Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

OCTOBER 2020 MONTEREY BAY WHALE WATCH MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS LIST

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY REGION

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

Find us on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page for more photos.
Date # Type of Animal(s)
10/31 2:30 p.m. 2 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, tail-lobbing, breaching)
10/31 10 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (breaching)
5 Killer Whales (Orcas – hunting)
300 Risso’s Dolphins
10/31 8 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales (friendly and surface active competitive group)
All Day 5 Killer Whales (Orcas – predation on 2 Sea Lions and Elephant Seal)
200 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
10/30 10 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (mother/calf and escort, lunge-feeding
and tail throwing)
300 Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)
10/29 10 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales (lateral lunge-feeding)
300 Risso’s Dolphins (breaching, porpoising, lob-tailing)
10/28 10 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales (Angel Wing and Halo mom/calf pair)
430 Risso’s Dolphins
10/27 2:30 p.m. 9 Humpback Whales
12 Risso’s Dolphins
5 Bottlenose Dolphins
10/27 10 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales
2000 Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)
10/26 2:30 p.m. 7 Humpback Whales (breaching, pec slapping, tail throwing)
10/26 10 a.m. 6 Humpback Whales (feeding)
600 Risso’s Dolphins
30 Harbor Porpoise
10/25 2:30 p.m. 2 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, friendly)
10/25 10 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, pec slapping, tail throwing,
breaching, friendly)
20 Risso’s Dolphins
10/25 7:30 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, friendly mom/calf pair)
Full Day 35 Risso’s Dolphins
10/24 4:30 pm. 5 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/24 2:30 pm. 5 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
2 Harbor Porpoise
10/24 1:30 pm. 8 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/24 10 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
150 Risso’s Dolphins
10/24 9 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
150 Risso’s Dolphins
10/23 10 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, spy hopping, mini breach,
and Snowy Owl)
10/22 10 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
100 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
500 Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)
10/21 10 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales (feeding. breaching)
250 Risso’s Dolphins
10 Harbor Porpoise
10/20 10 a.m. 5 Humpback Whales (feeding)
20 Harbor Porpoise
10/19 10 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
50 Risso’s Dolphins
10 Harbor Porpoise
10/18 4 p.m. 6 Humpback Whales
10/18 2:30 p.m. 4 Humpback Whales (tail throwing)
10/18 10 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, tail throwing)
10/17 4:30 p.m. 2 Humpback Whales
10/17 2:30 p.m. 13 Humpback Whales
50 Risso’s Dolphins
14 Harbor Porpoise
10/17 10 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales
5 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA50B, Smileys)
250 Risso’s Dolphins
10/17 8 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
All Day 5 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA50B, Smileys)
50 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
250 Risso’s Dolphins
10/16 2:30 p.m. 19 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching)
10/16 1:30 p.m.
Private Charter		 19 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching)
10/16 10 a.m. 27 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding)
5 Killer Whales (Orcas)
10/16 9 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding)
5 Killer Whales (Orcas)
10/15 2:30 p.m. 5 Humpback Whales
10/15 10 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding)
50 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
400 Risso’s Dolphins
10 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
10/14 10 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales (feeding)
10/13 10 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding)
10/12 10 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
220 Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)
10/12 9 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, mom/calf pair)
10/11 2:30 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, chin slapping)
10/11 1:30 p.m. 3 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding)
10/11 10 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales (resting, tail throwing, pec slapping, breaching)
10/11 9 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales
20 Dall’s Porpoise
10/10 2:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales (breaching)
10/10 1:30 p.m. 6 Humpback Whales (breaching, pec slapping, tail throwing,
lunge-feeding)
10/10 10 a.m. 3 Humpback Whales (friendly!)
2 Blue Whales (fluking)
3 Fin Whales
10/10 9 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (friendly!)
3 Blue Whales (fluking)
2 Fin Whales
10/9 2:30 p.m. 14 Humpback Whales
1 Blue Whale
100 Risso’s Dolphins
10/9 10 a.m. 1 Blue Whale
200 Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper)
8 Harbor Porpoise
10/8 2:30 p.m. 7 Humpback Whales
4 Harbor Porpoise
10/8 10 a.m. 3 Humpback Whales
150 Risso’s Dolphins
10/7 10 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/6 10 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching – Angel Wing and Halo)
10/5 10 a.m. 14 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/5 8 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, tail throwing, breaching)
All Day 15 Harbor Porpoise
10/4 2:30 p.m. 14 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/4 10 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/3 2:30 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, tail throwing)
10/3 1:30 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, boat friendly, and breaching)
10/3 10 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (breaching and lunge-feeding)
1 Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)
10/3 9 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, and pec slapping)
10/2 2:30 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10/2 10 a.m. 14 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, Halo breached)
10/1 10 a.m. 6 Humpback Whales (Halo, Angel Wings, Fran and friend)
(breaching, tail slapping, pec slapping, spy hopping)
15 Harbor Porpoise
All photos © 2020 Daniel Bianchetta

Breaching Killer Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Killer Whale (October 31, 2020)

Breaching Risso's Dolphin photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Risso’s Dolphin (October 30, 2020)

Running Risso's Dolphins photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Running Risso’s Dolphins (October 28, 2020)

Elegant Tern photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Elegant Tern (October 25, 2020)

Breaching Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)
(October 25, 2020)

Closeup of eye of Humpback Whale (Halo) photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Closeup of eye of Humpback Whale (Halo)
(October 25, 2020)

Osprey photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Osprey (October 24, 2020)

Chrysaora (Sea Nettle) photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Chrysaora (Sea Nettle – October 24, 2020)

Risso's Dolphins Casper and friend photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso’s Dolphins Casper and friend (October 22, 2020)

Tail of Humpback Whale (Snowy Owl) photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Tail of Humpback Whale (Snowy Owl)
(October 20, 2020)

Harbor Porpoise photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Harbor Porpoise (October 19, 2020)

Humpback Whale tail and California Sea Lions photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail and California Sea Lions
(October 19, 2020)

Killer Whales photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Five Killer Whales (October 17, 2020)

Breaching Killer Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Killer Whale (October 17, 2020)

Killer Whales mother and juvenile photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Killer Whales mother and juvenile (October 16, 2020)

Brown Pelican plunge diving photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Brown Pelican plunge diving (October 15, 2020)

Humpback Whale rain-blow photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale rain-blow (October 12, 2020)

Humpback Whale tail throw photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail throw (October 11, 2020)

Blue Whale tail photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Blue Whale tail (October 10, 2020)

Fin Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Fin Whale (October 10, 2020)

Risso's Dolphin Casper photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso’s Dolphin Casper (October 9, 2020)

Blue Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Blue Whale (October 9, 2020)

California Brown Pelican photo by Daniel Bianchetta
California Brown Pelican (October 8, 2020)

Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) (October 7, 2020)

Humpback Whales lunge-feeding photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whales lunge-feeding (October 4, 2020)

Southern Sea Otter photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Southern Sea Otter (October 2, 2020)

Breaching Humpback Whale - Halo photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale – Halo (October 2, 2020)

All photos © 2020 Daniel Bianchetta

Copyright © 2020 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.

-----