Whale Watching in Morro Bay: A Look At Humpback, Gray & Blue Whale Populations
Morro Bay is a prime whale watching destination on California's Central Coast, offering a front-row seat to one of the ocean’s greatest comeback stories. Thanks to decades of conservation work and global protections, several whale species that migrate along our coast have much healthier populations than they once did.
It’s important to note that there is still a long way to go for most whale populations to get back to what they were before mass whale hunting in the 19th century. But it’s worth acknowledging and appreciating the progress that has been made! So let’s recognize the population growth of some of the whales species we see in Morro Bay and the efforts of the conservation groups that have made it possible!
A Look at Whale Populations
Let’s take a look at how the populations of some of the whale species we see here in Morro Bay!
Humpback whales off the coast of Morro Bay. Photo by Amy McKellar.
Humpback Whales
Once hunted to populations as low as 10,000 individual whales worldwide, humpbacks have made a comeback over the last few decades due to conservation policies like the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act (endangered.org). Prior to the moratorium on whaling in 1985, many sub-populations of these whales had been reduced by more than 95% of their pre-hunting numbers (NOAA Fisheries). Today, some population segments are still considered endangered, but there are estimated to be over 80,000 humpbacks world-wide.
Gray Whales
Gray whales faced near extinction twice, in the mid-1800s and early 1900s, due to being hunted for their blubber. In 1946, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established to regulate whaling globally. In the US, gray whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. The eastern Pacific gray whale stock is currently considered healthy, with approximately 19,000 whales, and was delisted as endangered in 1994 (National Geographic). Unfortunately, the western stock is still considered endangered, with fewer than 300 individuals (NOAA Fisheries).
A Blue Whale in Morro Bay. Photo by Amy McKellar.
Blue Whales
The largest animals to ever exist on earth were hunted to near extinction in the 20th century because of their valuable oil. It is estimated that whalers killed up to 99% of the world population of blue whales between the 1860s and 1960s (Center for Biological Diversity). While still endangered, blue whale populations have been slowly and steadily increasing from a low of approximately 2,000 individuals to current estimates of 10,000-25,000 globally (Curious Earth).
Fin Whales
Like other species discussed, fin whales were unfortunately depleted to dangerously low numbers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, hitting a low population between 3,250 to 6,000 in the 1980s. However, the populations have made quite an improvement over the last few decades due to policy protections (International Fund for Animal Welfare). Now with approximately 100,000 fin whales globally, the IUCN currently lists the species as vulnerable, though some sub-populations are still considered endangered (Whale and Dolphin Conservation).
Humpback Whale In Front of Morro Rock. Photo by Amy McKellar.
Celebrate The Whales With Us!
As we said before, there is still a ways to go before these whale species return to the kinds of numbers they saw before they were hunted to near extinction over the last few centuries. But we are grateful for the progress that has been made through conservation efforts in the last half a century, and that is worth celebrating!
We appreciate these beautiful creatures daily on our whale watching trips, and love to share the experience with our guests! Currently, there are so many humpbacks in Morro Bay, so now is a perfect time to join us on the water. Interested in whale watching with us? Book your trip today!