Our research team received an exciting report from our friends at Discovery Whale Watch and marine biologist Eric Austin Yee with Blue Ocean Whale Watch. A large group of killer whales were observed spread out in Monterey Bay.

Photographs were sent to our team and after analyzing over 2000 images we were able to confirm the presence of 12 whales belonging to southern resident killer whale K pod. Southern Resident Killer Whales are rare visitors to California waters, and Monterey Bay appears to be the southern terminus of their southward movements.

We were able to confirm the presence of K012 (female, born. 1972), K014 (female, born. 1977), K022 (female, born. 1987), K027 (female, born. 1994), K033 (male, born. 2001), K035 (male, born. 2002), K036 (female, born. 2003), K037 (male, born. 2003), K038 (male, born. 2004), K042 (male, born. 2008), K043 (female, born. 2010), and K045 (female, born. 2022). The remaining two whales K016 and K020, were likely present.

K pod was observed foraging, with individual whales spread out over a large distance. Fishermen report that the last few weeks there has been an influx of salmon within the area.

We are very grateful to our collaborators for sharing photographs with our research team. Monitoring killer whales within the large California Current Ecosystem is no small task and requires extensive collaboration.

ORA - Oceanic Research Alliance

California Current Killer Whale Study

NOAA Fisheries West Coast

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Discovery Whale Watch

Monterey Bay Aquarium

California State University, Monterey Bay