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Santa Cruz Whale Watching

By Stagnaro Charters

Price Buster Special Event

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We will beat the lowest advertised whale watching price for any 3+ hours Monterey Bay Whale Watching tour! Use coupon code GPBUSTER to purchase tickets online now for $33.00 each kids/adults.

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Velocity on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Subject to availability ~ Limited Time Offer ~ Restrictions apply

*** Groupon Price Buster rate is not valid Friday March 30, 2018 - Sunday April 8, 2018 ***

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Every day is different! Blue, Fin and Humpback Whales

Blue Fin Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Friday, July 15, 2016 ~ Sightings this week:

Today:

  • Endless humpback whales
  • 2 fin whales
  • 4 blue whales
  • Pod of common dolphins

Thursday, July 14:

Quite a few Humpback whales over Monterey Canyon … we spotted 2 Blue Whales! … and the Sharks continue to fascinate.

Wednesday, July 13:

  • 8 Humpback whales
  • 12 Risso’s dolphins
  • 20 Bottlenose dolphins
  • Lots of Sharks 6-10 feet long!
  • Whale Watching trips run daily through July – Call (831) 427-0230

Friday, July 8:

Friday, Jul 8 Sightings: 1 ORCA, 2 WHITE SHARKS, 5 HUMPBACK WHALES, 200 COMMON DOLPHINS

This entry was posted on July 15, 2016 by Ken Stagnaro.


Humpbacks and Orca thrill on Monterey Bay

Humpbacks & Orca thrill on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

It’s been an active week on Monterey Bay with large groups of humpback whales lunge feeding on schools of anchovies, along with common dolphins, sea lions, birds, and a special encounter with orca! Here’s a recap of this week’s sightings with Santa Cruz Whale Watching tours.

Tuesday, Aug 25

Groups of 8-10 humpback whales lunge feeding repeatedly for over 2 hours! We had a pod of common dolphins mixed in with the whales. The dolphins were swimming with the boat alongside sea lions, and many feeding birds. One of the humpback whales was rolling around in the bait ball, showing off belly and ventral pleats—creases that run vertically down the underside of a whale’s jaw all the way to its stomach. When feeding, the ventral pleats expand like an accordion to accommodate a huge amount of food-rich water.

Thursday, Aug 27

We found a group of 3-4 humpback whales that were particularly friendly among more whales spread out across the bay. These animals were “lazy” feeding at the surface – one would just poke his snout out with a mouthful of anchovies, then slowing descend back down… We had more common dolphins that stayed with the boat all day! As we were starting to head back to Santa Cruz Harbor, we were intercepted by a single humpback whale doing tail throws and then several minutes of tail slaps!

Friday, Aug 28

Oh boy! On Friday there were more humpbacks sighted, “lazy” feeding on the abundant anchovies as before, but today’s whale watchers had a special treat with a group of four Orcas! There were two males accompanying a mother/calf pair. The orcas even spent a few minutes near to the boat, swimming under the boat in clear conditions – you could see them under the water! One passenger reported feeling the spray from their blowhole!

Orca on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Orca Monterey Bay 8-28-15 | Photo: Michael Nelson

Orca on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Orca on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Orca on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Orca photos courtesy Michael B. Nelson

Don’t Miss the new PBS special “BIG BLUE LIVE” airing Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday on your local PBS station. It’s all about the amazing wildlife and ecosystems of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary that we get to enjoy every day! Tune in then come out with us on our beautiful boat Velocity!

Velocity on Monterey Bay while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Humpback whale visits passengers on board Velocity, with Santa Cruz Whale Watching

This entry was posted on August 30, 2015 by jennyo

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The show goes on: Whales, birds, dolphins still drawing crowds

Whales, birds, dolphins still drawing crowds

By Jason Hoppin | [email protected] @scnewsdude on Twitter

Posted: 08/14/2014 04:01:16 PM PDT2 Comments

MOSS LANDING >> The music may have stopped, but the show never really ends.

Humpback whales aren’t getting the same worldwide attention as a few weeks ago, when they practically seemed to be knocking on the doors of beachfront homes. Lunchtime gawkers at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf got an eyeful, as did visitors to Moss Landing State Beach, where the whales came close enough to shore that they seemed eye-to-eye with beachgoers, including a few confused dogs and horses.

But they’re still out there, in abundance, entertaining visitors from across the globe.

