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

May 1-31, 2012
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Note -- In addition to sightings on Monterey Bay Whale Watch trips, this list includes all reported marine mammal sightings for this region. Unusual sightings of other marine animals such as Leatherback Sea Turtles and Basking Sharks are also listed. California Sea Lions, 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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Date #     Type of Animal(s)  

   
5/31 a.m. 56      Humpback Whales    
  1800      Pacific White-sided Dolphins    
  300      Risso's Dolphins   Blue Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Blue Whale (May 30, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
  15      Harbor Porpoise  

 
5/30 p.m.     Humpback Whales  
  20      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  50      Risso's Dolphins  
      Harbor Porpoise  

   
5/30 a.m. 20      Humpback Whales   Killer Whales, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Killer Whales (May 29, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
      Blue Whales  
      Killer Whales  
  150      Risso's Dolphins  
      Harbor Porpoise  

 
5/29 a.m. 32      Humpback Whales  
      Killer Whales (predation on Harbor Seal)  
      Risso's Dolphins    

  Humpback Whale photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale (May 27, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
5/28 a.m. 27      Humpback Whales  
      Fin Whale  
  220      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  150      Risso's Dolphins  
      Dall's Porpoise  
      Harbor Porpoise  

 
5/27 p.m. 25      Humpback Whales  
      Fin Whale  
  20      Risso's Dolphins    

  Fin Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Fin Whale (May 27, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
5/27 a.m. 35      Humpback Whales  
      Fin Whale  
  80      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/26 p.m. 22      Humpback Whales  

 
5/26 p.m. 35      Humpback Whales  

 
5/22 a.m. 40      Humpback Whales  
  30+      Pacific White-sided Dolphins    
  75      Risso's Dolphins   Pacific White-sided Dolphins, photo by Sebastian Gorgol
Pacific White-sided Dolphins (May 21, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Sebastian Gorgol
  150      Northern Right-whale Dolphins  
      Harbor Porpoise  

 
5/21 a.m. 25      Humpback Whales  
  600      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  75      Northern Right-whale Dolphins  

 
5/20 a.m.     Humpback Whales  
  300      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  1200      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/19 a.m.     Humpback Whales    
  50      Pacific White-sided Dolphins   Humpback Whale ID, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Humpback Whale ID Photo
(May 19, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
  50      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/18 a.m.     Humpback Whales  
  25      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/17 a.m.     Humpback Whale  
  130      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/16 a.m.     Humpback Whales  
  40      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  40      Risso's Dolphins    

  Killer Whales, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Killer Whales (May 14, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
5/15 a.m.     Humpback Whales (breaching, tail-slapping)  
      Killer Whales (including a calf)  

 
5/14 p.m. 22      Humpback Whales  
      Killer Whales  
  20      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/14 a.m. 26      Humpback Whales  
      Killer Whales (hunting sea lion)  
      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/13 a.m. 48      Humpback Whales (75+ in the area)   Breaching Humpback Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale
(May 13, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
      "Friendly" Humpback Whales  
  30      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  20      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/12 p.m. 27      Humpback Whales  
  20      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/12 a.m. 27      Humpback Whales  
  75      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  100      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/11 p.m.     Humpback Whales   Northern Fur Seal, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Northern Fur Seal (May 11, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta

 
5/11 a.m. 25      Humpback Whales  
      Gray Whales  
      Northern Fur Seal  

 
5/10 p.m. 20      Humpback Whales  
      Risso's Dolphins  
      Harbor Porpoise  

 
5/10 a.m. 35      Humpback Whales  
  15      Risso's Dolphins    

  Risso's Dolphins, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Risso's Dolphins (May 7, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
5/9 a.m.     Humpback Whales  
  20      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  

 
5/8 p.m.     Humpback Whales  
  75      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  20      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/8 a.m.     Humpback Whales  

 
5/7 a.m. 25      Humpback Whales  
  50      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  600      Risso's Dolphins  

  Sea otter mother and pup, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Sea Otter Mother and Pup (May 5, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
5/6 p.m. 25      Humpback Whales  
  60      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/6 a.m. 65      Humpback Whales (120+ in the Bay)  
  1500      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
      Harbor Porpoise  

 
5/5 a.m. 45      Humpback Whales (100+ in the Bay)  
  1500      Pacific White-sided Dolphins  
  200      Risso's Dolphins    

  Red-necked Phalaropes and Humpback Whale, photo by Daniel Bianchetta
Red-necked Phalaropes around
Humpback Whale (May 5, 2012)
Photo © 2012 Daniel Bianchetta
5/3 p.m. 17      Humpback Whales (more in the area)  
      Gray Whale (calf carcass)  
  10      Killer Whales  
  30      Risso's Dolphins  

 
5/3 a.m. 60      Humpback Whales (some lunge feeding on krill)  
      Gray Whales (cow, calf under attack)  
  10      Killer Whales  
      Minke Whale  
      Pacific White-sided Dolphin  
      Risso's Dolphins  


Copyright © 2012 Monterey Bay Whale Watch. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.



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Photos © Daniel Bianchetta and Sebastian Gorgol
Last updated June 12, 2012