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.

Visit our Facebook page for more photos. Date # Type of Animal(s) 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

All photos © 2020 Daniel Bianchetta California Sea Lions (September 29, 2020) Sea Otter mom and pup (September 28, 2020) Humpback Whale tail throw (September 27, 2020) 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 (September 20, 2020) Black-footed Albatross (September 19, 2020) Humpback Whale kelping (playing with kelp) (September 18, 2020) Brown Pelican plunge diving (September 17, 2020) Pacific White-sided Dolphins (September 14, 2020) Breaching Humpback Whale (September 13, 2020) Humpback Whale kelping (playing with kelp) (September 13, 2020) Elegant Terns with Anchovy (September 12, 2020) Leatherback Sea Turtle (September 10, 2020) Humpback Whale spyhopping (September 9, 2020) White Risso's Dolphin Casper (September 7, 2020) Risso's Dolphin Casper (September 7, 2020) Thresher Shark (September 6, 2020) Risso's Dolphins including a calf (September 5, 2020) Humpback Whales lunge-feeding (September 5, 2020) Humpback Whale tail throw (September 4, 2020) Running Risso's Dolphins (September 4, 2020) Southern Sea Otter eating a crab (September 3, 2020) Killer Whales kelping (playing with kelp) (September 2, 2020) Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) (September 1, 2020) All photos © 2020 Daniel Bianchetta

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Last updated October 11, 2020