Whale-Watching in Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay, perched on California’s central coast, is a haven for marine life and one of the best places in the world for whale-watching. From playful dolphins to majestic humpbacks, the ocean here teems with incredible wildlife.
Join me on my first whale-watching tour in Monterey Bay, and let’s explore why this stretch of California coast is a hotspot for marine life. Along the way, I’ll share the lessons I learned on a wobbly boat and offer tips for choosing the best tours.
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At a Glance: Why Monterey Bay Is a Whale Hotspot
The Nutrient-Rich Waters
Monterey Bay is home to one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the West Coast. Its waters are packed with nutrients that support a huge variety of marine life, from plankton and krill to small fish—the foundation of the food web.
These nutrients come from deep, cold waters that are naturally rich in minerals and organic matter. When these waters rise to the surface through a process called upwelling, they fuel plankton blooms that attract small fish and, in turn, whales and other predators.
The Submarine Canyon Effect
The Monterey Submarine Canyon is a deep underwater gorge that funnels nutrient-rich deep water toward the surface. Its complex topography amplifies upwelling, making Monterey Bay far more productive than areas without a canyon.
This natural funnel essentially turns the bay into a consistent “feeding hotspot” for marine life, from small fish to the whales that rely on them.
The Role of the California Current
The California Current is a cold surface current flowing south along the coast. While the nutrients themselves originate in deep water, the current plays a crucial supporting role:
- It keeps surface waters cool, strengthening the contrast that drives upwelling.
- It brings some nutrient-rich water along the coast, adding to the bay’s abundance.
- Together with the canyon, it ensures upwelling is strong and consistent, making Monterey Bay a reliable feeding ground for whales.
Whales on the Move
Monterey Bay’s abundant food attracts migrating whales such as humpback, blue, and gray whales at different times of the year. These feeding grounds are essential for their long migrations and reproductive cycles, helping them build energy reserves for the journey ahead.
The bay’s combination of nutrient-rich deep waters, the submarine canyon, and the cold California Current makes it one of the few places where whales can reliably find the sustenance they need.
The fog creates a mystical atmosphere on Monterey Bay this October morning.
Into the Blue: My Whale-Watching Story
A smell of salt and fish lingered in the air just as thick as the fog lingered around the bay this morning. The boats in the small port of Monterey rocked smoothly to their sides in the relatively calm water. The water lay flat, almost like a mirror beneath the docks. A calm breeze brushed our cheeks as softly as a feather. While the piers in Monterey get busy later in the day, there were very few people strolling around this early on a Sunday.
While the weather showed its quiet and peaceful face, not all around us stayed silent.
IF IN DOUBT, TAKE THE PILLS!
One of our guides was standing slightly elevated shouting their recommendation toward the crowd of people that were eagerly waiting for the whale watching tour to start.
We highly recommend preparing for seasickness. However, if you do feel unwell, throw-up bags are available on the boat.
Since the small vessels are at the mercy of the wild and relentless Pacific Ocean, seasickness is a real and common issue on these boat tours—even on the bay, it can get rough at times. As I sometimes get car sick on windy roads, I came prepared.
At least, I thought I did at this point.
Reluctant to buy the “chemical” pills, I opted for the ginger-based alternatives after finding reviews suggesting they were as effective as the drowsy-inducing options. Dutifully, I took them half an hour before the expected start of the tour, and hoped for the best.
Even though I had seen whale spouts from the shore and watched dolphins swimming beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in the past, this was my first dedicated whale-watching tour. I was excited to potentially see them up close. When our guide had finished her last words of advice, I was filled with excitement and anticipation.
Together with a crowd of people all eager to see some giant marine mammals, we made our way to the upper deck. The benches on the deck invited people to sit, but the rails along the side of the boat were the better spot. And so we stood there with our gaze on the misty water.
As soon as everyone was on board, the boat started to drift away from the port into Monterey Bay, toward the open ocean. Soon after we left, we were already greeted by some sea lions relaxing in the morning sun. Some of them contentedly stretched their heads toward the light. They appeared like the most satisfied creatures under the sun.
The captain swiftly steered the boat away from the shore, leaving behind the fog that covered the shoreline like a blanket of cotton candy. The sea remained relatively calm, with the boat gliding smoothly over the waves.
When you're immersed in coastal fog, it’s easy to feel trapped, no matter where you go. Yet, just half a mile—or even less—from any spot on the coast can make all the difference. And so, quicker than anticipated, we found ourselves enjoying the blue sky above and the even bluer ocean beneath, stroked by sunlight.
Looking back to the shoreline, the fog blanketed the coast in a thick, misty layer.
Staring at the glaring ocean waters, trying to spot wildlife in the blue endlessness, time passed without any sense of how much had gone by. We were still heading away from the shore, and the air was mostly filled with the rattling of the boat engine. I had read that humpback whale sightings were the most common, so at this point, my mind was set on seeing these beautiful giants.
While I was still hypnotized by the blue above and below me, the familiar, steady rattling was suddenly interrupted by some higher-pitched and chaotic sounds. The rattling stopped while the higher-pitched frequencies increased. I realized that the captain had turned off the engine. Now, the boat was rocking on the back of the ocean, the rhythm set by nature. While the boat moved gently up and down, the pitches only knew one direction: up. Excitement grew, and finally I could see why too. The blue infinity was interrupted by deep black fins waving from the water's surface. The glossy black backs, gleaming in the water, seemed to absorb the bright sunlight. Sprouts of water were blown into the air at quick intervals, sometimes so synchronized that it felt as though they were putting on a show for the amazed onlookers. A pod of orcas was nearby, and they were coming closer. Diving and spouting, several orcas swam toward the boats The ocean’s surface was so smooth, and the orcas came so close that you could even see their white bellies below the water's surface. I noticed one had a calf with it, swimming closely beside its mother.