“It was amazing because at one moment you don’t know where to see, there’s a lot to look at,” said Laetitia David, who lives outside Versailles, France, and is touring the western U.S. with her husband, Alain.

The couple took a tour this week with Moss Landing-based Sanctuary Cruises, one of several whale-watching boats operating out of the region that have been teeming with passengers.

The giant schools of anchovies that seem to yawn from shore out to the horizon have dissipated, a phenomenon that drew more whales but that seems to have been punctuated by the unfortunately stinky harbor die-off in Santa Cruz.

There are always more visitors to Monterey Bay, and last weekend Monterey Bay Whale Watch’s posted pictures of killer whales leaping out of the water in its Facebook page. Of course, birds, seals and dolphins can always be found in abundance.

You might even see another rarity of you’re near the water these days – surfers without wetsuits. Water temperatures at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Monterey Bay buoy are in the mid-60s this week, well above normal even for late summer.

And that buoy is 30 miles offshore. Near-shore temps are certain to be higher, all the result of calm skies that have ground to a halt the phenomenon known as upwelling, where winds churn ocean waters, bringing cooler, nutrient-rich deep sea water to the surface.

“It’s just a lack of northwest wind, which gives us upwelling along the coast,” National Weather Service forecaster Steve Anderson said. “The cold water isn’t coming to the surface, which allows the water temperature to warm up.”

The warm water has nothing to do with El Niño, Anderson stressed.

Santa Cruz Whale Watching’s Ken Stagnaro said the lack of upwelling have kept the krill counts low, which could be why there haven’t been reports of blue whales so far.

But Stagnaro said there’s still plenty to see on the water. “We had sightings of killer whales feeding on a sea lion a few days ago,” Stagnaro said.

The show must go on, after all.

SOURCE: Santa Cruz Sentinel

This entry was posted on August 15, 2014 by jennyo

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Rare Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles Spotted in Monterey Bay

Leatherback Turtle while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Maria Grusauskas

June 14, 2014

Last week, passengers on a Santa Cruz Whale Watching boat (while whale watching in Monterey Bay) got to see a rare and special site: a Pacific leatherback sea turtle feeding on a brown sea nettle, or jelly fish.

According to local marine biologist, Dr. Wallace J Nichols, the leather back in the picture appears to be around 1,000 pounds.

“I’d say it looks like it’s healthy and eating well! The leatherbacks encountered in our bay are usually nice and fat, ready for the long swim back to Indonesia,” said Dr. Nichols.

The leatherbacks seen in local waters travel around 6,000 miles to feed off the coast of California, migrating from Indonesia where they nest.

The chances of seeing the endangered leatherbacks in our backyard may be on the rise in the coming weeks, according to Nichols, who says they typically migrate up the coast during midsummer through fall.

There were other reports last week of leatherback sitings in the waters around Monterey, Moss Landing and Half Moon Bay, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The sea turtles appear to following a bloom of jelly fish, their number one food source, north through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

“I think that most people don’t realize that we have leatherback turtles in the bay that come from Indonesia, and it’s nice to highlight that,” said Wallace J Nichols, just after seeing the two interactive sea turtle exhibits at Santa Cruz’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on Monday.

Nichols is on the board of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, an advocacy group working to protect endangered marine life, and he’s also on the board of Save Our Shores, the local nonprofit group largely responsible for getting single use plastic bags banned in the Santa Cruz County.

Plastic bags are known to be regularly injested by sea turtles mistaking them for their favorite food: jellies. In fact its very hard even for a human being to tell the difference between a jelly and a plastic bag floating underwater.

The leatherback turtle has been listed as an endangered species since 1970, and some researchers estimate that their population has declined 95 percent over the last 25 years.

According to researchers at Turtle Island Restoration Network, they could disappear completely in the next 5 – 30 years, even though they have survived unchanged for over 100 million years.

The declining numbers of leatherbacks are largely due to poaching, entanglement in shrimp nets or long line hooks, destruction of nesting beaches, pollution and plastic debris in the ocean. Rising sea levels are also impacting nesting beaches and the food resources of sea turtles, according to researchers at Turtle Island Restoration Network.

Leatherback Photo Credit: John Warren, courtesy of Captain Ken Stagnaro, SantaCruzWhaleWatching.com

This entry was posted in Press Coverage and tagged humpback whales, humpbacks, monterey california whale watching, monterey whale watching, santa cruz on June 14, 2014 by jennyo.

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Santa Cruz among best whale watching on the California coast!

