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AUGUST 2024 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
August 2024
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Our sightings are updated every few days, listing sightings from Whale Watch trips, with indications of the numbers of marine mammals seen frequently, including Humpback Whales, Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Killer Whales, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Common Dolphins, Northern Right Whale Dolphins, and others. 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 listed.

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)
8/31 5:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales
8/31 1:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales (breaching)
8/31 11 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail lobbing)
6 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA51As and CA50B)
8/31 10 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
6 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA51As and CA50B)
8/31 9 a.m. 9 Humpback Whales
6 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA51As and CA50B)
8/30 2:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales (chronic breaching calf!)
8/30 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (breaching, rolling around, friendly, kelping)
1 Blue Whale
8/29 2:30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales (feeding frenzy)
8/29 2:30 p.m. 27 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, tail throwing)
8/29 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge feeding)
8/28 5:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales
8/28 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
10 Risso’s Dolphins
8/27 2:30 p.m. 2 Humpback Whales (friendly mugging, kelping,
pec slapping, tail throwing)
10 Risso’s Dolphins (nursery pod)
8/27 10 a.m. 4 Humpback Whales
10 Risso’s Dolphins
8/27 9 a.m. 3 Humpback Whales (feeding)
1 Male Killer Whale (Orca)
8/26 5:30 p.m. 2 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding, breaching)
8/26 10 a.m. 7 Humpback Whales (lunge feeding)
8/26 9 a.m. 8 Humpback Whales (feeding)
8/26 7:30 a.m. Sabine’s Gulls
8-hour Pelagic Buller’s Shearwaters
bird trip Black-footed Albatross
Dall’s Porpoise
8/25 2:30 p.m. 7 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge feeding, tail throwing)
8/25 10 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales
20 Risso’s Dolphins
7 Dall’s Porpoise
8/25 9 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales
200 Risso’s Dolphins
8/24 5:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales
8/24 2:30 p.m. 16 Humpback Whales (breaching)
10 Killer Whales (Orcas)
8/24 10 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10 Killer Whales (Orcas)
8/24 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales (friendly)
10 Killer Whales (Orcas)
8/24 8 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales
All Day 10 Killer Whales (Orcas)
25 Common Dolphins
8/23 10 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales
8/23 9 a.m. 13 Humpback Whales (breaching, rolling around)
1 Blue Whale
8/22 10 a.m. 14 Humpback Whales
1 Minke Whale
5 Harbor Porpoise
8/22 9 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge feeding)
8/21 9 a.m. 23 Humpback Whales (tail throws)
2 Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)
Egg Yolk Jellies
8/20 10 a.m. 27 Humpback Whales
10 Dall’s Porpoise
2 Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish)
8/20 9 a.m. 80 Humpback Whales
8/19 9 a.m. 16 Humpback Whales
1 Fin Whale
50 Risso’s Dolphins
10 Dall’s Porpoise
8/19 8 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales
All Day 7 Risso’s Dolphins
8/18 2:30 p.m. 16 Humpback Whales (chronic breaching!)
8/18 10 a.m. 15 Humpback Whales (friendly)
16 Risso’s Dolphins
5 Harbor Porpoise
8/18 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales (pec slapping)
200 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
8/17 5:30 p.m. 6 Humpback Whales (lots of lunge-feeding)
8/17 2:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales (pec slapping, lunge-feeding)
10 Dall’s Porpoise
8/17 10 a.m. 45 Humpback Whales
10 Dall’s Porpoise
8/17 9 a.m. 55 Humpback Whales (feeding with Sea Lions)
8/16 2:30 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales
8/16 10 a.m. 50 Humpback Whales
8/16 9 a.m. 50 Humpback Whales (friendly)
20 Dall’s Porpoise
8/15 10 a.m. 31 Humpback Whales
8/15 9 a.m. 44 Humpback Whales
5 Harbor Porpoise
8/13 5:30 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching, tail lobbing, pec slapping)
1 Minke Whale
8/13 2:30 p.m. 42 Humpback Whales
1 Blue Whale
8/13 10 a.m. 10 Humpback Whales (tail throwing, lunge-feeding)
8/13 9 a.m. 7 Humpback Whales
1 Blue Whale
5 Fin Whales
1 Minke Whale
4 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
7 Dall’s Porpoise
8/12 2:30 p.m. 18 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, tail slapping)
8/12 10 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (breaching)
8/12 9 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales (feeding, tail lobbing)
8/11 2:30 p.m. 14 Humpback Whales
2 Harbor Porpoise
8/11 10 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales (friendly, breaching, pec slapping, tail throwing)
8 Dall’s Porpoise
8/11 9 a.m. 43 Humpback Whales (2 friendlies, tail lobbing, breaching)
4 Dall’s Porpoise
8/10 1:30 p.m. 25 Humpback Whales (feeding, breaching)
8/10 10 a.m. 32 Humpback Whales (breaching, tail throwing)
2 Black-footed Albatross
8/10 9 a.m. 37 Humpback Whales (feeding)
8/9 5:30 p.m. 25 Humpback Whales
8/9 2:30 p.m. 10 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching)
8/9 10 a.m. 41 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, tail slapping)
8/9 9 a.m. 48 Humpback Whales (breaching, feeding, tail lobbing)
8/8 5:30 p.m. 11 Humpback Whales (tail slapping, pec slapping)
8/8 2:30 p.m. 25 Humpback Whales
1 Minke Whale
2 Harbor Porpoise
8/8 10 a.m. 27 Humpback Whales
8/8 9 a.m. 31 Humpback Whales
8/7 5:30 p.m. 25 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
8/7 2:30 p.m. 36 Humpback Whales (feeding, pec slapping, breaching)
8/7 10 a.m. 69 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding, breaching)
7 Dall’s Porpoise
5 Harbor Porpoise
8/7 9 a.m. 35 Humpback Whales (feeding, pec slapping, tail throwing)
8/5 2:30 p.m. 20 Humpback Whales
1 Minke Whale (friendly!)
8/5 10 a.m. 38+ Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
10 Risso’s Dolphins
8/5 9 a.m. 70 Humpback Whales (feeding, breaching, pec slapping)
14 Dall’s Porpoise
8/4 2:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales
8/4 10 a.m. 38 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
1 Minke Whale
1 Harbor Porpoise
8/4 9 a.m. 54 Humpback Whales (breaching, lunge-feeding, socializing)
1 Minke Whale
hundreds Sea Lions
8/3 5:30 p.m. 14 Humpback Whales
8/3 2:30 p.m. 26 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
8/3 10 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales (breaching)
1 Minke Whale
8/3 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales
8/3 8 a.m. 42 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
All Day 25 Risso’s Dolphins
10 Dall’s Porpoise
6 Harbor Porpoise
8/2 2:30 p.m. 15 Humpback Whales
8/2 10 a.m. 26 Humpback Whales (lunge-feeding)
8/2 10 a.m.
Private Charter		 12 Humpback Whales (feeding frenzy)
8/2 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales
8/1 5:30 p.m. 4 Humpback Whales (feeding)
8/1 2:30 p.m. 5 Humpback Whales
4 Killer Whales (Orcas – CA39As)
8/1 10 a.m. 25 Humpback Whales (feeding, breaching)
8/1 9 a.m. 20 Humpback Whales (feeding)
2 Minke Whales
Photos © 2024 by Daniel Bianchetta
unless otherwise noted

