Last Wednesday, September 16th, 2026 was indeed a day I will treasure forever. A few of my Blue Water Venture guides headed out into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on a staff enrichment day with hopes of encountering some of the iconic wildlife the Sanctuary is known for. Orcas had been sighted lately, but its never expected, such a rare encounter from our kayaks. Over the past 30 years, I’ve paddled among the apex predator just a few precious times. Always unforgettable
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Aurora’s pod was near shore hunting California Sea Lions. While the Orcas circled among the whale watching boats, we kept a fair distance completely awed by the show at water’s edge. Suddenly several massive humpback whales were literally in the mix. The humpbacks were trumpeting, an eerie sound generated from their blow hole that is often heard in the presence of Orcas. This may be a sign of excitement or perhaps stress, alerting other humpback whales nearby that the Orcas are actively hunting.
Suddenly on the horizon a pod of long beak common dolphins were in view…..simply profound. My mind formulated the words “not a good place to be at the moment”. As they approached the Orcas, they suddenly veered away and headed towards the shallows along the coastline passing right by us. A truly thrilling moment forever etched into my memory. Eventually, the Orcas followed and the pursuit was on. Over the radio I heard speculation that the the adult Orcas were letting the young calf lead the hunt after some target practice among the flurry of common murres, ’sitting ducks” so to speak.I landed on the edge of Monterey Bay in the spring of 1995 from my home living on a Georgia Sea Isle. The Georgia coast along with its rich marine wonders will always be close to my heart, but the wild and dramatic Pacific Ocean has captured my heart and soul….there’s no turning back. Thank you whales….until be meet again.
