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LATEST SIGHTINGS

MARINE MAMMAL SIGHTINGS IN THE MONTEREY BAY

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

Since February 1, 2026 
compiled by Monterey Bay Whale Watch
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This list, updated every few days, 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 most if not all whale watching trips, are not included in the list. Each month the sightings from the previous month are moved to a monthly summary 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)
2/24 1:30 p.m. 9 Gray whales
2/24 9 a.m. 8 Gray whales
2/23 9 a.m. 9 Gray whales
2 Black-footed albatross
2/22 1:30 p.m. 6 Gray whales
2 Humpback whales
1 Blue shark
2/22 10 a.m. 10 Gray whales
1 Humpback whale
1 Harbor porpoise
2/22 9 a.m. 5 Gray whales
1 Humpback whale
2/21 10 a.m. 9 Gray whales
1 Black-footed albatross
2/21 9 a.m. 7 Gray whales
250 Risso’s dolphin
2/20 1:30 p.m. 6 Gray whales
50 Risso’s dolphin
2/20 9 a.m. 6 Gray whales
600 Risso’s dolphin
2/19 No Trips – Bad Weather!
2/18 No Trips – Bad Weather!
2/17 No Trips – Bad Weather!
2/16 9 a.m. 2 Gray whales
7 Humpback whales
50 Risso’s dolphin
250 Pacific white-sided dolphin
2/15 9 a.m. 4 Gray whales
2/14 1:30 p.m. 11 Gray whales
2 Humpback whales
2/14 11 a.m. 8 Gray whales
250 Risso’s dolphin (Casper!)
2/14 10 a.m. 14 Gray whales
800 Risso’s dolphin (Casper!)
2/14 9 a.m. 3 Gray whales
2 Humpback whales
50 Risso’s dolphin (Casper!)
2/13 1:30 p.m. 10 Gray whales
150 Risso’s dolphin
2/13 9 a.m. 3 Gray whales
8 Humpback whales
200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
50 Northern right whale dolphin
2/12 9 a.m. 9 Gray whales
30 Risso’s dolphin (nursery pod)
2/10 9 a.m. 3 Gray whales
50 Risso’s dolphin (nursery pod)
2/9 1:30 p.m. 4 Gray whales
2/9 9 a.m. 3 Gray whales
2/8 9 a.m. 4 Gray whales
6 Humpback whales
1,000 Pacific white-sided dolphin
300 Northern right whale dolphin
2/7 9 a.m. 6 Gray whales
30 Risso’s dolphin (nursery pod)
2/6 1:30 p.m. 4 Gray whales
800 Northern right whale dolphin
500 Pacific white-sided dolphin
2/6 9 a.m. 2 Humpback whales (breaching, pec slapping)
3 Bottlenose dolphin (bow-riding)
2/5 1:30 p.m. 2 Humpback whales
2/5 9 a.m. 1 Sperm whale!
4 Gray whales
5 Dall’s porpoise
2/4 9 a.m. 17 Gray whales
2 Humpback whales
2/3 1:30 p.m 5 Gray whales
2/3 9 a.m. 2 Gray whales
2/2 9 a.m. 11 Gray whales
2/1 10 a.m. 9 Gray whales
2 Humpback whales
2/1 9 a.m. 12 Gray whales
Photos © 2026 Daniel Bianchetta

 

Hammerhead shark swimming just below the surface of clear blue ocean water.

Curious Blue shark swimming alongside the boat (February 22, 2026)

 

A dolphin jumping through ocean waves under a cloudy sky.

Pair of Risso’s dolphin leaping through a big swell (February 20, 2026)

 

A gray whale's head partially above water with barnacles visible on its skin.

Gray whale checking out the passengers on our boat! See its open eye? (February 20, 2026)

 

A Risso's dolphin leaping out of the water against an ocean background.

Risso’s dolphin leaping through the swell (February 20, 2026)

 

Dolphin jumping out of the water, with two dorsal fins visible, against a backdrop of ocean and distant trees.

Risso’s dolphin breaching among his pod mates (February 20, 2026)

 

Two black oystercatchers with red beaks flying over water.

Pair of Black oystercatchers flying by the harbor while vocalizing to one another, a common behavior for the species (February 20, 2026)

 

White orca swimming in ocean with visible dorsal fin.

Casper the Risso’s dolphin surfacing (February 14, 2026)

 

Three dolphins leaping through ocean waves with a distant shoreline in the background.

Risso’s dolphin breaching (February 15, 2026)

 

Two dolphins leaping from the ocean, creating splashes in the water.

Pair of Risso’s dolphin breaching (February 15, 2026)

 

Two dolphins surfacing in a choppy sea under a cloudy sky near a distant shoreline.

Risso’s dolphin breaching with a dramatic stormy coastline as the backdrop (February 15, 2026)

 

Dolphin leaping out of the water in a splash against an ocean background.

Northern right whale dolphin breaching in the boats wake (February 13, 2026)

 

A Risso's dolphin breaching out of the ocean waves under a cloudy sky.

Risso’s dolphin breaching (February 13, 2026)

 

A whale's tail fin emerges from the ocean, with water droplets around it.

Risso’s dolphin kelping (February 10, 2026)

 

A dolphin leaping out of the water in the ocean with splashes around.

Northern right whale dolphin breaching fully out of the water (February 8, 2026)

 

Pair of dolphins leaping through ocean waves on a sunny day.

Northern right whale dolphin mother and calf porpoising together (February 8, 2026)

 

Two dolphins leaping out of the water in the ocean.

Pair of Pacific white-sided dolphin porpoising in the boat wake (February 8, 2026)

 

A dolphin jumping out of the water against a mountain backdrop.

Northern right whale dolphin porpoising fully out of the water (February 6, 2026)

 

A humpback whale breaching the water with its fins outstretched.

Humpback whale breaching backwards with pec fins extended (February 6, 2026)

 

Humpback whale fin above water surface against a clear blue sky.

A Humpback raising it’s long pectoral flipper above the surface (February 6, 2026)

Humpback whale breaching above ocean surface with water splashes against blue sky.

Humpback whale breaching at the top of a swell (February 6, 2026)

 

 

A whale's tail emerges from the ocean, creating splashes in the calm blue water.

Sperm whale fluking up to go on a long foraging dive (February 5, 2026)

 

Whale surfacing in calm ocean with mountains in the background.

Sperm whale dorsal and back as it logs at the surface between dives (February 5, 2026)

 

A seabird glides over a calm ocean under a clear blue sky.

Black-footed albatross gliding over calm swells (February 5, 2026)

 

Photos © 2026 Daniel Bianchetta

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