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Two Killer Whale tails (August 31, 2024)

 

a bird flying in the sky

Brown Pelican (August 30, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Breaching Humpback Whale (August 30, 2024)

 

a group of people on a beach near a body of water

Blue Whale (August 30, 2024)

 

a bird swimming in water

Harbor Seal and Gull (August 29, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale ‘Checkmarks’ (August 29, 2024)

 

a piece of food

Egg Yolk Jellyfish (August 27, 2024)

 

a bird swimming in water

Humpback Whale kelping (August 27, 2024)

 

a bird swimming in water

Sea Otter eating a Sea Urchin (August 26, 2024)

 

a dog swimming in a body of water

Killer Whales (Orcas – August 24, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Killer Whale (Orca) with Common Murre in its mouth (August 24, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Blue whale surfacing (August 23, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Flukes of Humpback Whale ‘Victor’ (August 22, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Tail lobbing Humpback Whale (August 21, 2024)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Black-footed Albatross (August 20, 2024)

water next to the ocean

Fish flash of anchovy boiling at the surface as they try to escape a hungry Humpback Whale mouth below the surface! (August 17, 2024)

 

animal on the water

Dall’s Porpoise (August 17, 2024)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Mom and calf Humpback Whales (August 17, 2024)

 

a fish swimming under water

Purple-striped Jelly (August 17, 2024)

 

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

Heart-shaped blow from Humpback Whale
(August 15, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Blue Whale (August 13, 2024)

 

a bird flying over a body of water

Breaching Humpback Whale (August 13, 2024)

 

a flock of seagulls are swimming in a body of water

Northern Fur Seal (August 11, 2024)

 

animal on the water

Dall’s Porpoise surfacing fast (August 11, 2024) Photo by Morgan Quimby

 

a whale jumping out of the ocean

Humpback Whale spyhopping next to another Humpback
(August 10, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale Id shot – CRC-12028 ‘Muvi’
(August 10, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale tail slapping (August 10, 2024)

 

a whale jumping out of the water

Humpback Whale pectoral fin (August 9, 2024)

 

a bird swimming in water

Sea Otter with Crab (August 8, 2024)

 

an animal swimming in the water

Minke Whale (August 4, 2024)

 

a bird perched on top of a wooden pole

Peregrine Falcon (August 4, 2024)

 

a flock of seagulls standing next to a body of water

California Sea Lion and Cormorants (August 4, 2024)

 

a close up of a bird flying over a body of water

Brown Pelicans (August 2, 2024)

 

a flock of seagulls flying over a body of water

Humpback Whale with California Sea Lions
(August 2, 2024)

 

a flock of seagulls flying over a body of water

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (August 1, 2024)

 

animal on the water

Killer Whale approaching boat (Orca -August 1, 2024)

 

an animal swimming in the ocean

Killer Whales (Orcas – CA39As August 1, 2024)

 

Photos © 2024 by Daniel Bianchetta
unless otherwise noted

Copyright © 2024 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.