Morro Bay Whale Report

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Wondering what the whales are doing in Morro Bay right now? You're in the right place.

Our Morro Bay Whale Report features firsthand observations from the captains and crew at Lost Isle Adventures. We share recent whale sightings, feeding activity, dolphins and other marine wildlife, along with the ocean conditions we're experiencing on the water.

These aren't predictions or guarantees—they're real observations from our recent trips. Whales are wild animals, bait moves, and conditions can change quickly, which is why every day on the water can tell a completely different story.

You'll occasionally see names like Church Rock, North Church Rock, and 20 Minute Rock in our reports. These are local names for underwater features and reference points off Morro Bay—not rocks you'll see sticking out of the water. Our captains use these familiar locations to describe where we're finding whales, dolphins, bait, and other marine life.

You'll also see familiar landmarks and areas such as Morro Rock, the continental shelf, Cayucos, Montaña de Oro, and Spooner's Cove as we follow wildlife and changing concentrations of bait along the Central Coast.

Below you'll find our most recent daily reports. To explore earlier sightings and follow the season over time, visit our Morro Bay Whale Report Blog, where previous reports are collected and archived.

Our 9:30 departure had the smallest group we've taken out since March. Dense fog covered Morro Bay as we left the harbor, with three- to four-foot swell and extremely light winds.

By the time we reached 20 Minute Rock, visibility had improved to about half a mile. We initially found two humpback whales moving slowly through the area and actively searching for food. After observing them for about ten minutes, the fog began to lift and visibility increased to approximately one mile.

That's when we realized just how many whales were around us.

As the fog cleared, we could see more than 20 humpback whales spread throughout the area. It was one of the largest concentrations of whales we've encountered all summer. The whales weren't gathered tightly together, but were spread out while searching for bait.

After several days of quieter whale activity, it was incredible to suddenly see humpbacks seemingly everywhere we looked.

An excellent morning off Morro Bay with more than 20 whales, extremely light winds, and one of the largest groups we've seen this summer.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west, where we found three humpback whales approximately 2.5 miles south of 20 Minute Rock. Two of the whales appeared to be actively searching for bait but were very quiet at the surface, slowly traveling and making longer dives as they looked for anchovies.

The swell was around four to five feet, slightly larger than yesterday. Heavy morning fog limited visibility early in the trip before gradually beginning to lift around 11:00.

For our 1:30 departure, we relocated the same two humpbacks from the morning. This time the whales were more active while continuing to search for bait. While our vessel was stopped, the whales approached on their own several times, giving everyone some great looks. The afternoon breeze increased as expected, while the swell remained similar to the morning. Fog continued to move in and out, with visibility around one mile.

Our 4:00 departure found three humpbacks much closer to Morro Bay, approximately 1.5 miles offshore to the west. These whales were also quiet, moving slowly through the area while searching for food. By late afternoon, the fog had become much heavier, reducing visibility to approximately half a mile.

August 23 was a quieter day for surface activity, but with humpbacks on all three trips and whales moving closer to shore by late afternoon, there was still plenty to see.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed southwest, where we found two humpback whales approximately 4.5 miles from Morro Bay Harbor. One was the same young calf we've been seeing over the last few days, and once again it was very active at the surface. We watched repeated tail slapping and several small breaches as the whales moved through the area looking for bait. For such a young whale, this calf has been putting on quite a show.

The swell was around four to five feet at six seconds, making for more active ocean conditions despite relatively light winds. Plenty of sunshine and a great group onboard made for a fun morning.

For our 1:30 departure, we found two humpbacks approximately four miles southwest of the harbor in about 250 feet of water. Activity was much quieter than the morning, but the whales approached the boat on their own and gave everyone some excellent looks. With the shorter-period swell continuing, we couldn't remain stationary for extended periods and adjusted our operation to the conditions.

A playful young humpback was once again the highlight of another good day of whale watching off Morro Bay.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west, where we found three humpback whales approximately four miles offshore in 250 feet of water. Among the group was a mother and calf, and the calf was especially curious. While we maintained our viewing position, the young whale approached the boat on its own multiple times, giving everyone onboard some incredible looks. Seas were around three to four feet with good visibility and less haze than we've experienced over the last few days.

