Latest news with #MontereyBayWhaleWatch
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Mama sea creatures spotted off CA coast with babies. See ‘exciting encounter'
A 'sweet family' of sea creatures was spotted off the coast of California, and onlookers are calling it an 'exciting encounter.' On June 2, watchers got the chance to see a killer whale known as the 'strong matriarch Louise' along with her 'beloved' daughters known as CA140Bs, according to a Facebook post by Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The mama has done an 'amazing job' raising her babies, and onlookers even got the chance to see the 'new little' additions to the pod, the group said. Louise's daughter Stinger has her own calves, which makes them a family of six, onlookers said. The pod was also seen 'zigzagging,' the whale watching group said. Photos show the orcas swimming among one another, with some shots of what looks like a baby cuddling up to its mama. The group can be seen coming up for air at the same time. Although onlookers aren't sure if they were in search of prey or just playing with one another, it was a 'delight' for passengers, the group said. Near the end of the spotting, the pod was seen swimming at 'high speeds, crashing through the swell,' officials said. Orcas are highly social ocean predators that live and travel in groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'Killer whales rely on underwater sound to feed, communicate, and navigate,' according to NOAA. 'Pod members communicate with each other through clicks, whistles and pulsed calls.' Along with the tight-knit orca pod, whale watching groups got the chance to see eight humpback whales, 65 Risso's dolphins and five pacific white-sided dolphins, the group said. Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Elusive sea creatures hunting for food are spotted off CA. See ‘special' moment
A group of sea creatures was spotted off the coast of California and onlookers are calling the moment 'special.' On May 27, a group got the chance to see killer whales on the hunt for their 'next meal,' according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. After seeing the first group of 'charismatic cetaceans' called CA206s that haven't been seen since 2023, the bystanders got the chance to see another pod known as CA122As and CA122B, the whale watching company said. Killer whales, or orcas as they are often called, are highly social ocean predators that live and travel in groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'Killer whales rely on underwater sound to feed, communicate, and navigate,' according to NOAA. 'Pod members communicate with each other through clicks, whistles and pulsed calls.' The pods are 'uncommonly seen' so it made for a great chance to collect data, the group said. Commenters rushed to share how 'amazing' the photos were, with one person saying, 'impressive pod.' 'How amazing to see such a rare sighting,' another wrote. Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.
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Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Sea creatures put on ‘quite a show' off California coast. See ‘gentle giants'
National Sea creatures put on 'quite a show' off California coast. See 'gentle giants' Massive sea creatures were spotted off California coast, onlookers said. Unsplash Massive sea creatures were spotted off the coast of California, and bystanders are calling the sight 'amazing.' On May 2, humpback whales sprung into 'action' by breaching and exhibiting feeding behaviors, according to a Facebook post by Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The whales spotted, ranging from smaller calves to big adults, put on 'quite a show,' the group said. The 'gentle giants' were spotted pec-slapping, which is when a whale will lay on its side and raise its pectoral fin into the sky before slamming it into the water, according to the group. 'Humpback whales reach sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 10 years,' according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Calves stay near their mom for up to a year before weaning, with the mother being 'protective' and 'swimming closely and often touching them with their flippers,' according to NOAA. Along with the 41 humpbacks, bystanders throughout the day also got the chance to see 20 Risso's dolphins, the group said. Monterey is about a 120-mile drive south from San Francisco. PC Paloma Chavez McClatchy DC Email this person Paloma Chavez is a reporter covering real-time news on the West Coast. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See the rare creatures that showed up in a California bay to feed on salmon
