This summer was absolutely unforgettable for us. While the consistency of sightings could have been better, the diversity of marine life was nothing short of spectacular. We got to see blue whales, fin whales, Bryde’s whales, humpbacks, and even minke whales. But honestly, the dolphins stole the show. Watching large pods of hundreds of acrobatic short-beaked common dolphins was mesmerizing. There’s just nothing like the energy of a pod of ‘shorties!’
It wasn’t just about the whales and dolphins though. We spotted sea turtles, massive ocean sunfish, mahi-mahi, swordfish, and even mako and white sharks. Newport Beach is teeming with biodiversity, and every day on the water offered something new and exciting for us.
Fall leads to cooling water temperatures, the calmest sea conditions of the year, abundant biomasses of anchovies, and lots of whales gorging themselves on bait balls as they meander their way South. Humpback whales will be our focus but we also have plenty of opportunity to see fin whales, brydes whales, and minke whales also foraging on anchovies. We are stoked to see what Fall has to bring as we near the end of September, October, and November.