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MAY 2026 MONTEREY BAY WHALE WATCH MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS LIST

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY

Monterey Bay Whale Watch
List Marine Mammal Sightings
in the Monterey Bay Region

May 2026 
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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)
5/31 10 a.m. 20 Humpback whales (breaching)
1 South polar skua
5/31 9 a.m. 7 Orca (CA140s, CA113s)
7 Humpback whales
5/30 10 a.m. 23 Orca (CA51s, CA222s, CA216s, CA35s, CA36, CA175A, CA180
3 Humpback whales
5/30 9 a.m. 23 Orca (CA51s, CA222s, CA216s, CA35s, CA36, CA175A, CA180
24 Humpback whales (breaching)
5/30 8 Hour All Day 23 Orca (CA51s, CA222s, CA216s, CA35s, CA36, CA175A, CA180
16 Humpback whales (chronic breaching)
5/29 9 a.m. 47 Humpback whales
1500 Long-beaked common dolphin
200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
1 Mola mola
5/28 10 a.m. 7 Humpback whales
5 Risso’s dolphin
5 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/28 9 a.m. 34 Humpback whales
35 Risso’s dolphin
14 Harbor porpoise
1 Mola mola
5/27 9 a.m. 8 Humpback whales
50 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/26 No trips – High winds and big swell!!
5/25 5:30 p.m. Sunset 5 Humpback whales (surface active)
5/25 2:30 p.m. 7 Humpback whales (surface active cow/calf + escort male)
5/25 1:30 p.m. 10 Humpback whales (surface active)
5/25 10 a.m. 10 Humpback whales
500 Pacific white-sided dolphin
100 Northern right whale dolphin
1 Shark
3 Northern fur seals
1 Mola mola
5/25 9 a.m. 12 Humpback whales
300 Northern right whale dolphin
500 Pacific white-sided dolphin
200 Riss0’s dolphin
5/25 8 a.m. All Day 25 Humpback whales
250 Northern right whale dolphin
250 Pacific white-sided dolphin
150 Risso’s dolphin
1 Northern fur seal
5/24 5:30 p.m. Sunset 5 Humpback whales
12 Risso’s dolphin
5/24 2:30 p.m. 4 Humpback whales
100 Pacific white-sided dolphin
100 Risso’s dolphin
5/24 1:30 p.m. 7 Humpback whales
100 Pacific white-sided dolphin
100 Risso’s dolphin
5/23 11 a.m. 14 Humpback whales
50 Pacific white-sided dolphin
1 Minke whale
30 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/24 10 a.m. 9 Humpback whales
75 Risso’s dolphin (Casper!)
30 Long-beaked common dolphin
60 Pacific white-sided dolphin
250 Northern right whale dolphin
5/24 9 a.m. 10 Humpback whales
100 Pacific white-sided dolphin
100 Risso’s dolphin
2 Mola mola
5/23 5:30 p.m. Sunset 7 Humpback whales (cow/calf breaching)
5/23 2:30 p.m. 4 Humpback whales
40 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/23 1:30 p.m. 16 Humpback whales
65 Risso’s dolphin
15 Harbor porpoise
5/23 11 a.m. 6 Humpback whales
20 Long-beaked common dolphin
20 Risso’s dolphin
5/23 10 a.m. 18 Humpback whales
40 Long-beaked common dolphin
35 Risso’s dolphin
5/23 9 a.m. 15 Humpback whales
40 Long-beaked common dolphin
35 Risso’s dolphin
5/22 2:30 p.m. 8 Humpback whale
40 Risso’s dolphin
5/22 9 a.m. 13 Humpback whales
35 Risso’s dolphin
5/21 2:30 p.m. 12 Humpback whale
100 Risso’s dolphin
5/21 1:30 p.m. 5 Humpback whale
100 Risso’s dolphin
5/21 10 a.m. 25 Humpback whales
5 Harbor porpoise
5/21 9 a.m. 34 Humpback whales
15 Harbor porpoise
35 Risso’s dolphin
1 Mola mola
5/20 1:30 p.m. 25 Humpback whales
5/20 9 a.m. 25 Humpback whales
100 Long-beaked common dolphin
200 Risso’s dolphin
10 Northern right whale dolphin
5/19 10 a.m. 25 Humpback whales
100 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/19 9 a.m. 25 Humpback whales
100 Long-beaked common dolphin
10 Harbor porpoise
5/18 10 a.m. 20 Humpback whales
50 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/18 9 a.m. 15 Humpback whales
5/18 8 a.m. All Day 2 Fin whales
45 Humpback whales (feeding with 2500 sea lions)
5 Harbor porpoise
5/17 No trips – Too Windy!!
5/16 No trips – Too Windy!!
5/14 9 a.m. 70 Humpback whales
500 Long-beaked common dolphin
200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
100 Northern right whale dolphin
5/12 1:30 p.m. 3 Humpback whales
100 Long-beaked common dolphin
50 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/12 9 a.m. 3 Fin whales
1 Blue whale
1 Humpback whale
200 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/11 9 a.m. 3 Humpback whales (breaching + pec slapping calf)
1500 Northern right whale dolphin
2000 Pacific white-sided dolphin
50 Harbor porpoise
25+ Black-footed albatross
5/11 8 a.m. All Day 7 Humpback whales
1 Fin whale
2500 Pacific white-sided dolphin
1500 Northern right whale dolphin
5/10 10 a.m. 3 Humpback whales
100 Risso’s dolphin
200 Long-beaked common dolphin
30 Pacific white-sided dolphin
75 Northern right whale dolphin
5/10 9 a.m. 6 Humpback whales
300 Risso’s dolphin
300 Long-beaked common dolphin
100 Pacific white-sided dolphin
100 Northern right whale dolphin
5/10 8 a.m. All Day 3 Humpback whales
500 Long-beaked common dolphin
50 Pacific white-sided dolphin
35 Risso’s dolphin
5/9 9 a.m. 1 Blue whale
6 Humpback whales
2000 Northern right whale dolphin
1500 Risso’s dolphin
1200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
1 Laysan albatross
1 Mola mola
5/9 8 a.m. All Day 5 Humpback whales
2000 Northern right whale dolphin
1500 Risso’s dolphin
1200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/8 9 a.m. 1 Blue whale
5 Orca (CA140Bs)
2 Humpback whales
5 Northern right whale dolphin
200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
20 Risso’s dolphin
1 Great white shark
5/8 8 a.m. All Day 1 Blue whale
5 Orca (CA140Bs)
150 Pacific white-sided dolphin
2 Humpback whales
5/7 9 a.m. 15 Humpback whales
300 Risso’s dolphin
100 Northern right whale dolphin
100 Pacific white-sided dolphin
1 Mola mola
5/6 1:30 p.m. 11 Orca (CA202s, CA51s)
5/6 9 a.m. 5 Orca (CA35s, CA175A, CA180)
40 Humpback whales
5/5 1:30 p.m. 1 Humpback whale (very friendly!)
20 Risso’s dolphin
5/5 9 a.m. 10 Humpback whales (friendly)
20 Risso’s dolphin
20 Pacific white-sided dolphin
2 Sharks
1 Mola mola
5/4 1:30 p.m. 11 Humpack whales
30 Pacific white-sided dolphin
30 Risso’s dolphin
5/4 9 a.m. 15 Humpback whales (feeding, friendly, breaching)
6000 Northern right whale dolphin
400 Pacific white-sided dolphin
50 Risso’s dolphin
50 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/4 8 Hour All Day 18 Humpback whales
6000 Northern right whale dolphin
400 Pacific white-sided dolphin
350 Risso’s dolphin
5/3 2:30 p.m. 3 Fin whales
2 Humpack whales
1 Mola mola
5/3 10 a.m. 3 Fin whales
3 Humpack whales
1500 Long-beaked common dolphin
5/3 9 a.m. 5 Humpback whales
1500 Long-beaked common dolphin
20 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/3 8 Hour All Day 36 Humpback whales
1500 Long-beaked common dolphin
2500 Northern right whale dolphin
400 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/2 1:30 p.m. 2 Fin whales
5 Humpback whales
5/2 10 a.m. 10 Humpback whales
75 Northern right whale dolphin
10 Pacific white-sided dolphin
20 Risso’s dolphin
5/2 9 a.m. 32 Humpback whales
75 Northern right whale dolphin
100 Pacific white-sided dolphin
150 Risso’s dolphin
5/2 8 Hour All Day 42 Humpback whales
70 Pacific white-sided dolphin
5/1 9 a.m. 7 Orca (CA202s)
2 Humpback whales
5/1 8 Hour All Day 11 Orca (CA202s, CA51s)
Photos © 2026 Daniel Bianchetta and Morgan Quimby

