Monterey Bay Whale Watching

One of the main reasons for our trip to Monterey Bay was to get out on the sea and see whales and dolphins.

We'd found a really good company, Monterey Bay Whale Watching, so Jayne and I booked on to a 3 ½ hour trip. The first species we saw were Western Gulls, hundreds of Brandt’s Cormorants that were nesting on the breakwater and the Californian Sealions and Southern Sea Otters that were resting in and around the harbour itself. 

Californian Sealion

Sea Otter (adult and baby)

Once out into the Bay we soon started seeing Common Murres and then the whales! During the trip we saw a total of 17 different Humpback Whales, 2 Blue Whales  and a nursery pod of approximately 75 Risso’s Dolphins!!

Humpback Whales

Risso's Dolphins

Other species seen during the trip were: Red-necked Phalarope (1 flew past), a single Black-footed Albatross (no photo unfortunately) and 100s of Sooty Shearwater. Fantastic!!!

Sooty Shearwater