Just 5 miles from the jetties, two humpback whales were waiting for us, already making their journey south toward Mexico. We spent time alongside them as they cruised steadily down the coast, alternating dive times between 5, 10, and 15 minutes before surfacing again.
And on nearly every dive… those giant flukes went skyward.
There is something magical about a humpback lifting its tail high above the water. Every single time, the boat erupted with gasps, cheers, and pure awe. It never gets old. No matter how many times you’ve seen it, that moment stops everyone in their tracks.
Hoping for a little more action before heading home, we pushed farther offshore and struck gold again.
A pod of 40+ long-beaked common dolphins was racing across the water, leaping, splashing, and foraging as they went. As if that wasn’t enough, we also spotted three Guadalupe fur seals “jug handling” from a distance. The moment we got closer, they locked eyes on us like we were some mysterious sea monster emerging from the deep… and then vanished beneath the surface in a hurry! We spotted 2 more whales heading south on our way back in, it’s wild out here!
Naturalist, Alison
