Story:
Last Friday, I went out on a whale watching trip on Monterey Bay. It was an amazing trip, we saw dozens of whales (both Humpback and Blue). The whales were feeding on the surface, so there was lots of action as they burst up with mouths agape, feeding on krill.
It is truly amazing to watch the world's largest animal feeding on critters that are no bigger than 2 cm. It is also amazing watching the krill trying to get away from the whales. This was really good stuff.
With so much food at the surface, the whales were not diving a lot. We didn't see a lot of classic, tail-in-the-air, sounding. But the shear number of whales was incredible.
Also with all of the feeding going on, there wasn't a lot of other behavior that you can get with Humpback Whales, like fin slaps and breaching. I saw a couple of big splashes from breaching whales in the distance, but nothing close to the boat.
As always, I had to do a bit of bird watching. Along with the normal contingent of coastal birds, we saw phalaropes, petrels, auks, and mures. I am still trying to get id's from my photos.
I was generally disappointed with the photos that I took. I am not sure if it was the motion of the boat or not understanding the new camera and having the settings wrong, but I was disappointed with the results.
I guess that I will have to go out again.
Last Friday, I went out on a whale watching trip on Monterey Bay. It was an amazing trip, we saw dozens of whales (both Humpback and Blue). The whales were feeding on the surface, so there was lots of action as they burst up with mouths agape, feeding on krill.
It is truly amazing to watch the world's largest animal feeding on critters that are no bigger than 2 cm. It is also amazing watching the krill trying to get away from the whales. This was really good stuff.
With so much food at the surface, the whales were not diving a lot. We didn't see a lot of classic, tail-in-the-air, sounding. But the shear number of whales was incredible.
Also with all of the feeding going on, there wasn't a lot of other behavior that you can get with Humpback Whales, like fin slaps and breaching. I saw a couple of big splashes from breaching whales in the distance, but nothing close to the boat.
As always, I had to do a bit of bird watching. Along with the normal contingent of coastal birds, we saw phalaropes, petrels, auks, and mures. I am still trying to get id's from my photos.
I was generally disappointed with the photos that I took. I am not sure if it was the motion of the boat or not understanding the new camera and having the settings wrong, but I was disappointed with the results.
I guess that I will have to go out again.
Tips:
I went out with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. It was the second time I have been out with them and they have a knowledgeable and helpful staff. (Cost is $45 for morning trips, $36 for afternoon trips - I assume that other boats are comparable).
You will want to make reservations. The boats seem to be booked up and not taking walk ups.
Dress in layers and have a good windbreaking shell. It may be foggy and cool or sunny and warm, and you can't tell by the current weather in the harbor.
Also remember sunscreen, because even if it is foggy there is enough sun bouncing off the water to burn you (as I learned yet again).
In general, morning trips will be cooler and calmer, afternoon trips will have more sun, but the winds will be up and the sea will be a bit rougher.
If you are prone to motion sickness (or even uncertain) take a treatment before you go. It is really no fun spending four hours feeling miserable while others are running around having a great time.
Also remember to turn the GPS on before you leave the dock. It is ingrained when I go hiking, but somehow we got out of the harbor before I realized...
I went out with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. It was the second time I have been out with them and they have a knowledgeable and helpful staff. (Cost is $45 for morning trips, $36 for afternoon trips - I assume that other boats are comparable).
You will want to make reservations. The boats seem to be booked up and not taking walk ups.
Dress in layers and have a good windbreaking shell. It may be foggy and cool or sunny and warm, and you can't tell by the current weather in the harbor.
Also remember sunscreen, because even if it is foggy there is enough sun bouncing off the water to burn you (as I learned yet again).
In general, morning trips will be cooler and calmer, afternoon trips will have more sun, but the winds will be up and the sea will be a bit rougher.
If you are prone to motion sickness (or even uncertain) take a treatment before you go. It is really no fun spending four hours feeling miserable while others are running around having a great time.
Also remember to turn the GPS on before you leave the dock. It is ingrained when I go hiking, but somehow we got out of the harbor before I realized...
Tags:
monterey, california, whale watching, Blue Whale, humpback whale, birding
monterey, california, whale watching, Blue Whale, humpback whale, birding
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