 

Whale breaching water surface with splash in cloudy ocean.

Blue whale surfacing (May 12, 2026)

 

A large whale surfaces in calm ocean water under a cloudy sky.

Fin whale surfacing (May 12, 2026)

 

Two dolphins jump through ocean waves in a dynamic, lively scene.

Long-beaked common dolphin cow calf pair surfacing (May 12, 2026)

 

Humpback whale breaching with water spray, overcast sky.

Humpback whale breaching (May 11, 2026)

 

A whale leaping out of the water with a smooth arc.

Northern right whale dolphin breaching (May 11, 2026)

 

Ocean sunfish with its head above water, facing upwards.

Mola mola (sunfish) feeding on Velella velella at the surface (May 11, 2026)

 

Dolphin leaping out of the water in the ocean.

Long-beaked common dolphin breaching (May 10, 2026)

 

Pelican catching a fish in its beak over ocean water.

Brown pelican taking off with a great catch (May 10, 2026)

 

Close-up of a whale's head with barnacles in the ocean.

Humpback whale calf getting friendly with our boat (May 9, 2026)

 

Two sea otters swimming close together in the water.

Mom and pup Southern sea otter pair (May 9, 2026)

 

Blue whale surfacing in ocean under cloudy sky.

Blue whale surfacing (May 8, 2026)

 

Whale tail emerging from the ocean with barnacles on it.

Humpback whale fluking up to dive at the top of a swell (May 7, 2026)

 

Orca head emerging from the ocean surface with water droplets.

Northern right whale dolphin breaching (May 7, 2026)

 

Orca surfacing in ocean water with dorsal fin visible.

Killer whale calf surfacing next to a pod-mate (May 6, 2026)

 

Dolphin leaping over ocean waves with sandy dunes in the background.

Long-beaked common dolphin breaching with the sand dunes of Seaside and Marina in the background (May 3, 2026)

 

Humpback whale breaching the ocean surface against a cloudy sky.

Humpback whale breaching (May 3, 2026)

 

Five dolphins leaping in unison over ocean waves.

Northern right whale dolphin leaping at the top of the swell (May 3, 2026)

 

Orca breaching the water in the ocean under clear sky.

Sprouter male CA202A with a big breach (May 1, 2026)

 

Orca swimming in ocean with a bird flying nearby.

Orca surfing a swell coming towards the boat (May 1, 2026)

 

Orca breaching above ocean water against a clear sky.

Sprouter male CA202A with a big breach (May 1, 2026)

 

Whale breaching water with splash on ocean surface.

Member of the CA202s ramming a sea lion (May 1, 2026)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos © 2026 Daniel Bianchetta and Morgan Quimby

Copyright © 2026 Monterey Bay Whale Watch, LLC. No use of the sightings information is permitted without prior approval.