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MAY 2025 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

May 2025

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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)

5/31 10 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales
100 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
60 Risso’s Dolphins
2 Harbor Porpoise
30 Black-footed Albatross

5/31 9 a.m. 4 Humpback Whales
6 Pacific White-sided Dolphins

5/30 2:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales
10 Risso’s Dolphins

5/30 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales
15 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
20 Risso’s Dolphins

5/29 1:30 p.m. 9 Humpback Whales
6 Risso’s Dolphins

5/29 9 a.m. 14 Humpback Whales
50 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
30 Risso’s Dolphins
150 Northern Right Whale Dolphins

5/28 10 a.m. 7 Humpback Whales (cow & calf breaching, pec slapping, tail lobbing)
130 Risso’s Dolphins

5/28 9 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales
15 Risso’s Dolphins

5/27 9 a.m. 8 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA206s, CA122As, CA122B)
40 Risso’s Dolphins

5/26 2:30 p.m. 19 Humpback Whales
15 Risso’s Dolphins

5/26 10 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
100 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
100 Risso’s Dolphins
50 Northern Right Whale Dolphins

5/26 8 a.m. 30 Humpback Whales
All Day 300 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
75 Risso’s Dolphins
200 Northern Right Whale Dolphins

5/25 2:30 p.m. 5 Humpback Whales

5/25 11 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
5 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
180 Risso’s Dolphins
4 Harbor Porpoise
2 Black-footed Albatross

5/25 10 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
10 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
30 Risso’s Dolphins
5 Harbor Porpoise
5 Black-footed Albatross

5/24 5:30 p.m. 3 Humpback Whales

5/24 3 p.m. 4 Humpback Whales

5/24 11 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales
50 Risso’s Dolphins

5/24 10 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales
70 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
50 Risso’s Dolphins

5/24 9 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales
145 Risso’s Dolphins

5/23 10 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
25 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
20 Risso’s Dolphins

5/23 9 a.m. 6 Humpback Whales (pec slapping)
25 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
45 Risso’s Dolphins

5/22 9 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, friendlies)
15 Risso’s Dolphins

5/21 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales (pec slapping, tail lobbing, side lunge feeding)

5/20 9 a.m. 35 Humpback Whales
20 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
150 Risso’s Dolphins

5/19 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (double breach)
50 Risso’s Dolphins
2 Harbor Porpoise
1 Black-footed Albatross

5/18 9 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (feeding)
6 Risso’s Dolphins

5/17 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
25 Risso’s Dolphins

5/16 9 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
8 Risso’s Dolphins
8 Harbor Porpoise

5/15 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales
10 Harbor Porpoise

5/14 1:30 p.m. 9 Humpback Whales

5/14 9 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales
20 Risso’s Dolphins

5/13 9 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
50 Risso’s Dolphins
15 Harbor Porpoise

5/12 9 a.m. 83 Humpback Whales (feeding, tail lobbing, chin slapping, pec slapping, friendly!)
150 Risso’s Dolphins
5 Black-footed Albatross

5/12 8 a.m. 30 Humpback Whales
All Day 200 Risso’s Dolphins
50 Harbor Porpoise

5/11 9 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales

5/11 8 a.m. 39 Humpback Whales
All Day 150 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
200 Risso’s Dolphins

5/10 1:30 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales

5/10 9 a.m. 22 Humpback Whales
9 Harbor Porpoise

5/10 8 a.m. 37 Humpback Whales
All Day 90 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
30 Risso’s Dolphins
12 Harbor Porpoise

5/9 10 a.m. 28 Humpback Whales (feeding, breaching, chin slapping, lots of activity)

5/9 8 a.m. 37 Humpback Whales (very active)
All Day 30 Risso’s Dolphins

5/8 1:30 p.m. 12 Humpback Whales
25 Risso’s Dolphins

5/8 9 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
12 Baird’s Beaked Whales

5/7 9 a.m. 17 Humpback Whales
150 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
50 Risso’s Dolphins

5/7 8 a.m. 27 Humpback Whales (breaching, chin slapping)
All Day 400 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
350 Risso’s Dolphins
10

5/6 9 a.m. 19 Humpback Whales
12 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
75 Risso’s Dolphins
1 Harbor Porpoise
3 Black-footed Albatross

5/6 8 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
All Day 100 Risso’s Dolphins

5/5 2:30 p.m. 18 Humpback Whales

5/5 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales

5/5 8 a.m. 45 Humpback Whales
All Day 200 Risso’s Dolphins

5/2 1:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail lobbing)

5/2 9 a.m. 6 Humpback Whales (1 whale chronic breaching and pec slapping for over an hour!)

5/2 8 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales (chronic breaching)
All Day 20 Risso’s Dolphins

5/1 1:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales

5/1 9 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
50 Risso’s Dolphins

5/1 8 a.m. 40 Humpback Whales
All Day 100 Risso’s Dolphins

Photos © 2025 Daniel Bianchetta

 

a flock of seagulls flying over a body of water

Humpback Whales lunge-feeding (May 31, 2025)

 

a bird swimming in water

Black-footed Albatross (May 31, 2025)

 

a bird swimming in water

Southern Sea Otter mother and pup (May 31, 2025)

 

a fish swimming under water

Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola – May 28, 2025)

 

a close up of a bird

Pigeon Guillemot (May 28, 2025)

 

a dolphin jumping out of the water

Killer Whales (Orcas – May 27, 2025)

 

a seal lying in the dirt

California Sea Lions resting (May 26, 2025)

 

a man riding a wave on top of a body of water

Humpback Whales double tail throw (May 25, 2025)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Breaching Humpback Whale (May 24, 2025)

 

a bird swimming in water next to the ocean

Humpback Whale pec slap (May 24, 2025)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Humpback Whale tail throw (May 24, 2025)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Brown Pelican diving (May 21, 2025)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale Snowy Owl ID (May 18, 2025)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale baleen (May 18, 2025)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Brown Pelican in flight (May 12, 2025)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Breaching Risso’s Dolphin (May 12, 2025)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Black-footed Albatross in flight (May 12, 2025)

 

a bird swimming in water

Sea Otter eating an Octopus (May 11, 2025)

 

animal on the water

Harbor Porpoise (May 10, 2025)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Humpback Whale feeding with Sea Lions (May 9, 2025)

 

a dog swimming in a body of water

Two young Baird’s Beaked Whales and the fluke of a diving Baird’s Beaked Whale (May 8, 2025)

 

a whale swimming under water

Northern Right Whale Dolphins (May 7, 2025)

 

a bird swimming in water

Pacific White-sided Dolphin (May 7, 2025)

 

a whale swimming in a body of water

Risso’s Dolphins (May 7, 2025)

 

a bird swimming in water

Southern Sea Otter (May 5, 2025)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale breaching (May 2, 2025)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale cow-calf pair arching their backs to dive together (May 2, 2025)

 

a turtle swimming under water

By-The-Wind-Sailor (Velella Velella – May 1, 2025)

 

Photos © 2025 Daniel Bianchetta

Copyright © 2025 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.