Wharf while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

NOAA marks the best whale watching sites on coast

Monterey Bay topping the list for activity

May 07, 2014

MONTEREY, Calif. – NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and The Whale Trail announced new coastal sites in California where the public can view orcas and other marine mammals from shore, like the Monterey Bay.

Viewing sites near San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Monterey will be established and outfitted with interpretative signs describing the types of whales and other wildlife that can be seen at each location as well as information about the area’s distinguishing characteristics.

The sites will be added to the Whale Trail website.

The inaugural viewing sites include Point Reyes, Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, and Point Lobos State Reserve in Monterey County. Additionally, the Crissy Field visitor center for Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s (MBNMS) Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, and MBNMS Coastal Discover Center in San Simeon will also be added to the Whale Trail website as venues where the public can learn about whales and other marine mammals.

This year has been a particularly good one for whale activity, and whale-watching companies say they are doing quite well this year.

Article source: KION 5/46

This entry was posted in Press Coverage and tagged humpback whales monterey, monterey whale watching, santa cruz california on May 13, 2014 by jennyo.

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Rare finds in Monterey Bay!

Humpbacks & Gray Whale Together!

Sunday March 23,2014: On Sunday Santa Cruz Whale Watching had a rare and very special trip on Monterey Bay! We followed a pair of Humpbacks and a Gray whale swimming together! Our Naturalist had never seen this behavior before. We saw a Humpback breaching! Another rare sight was a “Megapod” of a thousand plus Risso’s dolphins. They were literally stretching out for over a mile! An awesome sight!

Monday March 24, 2014: We were only a 1/2 mile out of Santa Cruz when we spotted our first whale! It was a young gray. We then headed to outer Monterey Bay where we had another incredible encounter with two humpback whales. They got friendly with the boat, swimming right under us while adrift and looking up at the people. We also got to see several breaches and spectacular tail throws!! It was another special day on Monterey Bay!

On Friday March 21, 2014: we enjoyed 5 Gray Whales in Monterey Bay and dozens of Otters in Santa Cruz.

Saturday March 22, 2014: On Saturday we saw a couple of Humpback Whales and a Gray Whale. A wonderful 4 days of Whale Watching on Monterey Bay!!!

This entry was posted in Recent SIghtings and tagged gray whale, gray whales, humpbacks, monterey whale watching on March 25, 2014 by jennyo.

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CBS Evening News rides along with Santa Cruz Whale Watching

A few years back we hosted John Blackstone and his CBS News crew on board Velocity. This video features amazing footage of friendly humpback whales curious about our boat and tourists. Captain Ken Stagnaro and our naturalist Maureen Gilbert give us some great insight into the habits of Monterey Bay wildlife.

Humpback whales return each spring to their feeding grounds in Monterey Bay and remain in our local waters through November, sometimes longer! Year-round whale watching tours depart from the Santa Cruz Yacht harbor to see whales, dolphins, seals and otters, and more. As Maureen says, “You are never the same after you see a whale in the wild.”

This entry was posted in Press Coverage and tagged California tours, humpback whales, humpbacks, monterey california whale watching, monterey whale watching, oracs, santa cruz, santa cruz whale watching, whales on March 7, 2014 by jennyo.


Monterey Bay Whale Watching ABC News

November 2013 ABC News story and wonderful footage from one of our sister boats in Monterey Bay. Monterey whale watching at its finest!

This entry was posted on March 7, 2014 by jennyo.

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Whales still going wild in Monterey Bay – KSBW news report, November 8, 2013

This entry was posted in Press Coverage and tagged humpbacks, monterey bay, monterey whale watching, whales on November 11, 2013 by jennyo.

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My Blue Heaven: Abundance of World's largest creature seen in Monterey Bay

By Jason Hoppin | Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted: 07/08/2013

SANTA CRUZ — Monterey Bay is singing the blues.

Majestic blue whales are being spotted around Monterey Bay in recent days, as viewing season for the largest animal in history reaches its peak.

Whale-watching captains are reporting sightings of more than a dozen of the endangered behemoths, which seem to be venturing into the bay with greater frequency in recent years.

“(People) are in awe. I hear a lot of gasps, especially when those massive tail flukes come up,” said Dorris Welch, co-owner of Santa Cruz-based Sanctuary Cruises. “Some people just say it’s a life-changing experience.”

