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SEPTEMBER 2023 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
September 2023
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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.

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   Killer Whale identifications by the California Killer Whale Project
Date # Type of Animal(s)
9/30 9 a.m. 3 Humpback Whales (constant breaching)
9/29 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales (tail throws)
9/28 9 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales
250 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
3 Bottlenose Dolphins
9/27 9 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales
200 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
25 Risso’s Dolphins
9/26 9 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (chronic breaching, pec slapping)
50 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/25 2:30 p.m. 22 Humpback Whales (tail lobbing, lunge-feeding)
400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/25 9 a.m. 38 Humpback Whales
1200 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/25 8 a.m. 35 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding)
All Day 1000 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
50 Risso’s Dolphins
9/24 2:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
20 Risso’s Dolphins
9/24 10 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
35 Risso’s Dolphins
9/24 9 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales
500 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/23 1:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales (breaching)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/23 10 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
200 Risso’s Dolphins
9/23 9 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (friendly)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/23 7:30 a.m. 35 Humpback Whales (breaching, feeding)
All Day 200 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
1200 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
250 Risso’s Dolphins
300 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
9/22 2:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales
200 Common Dolphins
9/22 10 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
350 Common Dolphins
70 Risso’s Dolphins
9/22 9 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales
200 Common Dolphins
300 Risso’s Dolphins
9/21 2:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales
9/21 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales (friendly)
200 Common Dolphins
9/20 2:30 p.m. 13 Humpback Whales (La Cobaneña, moms+calves,
breaching, feeding)
300 Common Dolphins
3 Harbor Porpoise
9/20 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (breaching)
Pt. Sur Clipper 400 Common Dolphins
9/20 9 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales (Motitas+Pula chronic breaching!)
Sea Wolf II 350 Common Dolphins
9/19 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (cow+calf pairs)
9/18 9 a.m. 53 Humpback Whales
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/18 8 a.m. 50 Humpback Whales (breaching)
All Day 50 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
20 Common Dolphins
50 Risso’s Dolphins
2 Elephant Seals
9/17 2:30 p.m. 36 Humpback Whales
400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/17 10 a.m. 45 Humpback Whales (feeding)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
200 Risso’s Dolphins
9/17 9 a.m. 47 Humpback Whales (feeding)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
2 Bottlenose Dolphins
150 Risso’s Dolphins
9/16 1:30 p.m. 27 Humpback Whales
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/16 10 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/16 9 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
500 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/16 8 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales
All Day 1200 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
80 Risso’s Dolphins
9/15 2:30 p.m. 25 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, pec slapping)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/15 10 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/15 9 a.m. 21 Humpback Whales (breaching)
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/14 9 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales (breaching, friendly)
1000 Common Dolphins
20 Risso’s Dolphins
3 Blue Sharks
9/13 1:30 p.m. 9 Humpback Whales
400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/13 9 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (several breaching including a double breach!)
400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/12 2:30 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales (vertical lunge feeding, and a breach)
350 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
20 Risso’s Dolphins
9/12 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales
400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/11 9 a.m. 31 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
100 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
10 Risso’s Dolphins
9/11 8 a.m. 31 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, tail lobbing)
All Day 100 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
300 Risso’s Dolphins
9/10 10 a.m. 2 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA136 and CA179)
100 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
1000 Common Dolphins
9/10 9 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales
300 Common Dolphins
9/9 1:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding and a breach)
9/9 10 a.m. 14 Humpback Whales
400 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/9 9 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales (feeding)
350 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/8 2:30 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales
300 Common Dolphins
9/8 1:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales
Charter 300 Common Dolphins
9/8 9 a.m. 4 Humpback Whales
1500 Common Dolphins
9/7 9 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales (friendly, breaching, pec slaps)
350 Common Dolphins
3 Harbor Porpoise
9/6 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail lobbing)
500 Common Dolphins
9/5 9 a.m. 30 Humpback Whales
300 Common Dolphins
9/4 10 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail lobbing)
9/4 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales
150 Common Dolphins
9/3 5:30 p.m. 6 Humpback Whales
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins (chasing squid)
9/3 2:30 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales
750 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/3 1:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales
75 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/3 10 a.m. 24 Humpback Whales
1000 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
1 Great White Shark!
9/3 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
1000 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
9/2 2:30 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales
1000 Common Dolphins
9/2 1:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales
300 Common Dolphins
9/2 10 a.m. 2 Humpback Whales (friendly)
5 Killer Whales (Orcas)
1000 Common Dolphins
9/2 9 a.m. Humpback Whales
4 Killer Whales (Orcas)
2000 Common Dolphins
9/2 8 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
All Day 4 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA140Bs)
50 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
600 Short-beaked Common Dolphins
300 Long-beaked Common Dolphins
1 Mako Shark
9/1 9 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales
2000 Common Dolphins
1 Red-footed Booby (Ruby)
Photos © 2023 Daniel Bianchetta

a flock of seagulls flying over a body of water

Red-necked Phalaropes in winter plumage (September 30, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale tail (September 29, 2023)

 

a bird flying in the sky

Two Pelicans (September 25, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water with a mountain in the background

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (Note anchovies) (September 24, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Leaping Long-beaked Common Dolphin (September 24, 2023)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Risso’s Dolphin (September 23, 2023)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Humpback Whale tail throw (September 23, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale breaching near Sea Wolf II (September 20, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale diving, with Pt. Sur in background (September 18, 2023)

 

a seal swimming in a body of water

Elephant Seal (September 18, 2023)

 

a dolphin jumping out of the water

Mother and Calf Long-beaked Common Dolphins (September 17, 2023)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Humpback Whales (September 17, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Leaping Common Dolphin (September 16, 2023)

 

a bird swimming in water

Soutern Sea Otters sharing breakfast (September 15, 2023)

 

a flock of seagulls flying in the air

Brown Pelicans (September 15, 2023)

 

animal on the water

Breaching Humpback Whale (September 15, 2023)

 

a close up of a seal lying on the ground

California Sea Lion close-up (September 14, 2023)

 

animal on the water

Risso’s Dolphins (September 14, 2023)

 

animal on the water

Orcas (Killer Whales) CA136 and CA179 (September 10, 2023)

 

a bird swimming in water

Belted Kingfisher (September 9, 2023)

 

a flock of seagulls flying over a body of water

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (September 9, 2023)

 

a close up of a bird

Red-footed Booby (September 8, 2023)

 

an animal swimming in the water

Humpback Whales feeding with Sea Lions (September 8, 2023)

 

a group of people on a beach next to the ocean

Common Dolphins (September 6, 2023)

 

a flock of seagulls standing next to a body of water

Sea Otters in kelp (September 5, 2023)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale baleen (September 3, 2023)

 

a bird swimming in water

Ashy Storm Petrel (September 2, 2023)

 

a dolphin swimming in a body of water

Killer Whale spyhopping while sharing Sea Lion carcass with another Killer Whale (September 2, 2023)

 

a bird swimming in water

Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) (September 2, 2023)

 

a dolphin swimming in a body of water

Common Dolphin calf with fetal folds (September 1, 2023)

 

Photos © 2023 Daniel Bianchetta

 

Copyright © 2023 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.

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