All Day	500	Risso’s Dolphins
	20	Harbor Porpoise

9/20 1:30 p.m.	4	Humpback Whales
	5	Harbor Porpoise

9/20 10 a.m.	25	Humpback Whales (feeding, breaching, tail throwing)
	20	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)
	20	Harbor Porpoise

9/20 9 a.m.	11	Humpback Whales
	200	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)

9/19 2:30 p.m.	8	Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throwing)

9/19 10 a.m.	11	Humpback Whales (feeding)

9/19 9 a.m.	11	Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, cow/calf pairs)
	7	Harbor Porpoise

9/19 8 a.m. All day	4	Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throwing)

9/18 10 a.m.	21	Humpback Whales (kelping, friendly)
	20	Risso’s Dolphins (nursery pod)
	4	Harbor Porpoise

9/17 10 a.m.	8	Humpback Whales (Angel Wing and Halo were boat friendly, tail throwing, breaching)
	8	Harbor Porpoise
	1	Leatherback Sea Turtle

9/16 10 a.m.	17	Humpback Whales (feeding)
	20	Harbor Porpoise

9/15 10 a.m.	9	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	15	Risso’s Dolphins

9/14 10 a.m.	7	Humpback Whales (mom/calf pair, breaching, tail throwing, pec slapping, rolling around)
	20	Harbor Porpoise

9/14 8 a.m.	8	Humpback Whales (mom/calf pair)
All Day	150	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	700	Risso’s Dolphins

9/13 2:30 p.m.	4	Humpback Whales (mother and calf)
	5	Harbor Porpoise

9/13 10 a.m.	9	Humpback Whales (kelping, breaching, pec slapping, tail throwing)
	1	Minke Whale
	20	Harbor Porpoise
	1	Leatherback Sea Turtle

9/13 9 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales
Cheesemans’	160	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
Safaris	380	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper!)

9/12 2:30 p.m.	1	Humpback Whale

9/12 10 a.m.	2	Humpback Whales (tail throwing)

9/12 9 a.m.	4	Humpback Whales (tail slapping)

9/10 10 a.m.	13	Humpback Whales (mom/calf pair, tail throwing, lunge-feeding)
	100	Risso’s Dolphins
	1	Leatherback Sea Turtle

9/9 2:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales (mom/calf pair, friendly)
	30	Risso’s Dolphins

9/9 10 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales (mom/calf pair, friendly)

9/8 10 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales (breaching and “friendly” behavior)

9/7 5 p.m.	7	Humpback Whales

9/7 3 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/7 2:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/7 1:30 p.m.	5	Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding)

9/7 11 a.m.	7	Humpback Whales (tail throwing)
	200	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper!)

9/7 10 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales
	200	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper!)

9/7 9 a.m.	11	Humpback Whales
	450	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper!)
	2	Harbor Porpoise
	1	Elephant Seal

9/7 7:30 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales

9/6 5:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/6 5 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/6 3 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/6 2:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/6 1:30 p.m.	5	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/6 11 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales

9/6 10 a.m.	13	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	30	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	100	Risso’s Dolphins

9/6 9 a.m.	12	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	1	Minke Whale
	60	Risso’s Dolphins
	5	Harbor Porpoise

9/6 7:30 a.m.	2	Humpback Whales
	50	Risso’s Dolphins
	25	Bottlenose Dolphins

9/5 5:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding)

9/5 5 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales (tail throws)

9/5 3 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/5 2:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/5 1:30 p.m.	2	Humpback Whales

9/5 11 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales
	250	Risso’s Dolphins (nursery subgroup)

9/5 10 a.m.	7	Humpback Whales
	250	Risso’s Dolphins (nursery subgroup)

9/5 9 a.m.	2	Humpback Whales
	250	Risso’s Dolphins (nursery subgroup)

9/4 10 a.m.	7	Humpback Whales (mom/calf pair, breaching)
	180	Risso’s Dolphins
	8	Harbor Porpoise

9/3 10 a.m.	7	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	20	Risso’s Dolphins

9/2 2:30 p.m.	8	Humpback Whales
Charter	5	Killer Whales (Orcas)

9/2 10 a.m.	5	Killer Whales (Orcas)

9/1 10 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales
	1	Blue Whale
	100	Risso’s Dolphins

California Sea Lions photo by Daniel Bianchetta
California Sea Lions (September 29, 2020)

Sea Otter mom and pup photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Sea Otter mom and pup (September 28, 2020)

Humpback Whale tail throw photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail throw (September 27, 2020)

Humpback Whale tail photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail (September 26, 2020)

Breaching Pacific White-sided Dolphin
(September 25, 2020)

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales and Anchovies
(September 21, 2020)

Harbor Porpoise photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Harbor Porpoise (September 20, 2020)

Black-footed Albatross photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Black-footed Albatross (September 19, 2020)

Humpback Whale kelping (playing with kelp)
(September 18, 2020)

Brown Pelican plunge diving photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Brown Pelican plunge diving (September 17, 2020)

Pacific White-sided Dolphins photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Pacific White-sided Dolphins (September 14, 2020)

Breaching Humpback Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale (September 13, 2020)

Humpback Whale kelping photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale kelping (playing with kelp)
(September 13, 2020)

Elegant Terns with Anchovy photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Elegant Terns with Anchovy (September 12, 2020)

Leatherback Sea Turtle photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Leatherback Sea Turtle (September 10, 2020)

Humpback Whale spyhopping photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale spyhopping (September 9, 2020)

White Risso's Dolphin Casper photo by Daniel Bianchetta
White Risso’s Dolphin Casper (September 7, 2020)

Risso's Dolphin Casper photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso’s Dolphin Casper (September 7, 2020)

Thresher Shark photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Thresher Shark (September 6, 2020)

Risso's Dolphins with a calf photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso’s Dolphins including a calf (September 5, 2020)

Humpback Whales lunge-feeding (September 5, 2020)

Humpback Whale tail throw photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail throw (September 4, 2020)

Running Risso's Dolphins photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Running Risso’s Dolphins (September 4, 2020)

Southern Sea Otter eating a crab (September 3, 2020)

Killer Whales kelping photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Killer Whales kelping (playing with kelp)
(September 2, 2020)

Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) (September 1, 2020)

SEPTEMBER 2020 MONTEREY BAY WHALE WATCH MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS LIST

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY REGION