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American Cetacean Society
11th International Conference - Whales in a Changing World
November 13-16, 2008 - Monterey, California

Whales in a Changing World - Field Trip

The 11th International ACS Conference was held November 13-16, 2008, in Monterey, California. The pages in this section have been retained for reference.

Field Trip - Friday November 14, 2008

See the trip report from a recent trip aboard the "Sea Wolf II" written by Field Trip Coordinator, Tony Lorenz,
naturalist with Monterey Bay Whale Whale. It is posted at the bottom of this page.

Join fellow whale lovers aboard the “Sea Wolf II” for a natural history trip in world-famous Monterey Bay. The trip will be from 8:00am to approximately 4:00pm.

Blue whales often linger into November and humpback whales are still a good possibility. The first gray whales can be expected on their southward migration. Many species of dolphins are regular in the bay, including Pacific white-sided, Northern right whale, long-beaked and short-beaked common, Risso’s and bottlenose as well as harbor porpoise. We did have killer whales on the conference field trip in 2000. Many other species are possible.

The “Sea Wolf II” is owned and operated by Monterey Bay Whale Watch http://www.gowhales.com/. We will have marine mammal experts as our guides.

Some whale watch planning tips:

Please be at the landing by 7:30 am to check in. The boat will leave at 8:00 AM sharp!

You will want to dress warmly with layers.

Don't forget to bring your camera and binoculars!

There is a snack bar onboard. We recommend packing a lunch.

Although, you may bring food with you, we must ask that you do NOT bring coolers on board.

Recent Sightings in Monterey Bay

On the morning of October 24th 2009, the Sea Wolf II departed from Monterey Bay Whalewatch at 9:00am and headed in the direction of Moss Landing.

On this glorious morning of flat seas and no wind, we encountered thousands of California Sea Lions spread out all over the bay, feeding on the prodigious amounts of baitfish that have been prevalent in Monterey Bay since the spring. As we drew closer to the area where unprecedented numbers of Humpback Whales have been observed this year we noticed a large school of Sea Lions (750) moving to the north. We very carefully scanned the area around the school for any evidence of Killer Whales, which had been observed the two preceding days.

About five minutes later, we saw our first Humpbacks of the morning - a trio which seemed to be feeding cooperatively. Then, everywhere we looked there were Humpbacks. We estimated 30 to 40 were in the area.

The highlight of this trip was when a pair of friendly Humpbacks approached our vessel and began to rub themselves against the hull. This behavior lasted about 40 minutes and also included spyhopping within 5 feet of the boat. It seemed as though the Humpbacks were making eye contact with the passengers. On several occasions, the pair of Humpbacks came to a complete stop on each side of the boat exhaling all over the passengers. What a profound and spiritual experience this was. We were all indelibly affected.

Total Sightings:
30-40 Humpbacks
10 Harbor Porpoise
2,000 Ca Sea Lions
1 Northern Elephant Seal
10 Ca Sea Otters
3 species of shearwaters
Cassin's Aucklets
Rhino Auklets
Brown Pelicans

Naturalist Note: A group of eight Killer Whales is being observed in Monterey Bay on a very consistent basis. Some days they are seen just outside of the Moss Landing Harbor.

This group of eight has practically been resident in Monterey Bay since the spring. The Killer Whales have been foraging on the hundreds of Ca Sea Lions that have taken up residence in the Moss Landing harbor. Killer Whales have been seen on ten different occasions from October 1st thru October 22nd.We expect many more Killer Whale sightings through the fall.

Also, 10-12 Blue Whales were seen in the waters around the Farallon Islands on October 25th.The Farallones are only 90 miles from Monterey which means a fall showing of Blue Whales in Monterey is certainly a possibility.

Tony Lorenz
Monterey Bay

	American Cetacean Society protecting whales, dolphins, porpoises, & their habitats through education, conservation, & research since 1967	TOP