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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 Cobaneņa, 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


Red-necked Phalaropes in winter plumage photo by daniel bianchetta
Red-necked Phalaropes in winter plumage
(September 30, 2023)

Humpback Whale tail photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail (September 29, 2023)

Two Pelicans photo by daniel bianchetta
Two Pelicans (September 25, 2023)

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (Note anchovies) photo by daniel bianchetta
Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (Note anchovies)
(September 24, 2023)

Leaping Long-beaked Common Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Leaping Long-beaked Common Dolphin
(September 24, 2023)

Risso's Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Risso's Dolphin (September 23, 2023)

Humpback Whale tail throw photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale tail throw (September 23, 2023)

Humpback Whale breaching near Sea Wolf II photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale breaching near Sea Wolf II
(September 20, 2023)

Humpback Whale diving with Pt. Sur in background photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale diving, with Pt. Sur in background
(September 18, 2023)

Elephant Seal photo by daniel bianchetta
Elephant Seal (September 18, 2023)

Mother and Calf Long-beaked Common Dolphins photo by daniel bianchetta
Mother and Calf Long-beaked Common Dolphins
(September 17, 2023)

Humpback Whales photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whales (September 17, 2023)

Leaping Common Dolphin photo by daniel bianchetta
Leaping Common Dolphin (September 16, 2023)

Southern Sea Otters sharing breakfast photo by daniel bianchetta
Soutern Sea Otters sharing breakfast
(September 15, 2023)

Brown Pelicans photo by daniel bianchetta
Brown Pelicans (September 15, 2023)

Breaching Humpback Whale photo by daniel bianchetta
Breaching Humpback Whale (September 15, 2023)

California Sea Lion photo by daniel bianchetta
California Sea Lion close-up (September 14, 2023)

Risso's Dolphins photo by daniel bianchetta
Risso's Dolphins (September 14, 2023)

Orcas (Killer Whales) CA136 and CA179 photo by daniel bianchetta
Orcas (Killer Whales) CA136 and CA179
(September 10, 2023)

Belted Kingfisher photo by daniel bianchetta
Belted Kingfisher (September 9, 2023)

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales photo by daniel bianchetta
Lunge-feeding Humpback Whales (September 9, 2023)

Red-footed Booby photo by daniel bianchetta
Red-footed Booby (September 8, 2023)

Humpback Whales feeding with Sea Lions photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whales feeding with Sea Lions
(September 8, 2023)

Common Dolphins photo by daniel bianchetta
Common Dolphins (September 6, 2023)

Sea Otters in kelp photo by daniel bianchetta
Sea Otters in kelp (September 5, 2023)

Humpback Whale baleen photo by daniel bianchetta
Humpback Whale baleen (September 3, 2023)

Ashy Storm Petrel photo by daniel bianchetta
Ashy Storm Petrel (September 2, 2023)

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

Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) photo by daniel bianchetta
Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) (September 2, 2023)

Common Dolphin calf with fetal folds photo by daniel bianchetta
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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84 Fisherman's Wharf
Monterey, CA 93940		  
Phone 831-375-4658  
E-mail whaletrips@gowhales.com
Copyright © 1997-2023 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. All rights reserved.
Photos © Daniel Bianchetta
Last updated October 9, 2023