Because they dive deep and long, blue whales can be elusive compared to more visible humpback whales, a playful creature that has provided boaters, kayakers and even surfers with more than a few thrills.

But the blues are being seen with relative frequency, and are proving a draw for people who pine for a firsthand look.

“It’s pretty much every trip right now. (Sunday) we saw probably no less than 10,” said Ken Stagnaro of Santa Cruz Whale Watching. “Saturday morning, I followed a whale that just kept taking me into more whales.”

Due to high spring winds that have increased the nutrient levels in the water, it has been a particularly good season for whale watching. There also have been several reports of pods of Risso’s dolphins, a large, snub-nosed variety that has been seen toying with blue whales.

“They kind of play with them, kind of harass them,” Stagnaro joked. “On average, it can be kind of a boring lifestyle so they need something to keep them entertained.”

Giancarlo Thomae, a marine biologist with Sanctuary Cruises, said he believes there’s as many as 15 blues in the bay, with some coming very close to shore near Moss Landing.

“People are very stoked because they’re the largest animals that ever lived,” Thomae said. “They dwarf the boat “… people get really excited.”

Beginning about two weeks ago, boaters also have seen harder-to-spot endangered leatherback sea turtles. Now the state’s official marine reptile, the giant turtles travel from Indonesia to feed on the region’s abundance of jellyfish.

Leatherbacks typically stay until August, when they venture back across the Pacific Ocean.

Santa Cruz Sentinel

This entry was posted in Media, Press Coverage on July 9, 2013 by jennyo.

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Paul Schraub’s whales shot shows why California’s Santa Cruz is so special

Paul Schraub's photo

Photo Credit: Paul Schraub - Thanks Paul!

This entry was posted in Media, Press Coverage on April 3, 2013 by admin.

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Whale watchers get up close, personal in Santa Cruz Harbor

Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Santa Cruz Harbor 10/27/11

SANTA CRUZ - The past couple of weeks have been busy for whale watchers in Santa Cruz.

At sunset on Wednesday, boaters hung out with six to eight humpback whales cruising around the harbor. Last Friday, school kids got a show from two humpbacks that breached and rolled only 30 feet from their catamaran.

The humpbacks are feeding on anchovies and other baitfish, explained Laura Barnes, education coordinator with O'Neill Sea Odyssey, a marine science program for fourth-graders through sixth-graders.

"There is a huge amount of plankton in the water and the baitfish are here because of that," she said.

A handful of sailboats, a small catamaran and an adventurous stand-up paddle boarder watched more humpback activity Wednesday evening, just a mile from shore.

Ken Stagnaro, owner of Santa Cruz Whale Watching, took his family out for a sunset excursion.

"Monterey Bay is one of the top three places in the world to see marine wildlife this close to shore," Stagnaro said. He followed several whales for an hour before the sun slipped below the horizon.

One of the whales was Stinky, a local celebrity that has been hanging around the bay all summer. Stagnaro recognized Stinky by a white streak on the whale's back.

Barnes described last Friday's outing with a group of school kids as amazing. Dolphins approached the boat, and then headed towards a group of seagulls and pelicans diving on fish near the surface.

"Then we saw two whales come up at the same time," Barnes said. "The kids were blown away. We had to sort of give up teaching for a moment."

The class was able to keep track of the whales even underwater because the cetaceans made a "bubble net." The whales blow bubbles in a circle and herd fish into a ball so it is easy to grab a big mouthful.

"We saw it coming up with its mouth open," said Barnes. "The gullet completely filled up and fish and water spilled out of its mouth."

The whale also slapped the water a few times with its long pectoral fins and leaped, or breached, out of the water.

Humpback whales are known for their showy behavior. Stagnaro takes whale watchers, out on his yacht four to six times a week.

"Locals come for the gray whales," he said. "But you'll never get a show from a gray whale the way you will with a humpback."

Gray whales often come close to shore during their migration, swimming through Santa Cruz waters in mid-January headed south and in mid-March headed north.

"Everyone calls it whale season, but that's just one species that are passing through," Stagnaro said. "Whales are here year-round."

Santa Cruz Whale Watching, operated by Stagnaro Charter Boats, takes people out on the bay all year. Cruises might encounter harbor seals, sea otters, as many as five species of dolphins and four species of whales, including blue whales, killer whales, gray whales and humpbacks.

Humpback whales are typically about 50 feet and weigh around 45 tons.

