September 2022 Monterey Bay Whale Watch Marine Mammal Sightings List

Monterey Bay Whale Watch
List of Marine Mammal Sightings
in the Monterey Bay Region
September 2022

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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Killer Whale identifications by the California Killer Whale Project

9/30 2:30 p.m.	3	Humpback Whales (friendly)
	8	Risso’s Dolphins

9/30 9 a.m.	25	Humpback Whales
	5	Killer Whales (Orcas)

9/29 10 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales
	3	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)

9/29 9 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales
	Many	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)

9/28 10 a.m.	2	Humpback Whales
	6	Killer Whales (Orcas)

9/28 9 a.m.	15+	Humpback Whales (playful, lunge-feeding)
	5	Killer Whales (Orcas – CA51As + CA50B)

9/27 9 a.m.	33	Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, tail throwing)

9/26 2:30 p.m.	24	Humpback Whales (feeding, calf ‘Ghost Pepper’ breaching)

9/26 9 a.m.	22	Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throwing, feeding)

9/26 8 a.m.	26	Humpback Whales
All Day	100	Risso’s Dolphins
	1	Brown Booby (rare)

9/25 2:30 p.m.	8	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/25 10 a.m.	25	Humpback Whales
	60	Risso’s Dolphins
		Bluefin Tuna
		Northern Parula

9/25 7:30 a.m.		Humpback Whales
Pelagic bird trip	2	Killer Whales (Orcas – CA58s)
(12-hour)		Blue Whales
		Risso’s Dolphins
		Dall’s Porpoise
		Harbor Porpoise
		Jaegers
		Skuas
		Black-footed Albatross
.		Storm Petrels
		Nazca and Brown Booby
		Tufted Puffin
		Northern Parula

9/24 2:30 p.m.	16	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, surface active)
	1	Thresher Shark (breaching)

9/24 1:30 p.m.	70+	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding frenzy, breaching, tail throwing)

9/24 9 a.m.	42	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, tail-throwing, friendly!)
	1	Laysan Albatross (rare)

9/23 2:30 p.m.	25	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	1	Brown Booby (rare)

9/23 10 a.m.	21	Humpback Whales
Charter	3	Killer Whales (Orcas – CA39As)

9/23 9 a.m.	46	Humpback Whales
	3	Killer Whales (Orcas – CA39As)
	40	Risso’s Dolphins

9/22 1:30 p.m.	23	Humpback Whales

9/22 9 a.m.	26	Humpback Whales
	40	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	300	Risso’s Dolphins

9/21 1:30 p.m.	8	Humpback Whales
	8	Killer Whales (Orcas – CA140Bs + CA39As)
	30	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	400	Risso’s Dolphins
	30	Northern Right Whale Dolphins

9/21 9 a.m.	20	Humpback Whales
	30	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	400	Risso’s Dolphins
	50	Northern Right Whale Dolphins

9/20 9 a.m.	9	Humpback Whales
	1	Blue Whale

9/19 9 a.m.	40	Humpback Whales
	50	Risso’s Dolphins
	5	Harbor Porpoise
	2	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)l

9/19 8 a.m.	10	Humpback Whales
All Day	10	Bottlenose Dolphins
	50	Risso’s Dolphins

9/17 2:30 p.m.	31	Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, tail slapping, pec slapping)

9/17 9 a.m.	52	Humpback Whales( breaching, lunge-feeding, tail slapping, pec slapping)

9/16 10 a.m.	37	Humpback Whales
	3	Harbor Porpoise
	5	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)l

9/16 9 a.m.	60	Humpback Whales
	4	Blue Whales
	40	Risso’s Dolphins
	1	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)l

9/15 2:30 p.m.	60	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, tail slapping, tail lobbing, pectoral fin slapping)

9/15 10 a.m.	38	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, tail slapping)

9/15 9 a.m.	20	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	500	Risso’s Dolphins

9/14 9 a.m.	57	Humpback Whales
	30	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	860	Risso’s Dolphins

9/13 10 a.m.	45	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	1	Red-footed Booby (rare)

9/13 9 a.m.	40	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	1	Red-footed Booby (rare)

