Latest Sightings Monterey Bay Whale Watch Marine Mammal List

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

June 2026

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)

6/29 9 a.m.	7	Orcas (CA51As and CA50B breaching, prey sharing, close friendly passes)
	1	Humpback whales

6/29 9 a.m.	7	Orcas (CA51As and CA50B breaching, prey sharing, close friendly passes, hunting birds)
	10+	Humpback whales

6/28 10 a.m.	5	Humpback whales (tiny calf)

6/28 9 a.m.	5	Humpback whales (tiny calf)

6/27 10 a.m.	23	Humpback whales (2 cow/calf pairs, tail throwing, pec slapping)
	300	Long-beaked common dolphin
	75	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	1	Minke whale
	1	Fin whale

6/26 10 a.m.	10	Humpback whales
	200	Risso’s dolphin
	20	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/26 9 a.m.	5	Humpback whales (feeding with sea lions)
	2	Flying fish!

6/25 10 a.m.	20	Humpback whales
	30	Risso’s dolphin
	50	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/25 9 a.m.	25	Humpback whales
	20	Risso’s dolphin
	100	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/24 2:30 p.m.	25	Humpback whales (breaching/surface active calf)
	25	Risso’s dolphin

6/24 10 a.m.	30	Humpback whales
	50	Risso’s dolphin
	12	Bottlenose dolphin

6/24 9 a.m.	25	Humpback whales (surface active)

6/23 1:30 p.m.	2	Humpback whales (chronic breaching/active cow calf pair

6/23 10 a.m.	1	Orca (CA199 breaching, tail lobbing, kelping)
	4	Humpback whales (chronic breaching calf)

6/23 9 a.m.	1	Orca (CA199 breaching, tail lobbing, kelping)
	4	Humpback whales
	1	Oarfish

6/22 1:30 p.m.	1	Sperm whale
	1	Blue whale
	1	Fin whale
	4	Humpback whales

6/22 9 a.m.	8	Blue whale
	8	Fin whales
	4	Humpback whales
	20	Risso’s dolphin

6/21 5:30 p.m.	5	Blue whale
	15	Fin whales
	5	Humpback whales
	50	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/21 2:30 p.m.	8	Blue whale
	6	Fin whales
	3	Humpback whales
	7	Risso’s dolphin

6/21 11 a.m.	10	Blue whale
	7	Fin whales
	8	Humpback whales
	150	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/21 10 a.m.	12	Blue whale
	5	Fin whales
	6	Humpback whales
	2	Harbor porpoise

6/21 9 a.m.	5	Blue whale
	13	Fin whales
	9	Humpback whales (breaching, pec slapping)

6/20 5:30 p.m. Sunset	5	Blue whales
	4	Fin whales
	10	Humpback whales
	1	Minke whale
	100	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	50	Risso’s dolphin

6/20 2:30 p.m.	8	Blue whales
	1	Fin whales
	5	Humpback whales
	10	Risso’s dolphin

6/20 10 a.m.	10	Blue whales
	1	Fin whales
	4	Humpback whales
	30	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	10	Risso’s dolphin
	1	Mola mola

6/20 8 hour all day	12	Blue whales
6/20 9 a.m.	10	Blue whales
	3	Fin whales
	15	Humpback whales
	15	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	7	Risso’s dolphin
	1	Mola mola
	2	Flying fish!

6/20 8 hour all day	12	Blue whales
	2	Fin whales
	59	Humpback whales
	250	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	200	Risso’s dolphin
	100	Northern right whale dolphin
	30	Long-beaked common dolphin

6/19 10 a.m.	10	Blue whales
	12	Humpback whales
	2	Fin whales
	50	Northern right whale dolphin
	1500	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	100	Risso’s dolphin
	20	Black-footed albatross

6/19 9 a.m.	13	Blue whales
	6	Humpback whales
	3	Fin whales
	50	Long-beaked common dolphin
	500	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	15	Risso’s dolphin
	5	Black-footed albatross
	2	Mola mola

6/18 1:30 p.m.	1	Blue whale
	3	Humpback whales

6/18 10 a.m.	5	Blue whales
	1	Fin whale (fluking)
	4	Humpback whales
	500	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	50	Northern right whale dolphin
	10	Risso’s dolphin
	10	Long-beaked common dolphin

6/18 9 a.m.	6	Blue whales
	1	Fin whale (fluking)
	1	Sperm whale (Fig)
	4	Humpback whales
	500	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	50	Northern right whale dolphin
	10	Risso’s dolphin

