Summer 2025 Whale Watching Report: Whales, Dolphins, and Sea Life We’ve Spotted So Far
Summer isn’t over yet, but we’ve seen so much from the whale watching boat over the last couple months that we had to give you a mid-season update! Not only have the humpback sightings been epic, but we’ve also seen other types of whales, dolphins, and more!
Whether you’re a local or you find yourself in San Luis Obispo County and want to experience this diverse sea life for yourself, we invite you to take a trip with Morro Bay Whale Watching ASAP!
A Humpback Whale Approaches The Freedom. Photo By Amy McKellar
Summer 2025 Sightings
This summer has been one for the books! Here’s some photo highlights of what we’ve seen so far on the water. Keep in mind, this is a non-exhaustive list!
Humpback Whales
Of course we have to start this list off with our pride and joy, the humpback whale. We’ve been thrilled to see so many humpbacks every day, and have enjoyed the epic shows they put on!
Pod of Humpback Whales In Morro Bay. Photo By Amy McKellar
Orcas AKA Bigg’s Killer Whales
Back in June, we encountered a pod of orcas, which is always a special occurrence in Morro Bay. This particular pod was identified as the CA-39As.
Pod of Orcas in Morro Bay. Photo By Amy McKellar
Blue Whales
Later in June, we came across two blue whales. These creatures are massive (in fact, they’re the largest animals to ever exist on earth), so seeing them in person is breathtaking!
Blue Whale Spout In Morro Bay. Photo By Amy McKellar
Minke Whales
A few weeks ago, we saw some Minke whales in the area. Encounters with these smaller baleen whales are considered rare in Morro Bay, making it a special treat!
Rare Minke Whale Sighting in Morro Bay. Photo By Amy McKellar
Dolphins
This summer we've seen plenty of dolphins, including bottlenose dolphins, pacific white-sided dolphins, and Risso dolphins! Dolphins are a crowd favorite on the whale watching boat.
From Left to Right: Bottlenose Dolphins, Risso Dolphins, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins. Photo By Amy McKellar
Mola Mola AKA Ocean Sunfish
We love seeing these Ocean Sunfish on our whale watching trips! These are one of the largest boney fish in the world, and always a fun sighting.
Mola Mola, Or Ocean Sunfish, In Morro Bay. Photo By Amy McKellar
Moon Jellies
Can't forget about the Moon Jellies! These translucent jelly fish not only cool to look at, but they also serve as prey to some ocean predators like the Ocean Sunfish.
Moon Jelly In Morro Bay. Photo By Amy McKellar
Sea Otters (even on the dock!)
While otters are regularly seen from all our boats, we've had some otters visiting the dock recently. What a fun surprise to see this ocean creatures on land!
Otter On The Sub Sea Tours Dock. Still From Video by Dakota Osborne
Enjoy The Sea Life of Morro Bay with Morro Bay Whale Watching
Spending some time in San Luis Obispo County? We'd love to take you out for a whale watching trip and show you the variety of sea life that Morro Bay and the surrounding area has to offer! Whether you join us for the National Geographic level whale watching of summer, or opt for a later date, there’s no better time than now to book your trip.