9/12 9 a.m.	30	Humpback Whales (feeding)
	3	Blue Whales
	15	Risso’s Dolphins
	1	Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)l

9/11 1:30 p.m.	31	Humpback Whales

9/11 9 a.m.	27	Humpback Whales
	50	Risso’s Dolphins

9/10 2:30 p.m.	10	Humpback Whales

9/10 9 a.m.	20	Humpback Whales
	75	Risso’s Dolphins

9/9 2:30 p.m.	19	Humpback Whales
	5	Killer Whales (Orcas)

9/9 9 a.m.	24	Humpback Whales
	20	Pacific White-sided Dolphins
	70	Risso’s Dolphins

9/8 9 a.m.	3	Humpback Whales
	2	Killer Whales (Orcas)
	1	Blue Whale
	300	Risso’s Dolphins (including Casper and nursery pod of calves)
	6	Dall’s Porpoise

9/7 2:30 p.m.	5	Humpback Whales

9/7 10 a.m.	10	Humpback Whales
	15	Risso’s Dolphins

9/7 9 a.m.	6	Humpback Whales (breaching)

9/6 2:30 p.m.	12	Humpback Whales

9/6 10 a.m.	15	Humpback Whales

9/6 9 a.m.	20	Humpback Whales

9/5 9 a.m.	25	Humpback Whales

9/4 2:30 p.m.	13	Humpback Whales

9/4 9 a.m.	23	Humpback Whales
	20	Risso’s Dolphins

9/3 1:30 p.m.	8	Humpback Whales

9/3 10 a.m.	8	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
	40	Risso’s Dolphins

9/3 9 a.m.	25	Humpback Whales
	70	Risso’s Dolphins

9/2 10 a.m.	16	Humpback Whales

9/2 9 a.m.	20	Humpback Whales

9/1 10 a.m.	16	Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)

9/1 9 a.m.	15	Humpback Whales (vertical lunge-feeding and breaching)

Orcas (Killer Whales) photo by daniel bianchetta
Orcas (Killer Whales – September 28, 2022)

California Sea Lion jumping photo by daniel bianchetta
California Sea Lion jumping (September 27, 2022)

Osprey photo by daniel bianchetta
Osprey (September 30, 2022)

Breaching Risso's Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Mother and Calf Risso’s Dolphins (September 26, 2022)

Pair of Humpback Whales tail-slapping in tandem
(September 26, 2022)

Bluefin Tuna photo by daniel bianchetta
Bluefin Tuna (September 25, 2022)

Two Humpback Whales lunge-feeding
(September 24, 2022)

Laysan Albatross photo by daniel bianchetta
Laysan Albatross (September 24, 2022)

Breaching Risso's Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Killer Whale (Orca – September 23, 2022)

Breaching Risso's Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Breaching Risso’s Dolphin (September 22, 2022)

Killer Whales photo by daniel bianchetta
Killer Whales (September 21, 2022)

Close-up of large male California Sea Lion
(September 19, 2022)

Bottlenose Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Bottlenose Dolphin (September 19, 2022)

Brown Booby photo by daniel bianchetta
Brown Booby (September 19, 2022)

Humpback Whale fluke with Killer Whale rake marks
(September 15, 2022)

Humpback whale lunge-feeding with a massive
silver flash of anchovies (September 15, 2022)

Red-footed Booby (rare) photo by daniel bianchetta
Red-footed Booby (rare) (September 13, 2022)

Blue Whale dorsal fin photo by daniel bianchetta
Blue Whale dorsal fin (September 12, 2022)

Phalarope photo by daniel bianchetta
Phalarope (September 11, 2022)

Humpback Whales breaching and pec slapping
(September 11, 2022)

Breown Pelicans photo by daniel bianchetta
Breown Pelicans (September 10, 2022)

Breaching Killer Whale photo by daniel bianchetta
Breaching Killer Whale (September 9, 2022)

Humpback Whale baleen photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale baleen (September 6, 2022)

Humpback Whale next to boat photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale next to boat (September 5, 2022)

Southern Sea Otter eating a crab (September 4, 2022)

Humpback Whales photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whales (September 3, 2022)

SEPTEMBER 2022 MONTEREY BAY WHALE WATCH MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS LIST

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY REGION