6/17 1:30 p.m.	12	Blue whales
	7	Fin whales (one fluking up – rare!)
	4	Humpback whales (breaching)

6/17 9 a.m.	10	Blue whales
	2	Fin whales
	8	Humpback whales
	5	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	15	Risso’s dolphin
	1	Salmon shark
	1	Mola mola

6/16 1:30 p.m.	10+	Blue whales
	3	Fin whales
	5	Humpback whales
	100	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/16 10 a.m.	14	Blue whales
	4	Fin whales
	7	Humpback whales
	1	Minke whale
	500	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	1	Dall’s porpoise

6/16 9 a.m.	7	Blue whales
	20	Humpback whales
	5	Fin whales
	500	Northern right whale dolphin
	500	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	1	Minke whale
	1	Salmon shark
	1	Mola mola

6/15 1:30 p.m.	1	Sperm whale (Fig)
	15	Blue whales
	6	Fin whales
	5	Humpback whales (tail throw)
	15	Dall’s porpoise

6/15 9 a.m.	1	Basking shark (very rare!!)
	12	Blue whales
	6	Fin whales
	8	Humpback whales (chronic breaching & chin slapping)
	20	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	30	Risso’s dolphin
	1	Minke whale

6/14 2:30 p.m.	2	Sperm whales
	5	Blue whales
	2	Fin whales
	5	Humpback whales (breaching calf and tail lobbing)
	20	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/14 1:30 p.m.	6	Blue whales
	4	Fin whales
	5	Humpback whales (breaching calf)

6/14 10 a.m.	1	Sperm whale!
	4	Orca (CA122Bs)
	3	Blue whales
	2	Fin whales
	4	Humpback whales
	2	Northern right whale dolphin
	10	Long-beaked common dolphin
	25	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	4	Harbor porpoise

6/14 9 a.m.	1	Sperm whale!
	4	Orca (CA122Bs)
	2	Blue whale
	6	Humpback whales
	200	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	100	Long-beaked common dolphin

6/13 1:30 a.m.	4	Humpback whales
	10	Risso’s dolphin

6/13 10 a.m.	1	Blue whale
	4	Orca (CA200s)
	2	Fin whales
	25	Risso’s dolphin
	40	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/13 9 a.m.	1	Blue whale
	4	Orca (CA200s)
	2	Fin whales
	1	Minke whale
	25	Risso’s dolphin
	25	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/12 10 a.m.	5	Humpback whales
	2	Long-beaked common dolphuin

6/12 9 a.m.	1	Humpback whale (friendly!)

6/11 1:30 p.m.	2	Humpback whales (lunge feeding)

6/11 9 a.m.	5	Humpback whales
	1	Minke whale

6/10 9 a.m.	4	Humpback whales
	50	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/9 1:30 p.m.	1	Humpback whale

6/9 9 a.m.	5	Humpback whales
	300	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	200	Risso’s dolphin
	1	Mola mola

6/8 1:30 p.m.	9	Orca (CA140Bs, CA51s)

6/8 10 a.m.	9	Orca (CA140Bs, CA51s)
	2	Humpback whale

6/8 9 a.m.	9	Orca (CA140Bs, CA51s)
	1	Humpback whale

6/7 10 a.m.	1	Humpback whale
	100	Long-beaked common dolphin
	12	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/7 9 a.m.	2	Humpback whales
	50	Long-beaked common dolphin
	20	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/6 10 a.m.	3	Humpback whales (breaching)
	10	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	3	Harbor porpoise

6/6 9 a.m.	3	Humpback whales (breaching)
	10	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/5 10 a.m.	25	Humpback whales
	200	Long-beaked common dolphin
	800	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	20	Northern right whale dolphin

6/5 9 a.m.	10	Humpback whales
	80	Long-beaked common dolphin
	40	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/4 9 a.m.	19	Humpback whales
	10	Pacific white-sided dolphin

6/3 9 a.m.	16	Orca (CA51s, CA206s, CA138s)
	75	Long-beaked common dolphin
	15	Risso’s dolphin

6/2 1:30 p.m.	4	Humpback whales (friendly!)

6/2 9 a.m.	6	Humpback whales
	75	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	30	Northern right whale dolphin
	30	Risso’s dolphin
	1	Mola mola (breach!)

6/1 1:30 p.m.	2	Humpback whales (cow + calf pair)

6/1 9 a.m.	15	Humpback whales (lunge feeding frenzy!)
	100	Pacific white-sided dolphin
	150	Long-beaked common dolphin
	75	Northern right whale dolphin

Whale tail with seaweed emerging from ocean water.

