Encounter with A Sperm Whale, Monterey Bay

Reflections on Monterey Bay June  2026~Encounter with a Sperm Whale

On June 14th, I had the greatest honor to lead  a group of sea kayakers into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.  While we have coined this paddle our “whales and wildlife” program, kayaking among the giants is never guaranteed but absolutely thrilling when it happens. We have had marvelous encounters over the last month kayaking among the humpback whales. This particular  experience  fills my cup to the fullest capacity.  After over 40 years of working as a naturalist from the Georgia Sea islands to the The Amazon Basin and beyond, I still get such great joy sharing nature’s wonders, especially when offshore in Monterey Bay.

Yesterday’s breaching humpback whale calf was indeed quite thrilling.  However, the most profound moment of the month was to be in the presence of the mighty male sperm whale. These magnificent odontocetes or “toothed whales”  are often heard in Monterey Bay but rarely seen.  The largest toothed predator on earth, male sperm whales may reach a length of over 60 feet and weigh over 90,000 pounds indicating that they are noticeably larger than our local humpback whales.

Like all odontocetes,  sperm whales have a single blow  which is positioned on the left side of the rostrum and is angled at  45 degrees which creates a very distinctive forward reaching  spout as seen in the video. Louder than a jet engine taking off, sperm whales are considered to be loudest animal on earth as it emits a clicking sound as part of its echolocation hunting strategy.  Diving into the dark corners of the Monterey Bay Canyon, these apex predators are hunting squid, perhaps the humboldt squid or the elusive giant squid,  a prey item  that few mammals can contend with or even reach. Capable of plunging over 8000 feet into complete darkness, sperm whales can remain underwater for at least two hours. They are truly extraordinary animals  that were hunted to near extinction for their spermaceti ( sperm + ceti= whale) an oily waxy liquid found in their colossal heads that was harvested for industrial lubricants,  such a cruel and insensitive industry that mostly ended by the late 1980’s…..yes in our recent history.

Thank you “Fig” for making such a profound impact on many whale watchers visiting Monterey Bay National Marine .  Say hello to your fellow sperm whales, Mango, Guava,  Papaya and Kiwi!