MONTEREY BAY, Calif. – A group of Southern Resident killer whales were spotted in Monterey Bay, California, on Tuesday in a rare spectacle of the endangered creatures. About 25 of the whales were seen during an expedition by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The organization noted that the whales were feeding on salmon in the area, and did so for several hours. Drone video showed a few of the Southern Resident killer whales caught swimming and eating salmon in the Central California waters. The whales also showed the whale-watching group a bit of their personality. How To Watch Fox Weather "What an amazing and once-in-a-lifetime experience for our passengers and crew – a day we won't soon forget!" said the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Southern Resident killer whales are unique from other killer whales in that they are a bit animated, according to Monterey Whale Watch Marine Biologist Nancy Black. "They are very active, so that means they tend to breach a lot more than the other types of killer whale," she said. "They're spy hopping, where their head comes out of the water and looking, and they can be very curious, and they're just very bubbly and playful." The Monterey Bay Whale Watch noted that Tuesday's sighting was the 10th sighting of Southern Resident killer whales in Monterey Bay in 25 years. One of the reasons why the whales are rarely seen is because approximately 73 of them exist, according to the Monterey Bay Whale Watch. So, seeing about one-third of all Southern Resident killer whales on the planet was significant. Also, the animals were far from their usual swimming grounds. Despite their name, Southern Resident killer whales are traditionally found off the more northerly coasts of Washington state and Canada. While spotting the whales this week was a joyous occasion for those on the whale watch expedition, it was also a reminder of the hardships the animals have been facing. Black said the whales traveled south to California due to the dwindling numbers of salmon – the primary food source for Southern Resident killer whales – particularly in the Pacific Northwest. She noted that the salmon population and the health of many Southern Resident killer whales are so compromised that the whales could become extinct within 25-50 article source: See the rare creatures that showed up in a California bay to feed on salmon
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Whale Watching Group Captures Stunning Video of 2,000 Dolphins Leaping Together in Rare Super Pod
A whale-watching tour company in Northern California captured rare footage of a dolphin super pod — featuring about 2,000 dolphins breaching off of the coast of Monterey. According to the Associated Press, Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat captain and videographer Evan Brodsky was sailing near Monterey Bay, about 100 miles away from San Francisco, on Friday, Feb. 21, when he encountered the super pod — which included the rare northern right whale dolphin. Brodsky told the outlet that he and a crew were conducting research when they saw about 12 dolphins in a group. They quickly followed the pod, spotting more dolphins along the way. Video footage captured by Brodsky's drone shows hundreds of dolphins breaking through the water's surface, splashing around, and playing on a bright, sunny California day. Related: Over 100 Dolphins Saved from Historic Mass Stranding in Cape Cod "[Today], we were out again conducting a survey on the area when we came across a super pod of a mind-blowing 2000+ northern right whale dolphins mixed with pacific white-sided dolphins spread out for miles as far as we could see!!" the whale watching tour group wrote alongside the footage in a Facebook post on Friday. "While super pods like this are rare (especially of NRWD) winter is still the best time of year to have a chance at encountering big pods of dolphins," the company added. By the end of the ride, the group had counted more than 2,000 dolphins, including light gray baby calves, several hundred Pacific white-sided dolphins, and northern right whale dolphins. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), northern right whale dolphins commonly live in pods of about 100 to 200 dolphins—although sometimes their super pods can grow to 3,000 animals. The species is the only one in the North Pacific Ocean without a dorsal fin, and the animals can grow as large as 10 feet long and weigh 250 pounds. "At sea, they are sometimes mistaken for herds of fur seals and sea lions due to their dark, streamlined body," NOAA states. Northern right whale dolphins also socialize with other species, including Risso's dolphins, which Brodsky told the AP he filmed last month. "They're all smooth," Brodsky joked, referring to the more common dolphin species. "When they jump, they look like flying eyebrows." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Florida Dolphin Found 'In Distress' Later Diagnosed with Bird Flu, Study Finds Colleen Talty, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, also told the AP that many people come to Monterey from all over the world to try to catch a glimpse of the elusive northern right whale dolphin. This species gathers in the bay's deep underwater canyons to socialize, eat, and ward off predators. For Talty, the best part of seeing Brodsky's drone footage was the calves swimming alongside their families. "We don't always see baby dolphins," she told the outlet, "so that's pretty nice." Brodsky joked that seeing the thousands of dolphins swimming in unison might have even brought a tear to some of his crew members' eyes. "We were so excited it was hard to hold in our emotions," he recalled. "We had the biggest grins from ear to ear." Read the original article on People