For our 1:30 departure, we found the whales approximately 5.5 miles offshore and relocated the same mother and calf. This trip turned into a fantastic show, with the calf becoming much more active at the surface and performing several partial breaches. Conditions became more active through the afternoon, with the swell increasing to approximately five to seven feet.

We did not schedule a 4:00 departure due to the expected afternoon conditions.

A curious humpback calf in the morning followed by playful surface activity in the afternoon made August 21 another memorable day of whale watching off Morro Bay.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west, where we found three humpback whales near North Church Rock. We initially observed the whales from approximately 100 yards away before one unexpectedly traveled toward us and surfaced about 40 feet from the boat.

The whales appeared to be actively searching for bait, making deep dives and giving us multiple opportunities to see their tail flukes. We also encountered dolphins on the way offshore. Seas were around three to four feet with breezy conditions.

For our 1:30 departure, we found two humpbacks between Church Rock and North Church Rock. These whales were much quieter at the surface and appeared focused on searching for food. They made longer dives with occasional tail flukes as conditions became more active through the afternoon, with seas building to approximately four to six feet.

A quieter day for surface activity, but five humpback whale sightings, dolphins, and some great tail views made for another good day off Morro Bay.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Conditions settled down for our 9:30 departure with light winds and a two- to three-foot swell. We headed west toward the areas where whale activity has been most consistent over the last few weeks, but today the ocean made us work for it.

After nearly two hours of searching, we still hadn't located whales. Fortunately, Falcon, our Go Fast vessel, was also on the water and located activity southwest of Spooner's Cove. We headed south and found six humpback whales along with a small group of dolphins. The whales were traveling west, and when we left them they were approximately five miles offshore from Spooner's Cove in about 400 feet of water.

For our 1:30 departure, the light winds and calm seas continued. We returned southwest and found four humpback whales approximately 5.5 miles offshore in a similar area to the morning trip.

The highlight was a mother and calf that repeatedly approached our stopped vessel on their own, at times surfacing approximately 10–15 feet from the boat. The calf put on quite a show, repeatedly thrashing its tail at the surface while staying close to mom. We weren't able to relocate the dolphins from the morning, but the mother and calf encounter more than made up for it.

After a long search to start the morning, August 20 turned into another excellent day of humpback whale watching off Morro Bay.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west toward Church Rock, where whale activity has been especially consistent lately. We had plenty of sunshine with three- to five-foot seas and a steady morning breeze.

We found three humpback whales traveling in from the deeper water near Church Rock toward 20 Minute Rock. We traveled with the group for approximately four miles, adjusting our course and operation to the conditions while giving everyone opportunities to watch the whales.

The highlight was a mother and calf traveling with the group. The calf repeatedly slapped its tail at the surface, performing the behavior around ten times as we watched. The whales were making relatively shallow dives as they continued toward 20 Minute Rock.

For our 1:30 departure, we relocated the same group near 20 Minute Rock. The adult whales appeared focused on searching for food, while the calf continued to be much more playful at the surface.

Dolphins were another major highlight of the afternoon. We encountered a large group that appeared to stretch for more than half a mile across the water. The whales traveled back toward Church Rock for a period before eventually turning toward 20 Minute Rock again.

The afternoon breeze increased as expected, but we were fortunate to continue watching the same group of humpbacks as they moved between two of our most consistent offshore areas.

A playful humpback calf, three traveling whales, and a huge group of dolphins made August 18 another memorable day off Morro Bay.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure had the smallest group we've taken out all summer. With schools starting back up, we're beginning to see the usual late-summer change in passenger numbers.

We headed west and checked 20 Minute Rock first to see if yesterday afternoon's whales were still in the area. They had moved on, so we continued toward Church Rock and eventually found four humpback whales approximately 9.5 miles offshore in 650–700 feet of water—the farthest offshore we've traveled in search of whales this summer.

The whales appeared to be searching for deep-water bait, making long dives of approximately seven to ten minutes. Conditions remained light, with scattered groups of dolphins in the area. Visibility was approximately three miles, and even this far offshore we could smell smoke from the Big Sur fire.

Our 1:30 and 4:00 departures were taken off the schedule for planned engine maintenance and cleaning.

Looking ahead, we expect calm mornings to continue over the next few days, with conditions becoming more nautical in the afternoons. Afternoon winds are expected around 12–15 knots with three- to five-foot seas. 

