7/1918 - Good humpbacks lately, lots of surface activity! Breaches, pec slaps, lunge feeding... So many mola-molas! Good stuff! We had Risso’s dolphins on the bay cruise.
7/17/18 Tuesday: Super fun humpbacks! Breaches, tail slaps. Sea lions with the whales. Shark-viewing for the evening bay cruise.
7/16/18 Monday: 8-10 Humpback whales today!
Lunge feeding humpback whales around Soquel Canyon. Risso’s dolphins, sharks, otters, sunfish (mola-mola)
Photo: Sean Kelly (archive July 2-17) lunge feeding humpback whales
Photo: Sean Kelly (archive July 2017) California sea lions
The Monterey Bay is home to one of North America’s deepest and largest submarine canyons. Larger than the Grand Canyon, this deep ocean environment begins less than ½ mile from shore and extends to a depth of over 2 miles. Off shore traveling currents along the canyon walls create upwellings, which send plankton and nutrient rich waters to the surface. This is the basis of the ocean’s food chain. The canyon brings this deep-water environment within reach of our boats just a few miles out. In essence, Monterey Bay has become a gathering place for marine mammals, sea birds, and fish alike. The Monterey Bay has over 27 different types of marine mammals alone visiting year round!
