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.

We headed south today and found whales approximately four miles offshore from Spooner's Cove in about 350 feet of water. Ocean conditions remained exceptionally calm, making for another beautiful day on the water.

We found four humpback whales working an area loaded with marine life. Hundreds of birds and an estimated 200–300 California sea lions were feeding throughout the area, creating a large feeding frenzy around the whales.

There was clearly plenty of bait around, but most of it appeared to be deeper in the water column. Our sonar was showing concentrations around 250 feet, which likely explains why we didn't see much lunge feeding at the surface. Instead, the humpbacks were repeatedly diving and feeding below.

Even without a lot of surface lunge feeding, the amount of life in one area made for an incredible show—four humpbacks, hundreds of birds, hundreds of sea lions, and bait throughout the water column.

Light conditions, calm seas, and an ocean full of activity made for a great start to September off Morro Bay.

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

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure started with high fog and an exceptionally calm ocean. We didn't have to travel far before finding two humpback whales approximately two miles outside Morro Bay Harbor in about 180 feet of water.

These are two whales we've encountered before, and we've learned that they can be very curious about boats. We began by observing them from a distance and giving them plenty of space. Eventually, both whales approached our vessel on their own—and what followed turned into one of the best encounters we've had all summer!

The two humpbacks remained around the boat for more than an hour, repeatedly surfacing nearby as we maintained our position.

One of the whales is particularly recognizable because of its unique tail. The fluke has very noticeable markings and damage that appear consistent with a past encounter with an orca. It's always interesting when physical characteristics allow us to begin recognizing individual whales we're seeing repeatedly off Morro Bay.

With calm seas, two familiar humpbacks, and more than an hour spent watching these whales on their terms, this was easily one of the most memorable mornings of the summer.

We captured some incredible photos and video from today's encounter and will be sharing them over the next few days.

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

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure found whales relatively close to home today. About two miles west of the Morro Bay Harbor entrance, we found three humpback whales in approximately 160 feet of water, including the same young calf we've been seeing over the last several days.

For the first 35 minutes, we observed the whales from a distance as they moved through the area. Then things changed!

All three whales approached our vessel on their own. We maintained our position and watched as the group came over to investigate the boat, giving everyone onboard an incredible opportunity to see them.

We've also been noticing warmer-than-normal surface water recently. With stronger winds expected later today, we may see some mixing of the upper water column and a change in surface temperatures over the next few days. We'll be interested to see whether that affects where the bait—and ultimately the whales.

A great morning off Morro Bay with three humpbacks, a familiar young calf, and one of those encounters that reminds us that sometimes the whales are just as curious about the boat as we are about them.

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

— Captain Dane

For today's trip, we headed toward Church Rock and found six humpback whales about a mile before reaching the area.

There was plenty of activity to watch. One humpback performed multiple lunge feeds as it worked the area looking for bait. Another whale was especially inquisitive. After we maintained our viewing position, the whale approached on its own and spent more than 10 minutes swimming around the boat, giving everyone onboard an incredible opportunity to watch it.

Conditions were a little more nautical today, with four- to five-foot swell and winds around 8–11 knots. Despite the movement on the water, it turned into another great whale watching trip off Morro Bay.

Six humpbacks, multiple lunge feeds, and an inquisitive whale that chose to spend more than 10 minutes around the boat made for a memorable August morning.

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

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed approximately four miles southwest of Morro Bay, just west of an area we locally call the Shell Mounds. That's where we found another large concentration of humpback whales, with more than 10 whales spread throughout the area.

There was plenty of activity this morning, but the highlight came when three humpbacks approached our vessel on their own. We maintained our position and had the opportunity to watch the whales as they came close to the boat, making for an excellent morning on the water.

Conditions were favorable for today's trip, but we're expecting a significant change over the weekend. The forecast is calling for increasing winds and seas potentially building to six to eight feet.

Because of the expected conditions, we will not be operating our 1:30 or 4:00 departures Saturday or Sunday. As always, we'll continue watching conditions closely and make our operating decisions with passenger and crew safety as the priority.

Another great morning off Morro Bay with more than 10 humpbacks and three whales choosing to come over and investigate us.

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

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure brought us the largest concentration of humpback whales we've seen in close proximity in more than a month. About three miles offshore, in approximately 250 feet of water, we found 10 humpback whales spread throughout the area.

Small groups of whales would begin lunge feeding for short periods before moving on and searching for the next concentration of bait. It made for an active morning with whales visible in multiple directions.

The weather was interesting with the storm system off Baja influencing our conditions. We had occasional light rain and winds coming from the south. On our way back to Morro Bay, the wind increased considerably for about five minutes before quickly settling down again.

For our 1:30 departure, we returned to the same area and found the whales from the morning still there. One of the most interesting parts of the afternoon was watching the birds. Large concentrations of diving birds marked areas of bait at the surface, giving us a good indication of where the whales might begin feeding next.

The whales continued moving between these areas, with occasional short periods of lunge feeding. Weather remained similar to the morning, with light rain and occasional wind throughout the trip.

Ten humpbacks, surface bait, diving birds, and changing weather made August 27 another fascinating day on the water off Morro Bay.

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

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure didn't have to travel far before finding whales. Approximately 1.5 to 2 miles offshore, we found two humpback whales actively searching for bait.

We initially observed the whales from approximately 100 yards away. As we maintained our viewing position, both whales approached the boat on their own and came very close several times, giving everyone onboard some excellent looks.

Conditions were beautiful compared with yesterday. The swell had come down, winds were very light, and we had sunshine throughout the morning.

For our 1:30 departure, we relocated the same two humpbacks from the morning, which had moved slightly farther offshore to approximately three miles. The whales were feeding in about 250 feet of water, occasionally making small lunge feeds at the surface as they continued searching for bait.

With sunshine, light winds, and active humpbacks on both departures, it was an excellent day on the water off Morro Bay.

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

— Captain Dane

Our 9:30 departure headed west, where the large concentration of whales we've been seeing over the last few days continued. We found approximately six to eight humpback whales in about 215 feet of water, including several mothers and calves.

The calves were the highlight of the morning, with multiple young whales breaching at the surface. The best encounter came when a mother and calf approached our vessel on their own, at times surfacing only 10–15 feet away. They remained around the boat for approximately 20 minutes, giving everyone onboard an incredible opportunity to watch the pair together.

Conditions included winds around 10–12 knots with two- to three-foot seas.

For our 1:30 departure, the sea had become more active, with three- to five-foot waves and a shorter period between them. We headed toward Church Rock and found six humpback whales in approximately 300 feet of water.

The whales were making very short dives, which made for excellent viewing. We had plenty of opportunities to see full tail flukes as the whales repeatedly surfaced and dove while moving through the area.

Another excellent day off Morro Bay, with multiple mothers and calves, breaching young whales, and plenty of humpback activity throughout both trips.

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

— Captain Dane

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