More than 50 to 100 humpback whales and several thousand dolphins are crowding Monterey Bay, drawn by a late-season anchovy run.
Nancy Black, owner and lead naturalist at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, reported the aggregation Sunday, Oct. 4, as first reported by KSBW's Jacquelyn Quinones. Black, who has spent 30 years studying marine mammals in the bay, said tons of anchovies have moved into the area, pulling the whales and dolphins behind them.
She attributed the anchovy boom to a combination of favorable ocean currents, the direction of the coastline and late-summer sunlight that fuels plankton growth. Anchovies feed on that plankton, and as the baitfish stack up, humpbacks move in to gorge.
The concentration has created strong conditions for whale watchers heading out from Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, where Black's company operates.
Humpback numbers climb along coast
Black estimated more than 5,000 humpbacks now swim along the California coast. She traced the rebound to protections that followed decades of commercial hunting, noting that whalers killed many humpbacks in Monterey Bay before the 1970s.
The species still faces threats. Black cited noise pollution, ship strikes and entanglement as ongoing challenges. She urged boaters to stay alert around the animals.
"Keep your eye out for whales that are ahead of you so you don't bump into them but always be looking because a whale can pop up anywhere," Black said.
Black's count has not been independently verified by a government agency or research institution. The estimate reflects her observations from the water.
Upcoming
The 17th Annual Whalefest Monterey is scheduled for Saturday, April 10, 2027, and Sunday, April 11, 2027, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Custom House Plaza, the Stanton Center at Monterey Museum of History & Art and Old Fisherman's Wharf. Admission is free.