One of the orcas approached another tour boat closely, as if checking out the passengers who were standing at the rail, excited to witness this. What I couldn’t see at that moment—but the guide had already spotted—was a killer whale among the group that was very distinct from its peers. It was well known, apparently, but hadn’t been seen in a long time. Its name was Frosty.
After a while, the orcas moved on, and no other whales appeared at our spot, so we decided to move on as well.
Just as we were settling into the calm, there was sudden movement again. This time, it was a single animal, much larger than an orca: a humpback whale, slapping its tail on the water and occasionally surfacing with its broad back. It didn’t seem to be feeding, though, as its head—usually visible when lunging for fish—remained underwater the entire time it stayed near the boat.
A humpback whale is holding its tail above the water, slapping it in the air.
If that wasn’t mesmerizing enough, the show wasn’t over yet. The orcas came back, and this time, I saw Frosty too. There was no doubt about it when I saw the whale—it truly lived up to its name.
Frosty was harder to spot in the sunlight, as most of its body reflected the rays of sunshine intensely. Its head and dorsal fin stood out as gray, much darker than the rest of its body, but still far from the deep black of its peers. Its back wasn’t entirely white but very light in color, with patchy gray spots.
It was all so exciting, and I couldn’t take my eyes off either the binoculars or my telephoto lens. But when the activity calmed down, I realized something wasn’t quite right with my stomach. In fact, it was already feeling pretty unpleasant. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to take another seasickness pill and desperately hoped the feeling in my gut would go away soon.
Well—my hopes were not answered—the feeling didn’t go away at all. Since the movements were less intense on the lower deck, I stumbled down the stairs and held on to the railing at the very back, where the motion was supposed to be gentler. Without needing to say anything, a crew member handed me one of the vomit bags, which I had already seen given to another guest, a boy who didn’t seem well either. I leaned over the back, watching the splashing water as the boat headed back toward Monterey. As the boat accelerated, I almost felt fine, but then—just as whales appeared in sight, sparking more excitement—the boat stopped, leaving us at the mercy of the waves, rocking up and down.
That was all my stomach could take. As abruptly as the boat stopped, my stomach emptied into the bag. This went on for quite a while. People were excited to see more whales, while I desperately hoped we could stop the stop-and-go routine. Eventually, I think there just wasn’t anything left inside me.
While this part of the experience was certainly unpleasant — seeing orcas, including Frosty, and humpback whales up close made up for all the nausea caused by the choppy ocean. When I recall the experience now, I can still hear the sounds of the orca pod swimming closely together, lingering in the back of my mind.
So, would I go on a whale-watching tour again and risk the same queasiness?
Without a doubt!
💡 Did You Know?
🐋 Orcas are the largest dolphins and earned the nickname "killer whale" because ancient sailors observed them hunting much larger whales in coordinated groups.
🧠 Highly intelligent hunters: Orcas have unique cultures in different regions, using different hunting techniques. These populations are called ecotypes.
😴 Half-asleep brains: When resting, orcas only close one eye at a time. Half their brain sleeps while the other half stays alert, allowing them to breathe consciously and watch for danger.
♀️ Females outlive reproduction: Orca females can live long past their reproductive years—one of only three species that do this, along with humans and short-finned pilot whales.
❄️ The patchy white orca, Frosty, is believed to have a rare condition called leucism. Some experts suggest Frosty may also have Chediak-Higashi Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects pigmentation.
Know Before You Go
Seasickness
- Come prepared for seasickness, and consider bringing different types of medication if you’re unsure what works best for you.
- I took ginger-based pills before and during the trip, which supposedly work well for many people, but they didn’t work for me—so bring alternatives in case something doesn’t go as expected.
Binoculars & Photographing Whales
- Bring binoculars, and if you intend to take photos, a telephoto lens to get a closer look at the whales, which may be some distance from the boat (though some do get close—the orcas weren’t shy and even swam beneath our boat).
- Be cautious when using binoculars or telephoto lenses excessively while the boat is moving, as this can worsen motion sickness.
Best Time for Whale Watching
Whale watching in Monterey Bay is exciting year-round, but different species have different migration cycles:
- 🐋 Humpback whales: Year-round, peak in summer & fall.
- 🖤 Orcas: Seen year-round in transient groups; most frequent in spring & fall.
- 🩶 Gray whales: December–April migration; rarely outside these months.
- 🐳 Blue whales: June–October, unlikely at other times.
📖 For more details, visit the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
⚠️ Note: Sightings are never guaranteed—these are wild animals following nature, not tour schedules.
🐋 Book a Whale-Watching Tour in Monterey Bay
✨ Recommendation: Discovery Whale Watch
Discovery Whale Watch offers 3- or 4-hour tours from Monterey, consistently earns excellent reviews, and features narration by marine biologists or naturalists.
Check availability and book your spot below:
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I’m the face, writer, and photographer behind Venture Beyond the Picture.
You’re in the right place if you’re looking for nature-focused travel guides, real tales from the trails, and photography that celebrates wild landscapes, fascinating wildlife, and the quiet beauty of nature.
I hope what you find here helps you plan your adventures across the Western U.S., capture the outdoors through your own lens, and spark new inspiration.