Whale Watching Report 1/12–1/16

January 16, 2017

Morning Cruise

Sightings: 3 Gray whales, 25 Pacific White-sided dolphins, 5 Common dolphins, 5 California Sea Lions

Saw several types of sea birds, Pacific White-sided dolphins & California Sea Lions. We spotted a single Gray that surfaced several times then fluked once. Captain left the shy whale to find a mother-calf pair of Grays. Mother traveled slowly with calf, only a couple days old. Enjoyed very close looks when they surfaced close to the boat.

Afternoon Cruise

Sightings: 8 Gray whales, 25 Pacific White-sided dolphins

Great afternoon! We had some very close sightings of a cow-calf pair. We also saw a pair of adult Gray whales and another group of 4 adults. The group showed us their flukes several times & also showed mating behaviors. Also spotted about 25 Pacific White-sided dolphins.

January 15, 2017

Morning Cruise

Sightings: 3 Gray whales, 4 Humpback Whales, 100+ Common dolphins

A perfect, sunny day! We came across 2 Gray whales just outside the Bay. Heading west we came across a huge bait ball with 3 Humpbacks feeding together with California Sea Lions, Common dolphins & various sea birds. We also spotted 1 more Gray whale on our way in.

Afternoon Cruise

Sightings: 5 Gray whales

This afternoon we spotted 3 individual and one pair of Gray whales. The whales were very active & fun to watch with 4 breaches, some spyhopping & a lot of rolling on the surface.

January 14, 2017

Morning Cruise

Sightings: 10 Gray whales, 20 Pacific White-sided dolphins, 20 Common dolphins

We started out with calm seas & sunny conditions. In the beginning of our trip we saw a group of 5 Gray whales (4 adults & 1 juvenile). As we continued our cruise we spotted another group of 3 Gray whales & an additional pair as we were heading into the Bay.

Afternoon Cruise

Sightings: 5 Gray whales, 100+ Common dolphins, 20 Pacific White-sided dolphins

We enjoyed another successful trip with 5 Gray whale sightings, all adults. We followed each until they made their way into Mexican waters. The trip also included sightings of some playful Common and Pacific White-Sided dolphins.

January 13, 2017

Morning Cruise

Sightings: 11 Gray whales, 50+ Pacific White-sided dolphins

Captain quickly found us a group of 5 Gray whales that we watched for a while. A little later, we spotted another group of 6 Gray whales. Guests also enjoyed the antics of Pacific White-sided dolphins scattered throughout the area.

Afternoon Cruise

Sightings: 18+ Gray whales, 50+ Pacific White-sided dolphins

We spotted at least 3 groups, a total of 18+ Grays with more blows in the distance. Some were slapping their pectoral flippers & rolling together at the surface, which are mating behaviors. 1 whale breached twice about a 1/2 mile in front of us! Also saw Pacific White-sided dolphins during the afternoon.

January 12, 2017

Morning Cruise

Sightings: 6 Gray whales, 20 Common dolphins

Cloudy, chilly, rainy conditions didn’t stop us from finding 6 southbound Gray whales mixed in with about 20 Common dolphins. By noon, the sun was peeking through the clouds.

Afternoon Cruise

Sightings: 8 Gray whales, 20 Pacific White-sided dolphins, 10 Common dolphins

The predicted rainstorm stayed away & it turned into a fabulous day! We quickly encountered a group of 3 Gray Whales and later came across a second group of 5 Gray whales. Pacific White-sided Dolphins and Common Dolphins rode the bow of the boat, delighting guests.