Playful humpbacks feeding off Southern California before migrating south

It might be the start of the gray whale season, but the “other” gray whales – the playful humpbacks – have been stealing the spotlight on the sea.

Humpbacks have been hanging off the Southern California coast in big numbers for the past month, making a pit stop to snack off the South Bay through Orange County and down to San Diego during their migration south to warmer waters.

And it seems they are in no rush to leave.

Humpbacks are less predictable and reliable than the gray whales, known for their annual migration passing by Southern California en route from feeding grounds in Alaska to breeding grounds in Baja’s warm water lagoons.

“Although the gray whales are just trickling through – the first ones – there’s a lot of life to see on the ocean and it’s a really good time to go whale watching,” said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, director of the American Cetacean Society/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, based at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Palos Verdes.

Joining the buffet of wildlife in recent weeks have been fin whales, the second largest whale species, minke whales and Risso’s dolphins, which feed on squid, she said.

But it’s the humpback whales, which spend summers off Central and Northern California and nurse and breed in Mexico and Central America, that are making a splash – literally. The species is known for its big breaches, lunge feeding and curious behavior that can bring them within feet of whale watching boats.

Humpbacks started showing in big numbers off Southern California in September, stuck around in October and have continued hanging out through November.

One day earlier this month, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching charters reported 19 encounters. This week, nine humpback whale sightings were logged during several trips on Sunday, Monday and again Tuesday.

“I’ve been asking people if they’ve ever seen so much whale activity. I don’t think we’ve seen this many humpbacks, ever,” said Donna Kalez, manager for Dana Wharf. “This is insane. It’s a feeding frenzy, a never-ending buffet.”

Humpbacks’ acrobatic abilities is part of what makes them so special. One whale on a recent day jumped out of the ocean 26 times while lunge feeding.

Earlier this week, two humpback whales “mugged” the Dana Pride boat, swimming under and alongside the vessel multiple times, according to Laura Lopez, a photographer and naturalist on the boat. Another started “pec slapping,” the water with its pectoral fin, fluked with its tail in the air and then dove under the boat.

Newport Coastal Adventure owner Ryan Lawler said anchovies, the whales’ food source, has been plentiful.

“Southern California is like a fast-food stop for them,” he said. “Some of them want to get an extra bite in before they do their migration to Mexico. If they find a lot of anchovies, humpbacks will delay their move to the southern waters.”

They seemed to have discovered the food off Southern California around 2015, possibly due to the impacts of warm El Nino waters during that time, Lawler said. Sometimes, they show up in big numbers, other years just a handful stopping in during their migration.

“It’s an exciting time to go whale watching as we are waiting for the gray whales, which have a lot longer migration,” Lawler said. “It’s been nice to fill this fall time, as we wait for the gray whales.”

Dana Wharf has traditionally dubbed Friday, Nov. 24, “Gray Friday,” encouraging people to get outside for whale watching instead of spending the day at malls battling crowds.

There’s already been a few early-season sightings, including a northbound gray whale close to shore in Palos Verdes on Wednesday, Nov. 22, said Schulman-Janiger, who is gearing up for the start of the census kick off on Dec. 1.

Researchers will be watching the migration closely, with a recent report of a 46% drop in the number of gray whales off the West Coast from 2016 to 2023, Schulman-Janiger said.

The current population estimate is 14,500, down from 27,000, attributed to climate change that has had a dire impact on the food chain and ice melt in Alaska. In 2019, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration issued an Unusual Mortality Event following hundreds of strandings that continued in the years following. 

The good news: Last year did not have as many skinny whales or strandings and there was an uptick in calves, Schulman-Janiger said.

“Despite the bad news and drop in populations, there’s signs of a turnaround,” she said. “We’re hoping to see fewer skinny whales and more calves. We want to see a continuation of the upticks we saw last season.”