"Ideally this time of the year they will be quite a bit heavier than in the spring," Stagnaro said. He explained that baleen whales, like humpbacks, feed all summer in colder waters to build up weight and blubber. They head south in the winter for calving in warmer waters.

Humpback whales are found in all the oceans of the world. The humpbacks in the bay now are part of a group of several hundred who travel the coast between Oregon and Mexico.

Stagnaro does caution boaters to be aware of the guidelines for whale watching. "Stay a little behind and to the side of them. As long as you're not cutting them off and making them alter course."

The Marine Life Protection Act requires that whale watchers stay at least 100 yards away, though the whale may approach the boat on its own.

"They are curious animals," Stagnaro said. "Sometimes they will come up and you'll be eye to eye with a whale."

Picture & article credit: Santa Cruz Sentinel

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The Whales of Monterey Bay

HUMPBACK WHALE: COMMON

Humpback Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae

Whale Watching Monterey Bay California – The Whales of Monterey Bay

From April through November the Humpback Whale is the most common whale found out of Monterey Bay. The “local” population of several hundred Humpbacks are known to spend the winter months off of the Mexican Coast and then migrate to the central California coast for the feeding season. Monterey Bay is a most abundant food source for these beautiful cetaceans. Humpback Whales are the most animated of all Baleen whales. While Stagnaro’s boats strictly adhere to the (MLPA) Marine Life Protection Act which requires a 100 yard minimum standoff while Monterey whale watching, these curious creatures often come right up to the boat and engage in “people watching”. Humpbacks reach over 50′ in length and are easily identified by their distinctive long pectoral flippers.

Outer Bay Trips: April Through November

This 3-4 hour Monterey whale watching trip focuses on the Humpback Whale. The local herd comes to Monterey Bay and the central coast for seasonal feeding. They feed on anchovies, sardines, and krill (shrimp like crustaceans). There is also an increased chance of spotting Blue whales in Summer and Fall.

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GRAY WHALE: COMMON

Gray Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus

Twice every year over 20,000 Gray Whales pass through our waters off of Santa Cruz. The first time occurs from December through mid February when they are migrating south from the cold arctic waters of the Bering Sea to their winter calving grounds off of the Baja Peninsula. Then north again to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea of Alaska. Northbound whales are usually off of Santa Cruz from mid February through April. This 10,000+ mile roundtrip is one of the longest migrations of any animal known. Peak viewing for southbound whales is usually in mid January. Peak northbound migration is around mid March. The Gray Whale can reach 45′ long. Females are usually larger than males. During their migration they are constantly traveling at 2-4 miles per hour. This can make for ideal viewing. Gray Whales will sound (dive) for 2-5 minutes, sometimes longer. Their northern migration tends to be more social and leisurely. At times they can be spotted mating, breaching and “spyhopping”.


Outer Bay Trips: December Through April

This 3-4 hour trip focuses on the annual migration of the California Gray Whale. Approximately 20,000 whales pass by the Santa Cruz coast south and then north again in a 5-month period. Peak migration usually occurs mid January and mid March. There is also an increased chance of spotting Killer Whales in March, April, and May.

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BLUE WHALE: FAIRLY COMMON

Blue Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus

The Blue Whale is the largest animal to ever inhabit the earth including the dinosaurs. In the early days blues reached 125′ in length and 150 tons. Today they rarely exceed 90′. They are found in all oceans but are endangered, approximately 10,000 worldwide. Their distinctive high spout can reach over 25′ and be spotted many miles away. Blue whales can usually be found in the bay in the summer when they feed on krill (small shrimp like crustaceans).


Killer Whale: Fairly Common

Killer Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Killer Whale Orcinus orca

Killer Whales can be seen at any time but are unpredictable. They are however most common during April, May, and June as they predate on northbound migrating Gray Whales, usually mother and newborn calves. Killer Whales are found worldwide. Most Killer Whales seen in Monterey Bay are the “Transient” type somewhat nomadic, feeding on marine mammals. “Resident” Killer Whales feed on salmon and rarely occur here. Resident Killer Whales are indigenous to Alaska and British Columbia.


OTHER WHALES: LESS COMMON

Baird's Beaked Whale while Whale Watching in Monterey Bay California with Stagnaro Charters

Baird’s Beaked Whale Berardius bairdii

The Minke Whale, Beaked Whale and the Fin Whale are occasionally spotted here in the bay. However, for an occasional Whale Enthusiast chances of a sighting are probably less than 10%.

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