Male killer whale CA199 tossing kelp with his flukes (June 23, 2026)

Orca surfacing in ocean with a distant boat on horizon.

Male killer whale CA199 breaching (June 23, 2026)

Sea lion holding large fish at ocean surface.

Sea lion eating an oarfish – a rare sight! (June 23, 2026)

Dolphins leaping out of the ocean water with a coastal background.

Risso’s dolphin breaching near the coast (June 23, 2026)

Whale tail surfacing in the ocean under a cloudy sky.

Rare look at a Fin whale fluke as it goes to take a dive (June 20, 2026)

A whale's tail above ocean water with mountains in the background.

Rare look at a Fin whale fluke as it goes to take a dive (June 20, 2026)

Whale tail above ocean surface with mountains in background.

Blue whale fluking up at sunset (June 20, 2026)

Humpback whale breaching with water splashing, small fish around.

Humpback whale lunge-feeding on small bait fish (June 20, 2026)

Two dolphins swimming in the ocean with splashes of water.

Pacific white-sided dolphin (left) and Long-beaked common dolphin (right) surfacing together (June 18, 2026)

Whale tail emerging from the ocean against a foggy coastal backdrop.

The massive flukes of a Blue whale as they head below the surface on a dive (June 18, 2026)

Rare looks at the flukes of a Fin whale! (June 18, 2026)

Whale tail splashing in ocean with distant coastline in background.

Rare looks at the flukes of a Fin whale! (June 18, 2026)

Humpback whale tail and back surfacing in ocean water.

Rare looks at a Fin whale tail! (June 17, 2026)

Two whales swimming in the ocean, with one larger than the other.

Cow calf Blue whale pair surfacing together (June 17, 2026)

Humpback whale fin with seaweed and barnacles in ocean.

Humpback whale playing with kelp on his pectoral flipper (June 17, 2026)

Humpback whale breaching from the ocean under a cloudy sky.

Humpback whale calf breaching (June 17, 2026)

Humpback whales breaching with mouths open in ocean waters.

Trio of Humpback whales lunge feeding on anchovies (June 16, 2026)

Close-up of a whale's tail above the ocean surface.

Underside of a Blue whale’s flukes as it dives (June 15, 2026)

Whale tail emerging from the ocean water near Monterey Bay on a cloudy day.

Sperm whale fluking up for a long dive (June 15, 2026)

Whale tail splashing in ocean water with cloudy sky.

Humpback whale tail lobbing (June 15, 2026)

Sea lion floating on its back in calm water, flippers raised.

Northern fur seal “jugging” at the surface (June 14, 2026)

Group of whales surfacing with open mouths and birds flying overhead.

Lunge feeding Humpback whales (June 14, 2026)

Sperm whale partially submerged in the ocean.

Sperm whale resting at the surface – a rare sight! (June 14, 2026)

Leaping dolphin with reflection on calm water surface.

Pacific white-sided dolphin leaping alongside the boat (June 14, 2026)

Close-up of a blue whale's back with suction cup marks on the surface.

Remora fish attached to the dorsal fin of a Blue whale (June 13, 2026)

Blue whale's tail fluke rising from calm ocean water.

Blue whale fluking up to dive (June 13, 2026)

Humpback whale breaching water with misty background.

Young Humpback whale breaching (June 12, 2026)

Two whales swimming near the ocean surface with a distant shoreline.

Humpback whale mom and calf traveling together (June 9, 2026)

A dolphin leaps out of the water with a gray sky background.

Risso’s dolphin calf breaching backwards (June 9, 2026)

Whale breaching water with a splash in the ocean.

Humpback whale breaching (June 9, 2026)

Orca leaping vertically from ocean with scenic coastline in background.

Killer whale spyhopping (June 8, 2026)

Two orcas swimming close together in calm ocean water.

Young killer whale surfacing with its pod-member (June 3, 2026)

Two orcas swimming in calm ocean water under a cloudy sky.

Beloved male killer whale CA51C “Bumper” surfacing with his sister CA51E “Comet” (June 3, 2026)

Sunfish gently floating near the water surface in a calm sea.

Mola mola just about to break the surface to breach! (June 2, 2026)

Risso's dolphin emerging vertically from ocean water.

Big Mola mola breaching! (June 2, 2026)

Albino orca surfacing in the ocean with water splashing.

Mola mola crashing back down after a breach! (June 2, 2026)

JUNE 2026 MONTEREY BAY WHALE WATCH MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS LIST

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY