Fantastic weather continues to hold, with fog only proving to be a slight nuisance (not really a problem). Humpback whales have moved into the bay, and three trips in a row found LARGE groups (6-10) within four miles of the harbor, all feeding on massive schools of anchovies alongside hundreds of sea lions and birds. Surface lunge feeds, occasional breaches in the distance, and consistent surface time all boiled down to absolutely high quality trips, as the royal chemistry of life flourishes and phytoplankton uphold this majestic ecosystem we call “Monterey Bay.”
Additional note: today marked a special day in my whale watching career. As the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (aka MBARI) runs a live hydrophone feed in the Monterey Submarine Canyon, I have occasionally played it over the microphone for passengers to “listen to Monterey Bay” throughout the years. I’ve heard boats and dolphin many, many times… but today was the first day we actually caught a SINGING HUMPBACK WHALE… LIVE! So unbelievably cool! A huge thanks to MBARI for such a blessing… to LISTEN to Monterey Bay.
-Naturalist Isaiah
