Whale & Dolphin Watching in Monterey Bay

Whale watching is more exciting than it sounds! 

A weekend in February I traveled from SF to Monterey for a whale watching tour. I had anticipated an hour tour with 3 whales. I thought that would be a reasonable expectation.  Unfortunately, conditions are often unpredictable and no company can guarantee that you will see whales during your visit. That being said, there is a good chance that you will encounter sea animals in Monterey despite the time of year. Depending on the month and migration patterns you can expect that grey whales, blue whales, or killer whales.  For a schedule by month visit here. 

During the 2-3 hour tour we saw one whale breach and approximately 3 spouts from the water coming from whales under the surface. The wonderful surprise were the hundreds of dolphins. The pod chased the boat and jumped into the air. They also followed along very closely and appeared to be racing out boat. Although the video is not the best quality (due to excitement, rain, and turbulence) it gives a great pictures of the dolphins I saw during the journey. I could not believe how many I saw at once and how playful they were. 

I would highly recommend going through a local tour company, in particular I went with Monterey Whale Watch and had a great experience with highly educated guides. Don't forget to take a cash tip! Two thumbs up.

Until Next time. Stay Tuned.