Whale Watching in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Thanks to its nutrient-rich waters, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, located along California's central coast, offers some of the world's best whale watching. The central coast of California is one of only five regions in the world where major upwelling occurs. Cold, nutrient-rich water is driven to the surface as a result of wind, the angle of the coastline, and the rotation of the earth. The cold, deep water is filled with nutrients and during the spring when the northwest winds blow, this rich water is brought to the surface, fueled by the sun, and creates surface plankton blooms. Plankton form the base of the food chain for all marine animals. Whales, dolphins, and seabirds concentrate in the waters off central California to feed on an abundance of krill, fish, and squid supported by these intense plankton blooms. This extremely nutrient-rich area is centered around the Monterey Submarine Canyon which runs through the middle of Monterey Bay.

During the winter and spring months the entire gray whale population migrates through the Sanctuary within three kilometers of the Monterey Bay coastline, traveling to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea and to their winter breeding grounds in Baja. Gray whales are rarely seen feeding in central California. Gray whales, especially calves, fall prey to killer whales and these events sometimes occur within the Sanctuary. Though virtually all populations of large whales are greatly reduced, the gray whale population is an exception. In 1988 the population was an estimated 21,100-23,000 individuals, probably close to its historical numbers.

During the summer and fall months, blue whales and humpback whales migrate to the Sanctuary to feed on their primary prey of anchovies and krill. An estimated 2,000-2,250 blue whales occur off California, moving along the entire coastline searching for their prey. Blue whales have been observed feeding on dense swarms of krill near Monterey and the Farallones. Humpback whales are one of the most common large baleen whales seen in the Sanctuary, but California estimates are significantly lower than those for blue whales. Humpback whales are seen most frequently off central California during the fall, feeding primarily on krill.

Depending on what time of the year you visit the Sanctuary, you may see any of the following whales and dolphins:

• Gray Whales
• Humpback Whales
• Blue Whales
• Minke Whales
• Pacific White-Sided Dolphins
• Risso's Dolphins
• Northern Right Whale Dolphin
• Common Dolphins
• Killer Whales
• Dall's Porpoises
• Fin Whales
• Harbor Porpoises
• Bottlenose Dolphins
• Beaked Whales

Recent Whale Sightings

For recent marine mammal sightings in the Monterey Bay area, please visit: Sanctuary Cruises Site and click on the Captains' Log or Monterey Bay Whale Watch and click on Sightings

Whale resources

• American Cetacean Society--Monterey Bay Chapter