With those conditions in mind, we don't currently plan to run our 4:00 departure again until Friday.

Today was a reminder that as summer begins to change, so does the ocean. The whales are still here—we just had to travel a little farther to find them.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west toward Church Rock, where we found three humpback whales in approximately 300 feet of water. The whales were making frequent deep dives with longer intervals between surfacing, giving us plenty of opportunities for great tail photos. Bait appeared to be concentrated deeper in the colder water rather than near the surface. Surface water temperatures were around 65°F, unusually warm compared with the cooler water we typically experience during the summer. Conditions remained calm with high clouds overhead.

For our 1:30 departure, the whales continued the recent trend of moving farther offshore. We found two humpbacks just outside North Church Rock, approximately eight miles from shore. Our fish finder showed concentrations of bait around 200 feet below the surface, and the whales were making deep dives to feed. After about 15 minutes, we spotted two more whales farther offshore that appeared to be feeding closer to the surface. We headed approximately nine miles out and were rewarded with a more active group and shorter dive times. Light winds and good conditions continued.

By our 4:00 departure, the wind had increased to around 10–12 knots. Fortunately, we found two humpbacks much closer to shore near 20 Minute Rock in approximately 150 feet of water. These whales were feeding at a much faster pace with short, shallow dives. At one point, one of the whales surfaced right alongside the boat. We also encountered approximately 200 dolphins. By the end of the trip, winds had increased to 12–15 knots with four- to five-foot seas.

From deep-diving humpbacks nine miles offshore to fast-paced feeding in shallower water later in the day, August 16 showed just how quickly the whales can change locations and feeding strategies as they follow the bait.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

The nice weather continued for our 9:30 departure as we headed west toward the area where we'd found the larger group of whales yesterday morning. About 3.5 miles offshore, we found six humpback whales—and witnessed something we had never seen before on one of our trips.

The group began bubble-net feeding.

Bubble-net feeding is a cooperative feeding technique where humpback whales release bubbles underwater, creating a wall that helps concentrate schooling baitfish into a tight ball. The whales can then lunge feed through the concentrated bait. We were fortunate to have our wildlife photographer onboard with his drone and captured some incredible aerial footage showing the behavior from above.

It was a spectacular show and one of the most unique humpback whale encounters we've had this summer. We'll be sharing the footage on Instagram @LostIsle_Adventures and Facebook.

For our 1:30 departure, conditions remained very calm with excellent visibility. We headed back out looking for the morning group but were only able to locate one humpback about five miles offshore. The dolphins became the highlight instead. We found more than 400 dolphins and spent over 30 minutes traveling alongside the group.

The calm conditions continued into our 4:00 trip, with the afternoon breeze eventually building to around 8–10 knots. We found two humpbacks approximately three miles offshore. The whales were quiet, slowly traveling south and making longer dives, but the large dolphin group was still around. We relocated approximately 400 dolphins and finished the day with another excellent dolphin encounter.

From our first bubble-net feeding encounter in the morning to hundreds of dolphins throughout the afternoon, August 15 gave us another completely different day on the water.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west toward Church Rock, returning to the area where we had excellent activity yesterday. Conditions remained good with calm seas and light winds. As we reached the continental shelf seven to eight miles offshore, the swell increased to six to seven feet, but with a long 17-second period it remained comfortable.

We found five humpback whales cruising and searching for bait. After about ten minutes, they located a good-sized bait ball and the activity quickly changed. The whales began working the bait together before repeated lunge feeding at the surface. The large group of dolphins from yesterday suddenly appeared and joined the feeding activity, making for an excellent morning.

For our 1:30 departure, we found four humpbacks only about 2.5 miles offshore along with approximately 200 dolphins. This appeared to be a different group from the morning. There was less lunge feeding, but plenty of tail flukes as the whales repeatedly dove, creating some great photo opportunities.

Our 4:00 trip almost didn't run, but ten guests arrived just before departure, including returning guests from the day before. The afternoon wind had increased to around 12 knots, but conditions remained good. We returned to the same area as the midday trip and found scattered dolphins and two humpback whales. Activity had slowed considerably from the morning, but it was still a great way to finish the day.

Another excellent day off Morro Bay with whales, dolphins, feeding activity, and three very different trips.

Fair winds, and we'll see you on the water.

— Captain Dane