Humpback whale season on the Central Coast is in full swing, but with the abundance of migrating mammals, paired with curious humans, danger can be lurking if you get too close.
Whales are massive, beautiful creatures, but from time to time, their food can creep closer and closer to shore, meaning they need to do the same.
The thrill of whale watching never ceases to amaze.
“Yesterday’s morning trip we went out, they were inside the harbor,” said DJ Hardy, a boat captain for Subsea Tours and Morro Bay Whale Watching in Morro Bay.
Millions of people have seen the video of a humpback whale capsizing a kayak with two women aboard in Avila Beach in November of 2020. Luckily, both were uninjured.
On Thursday, thousands and thousands of bait fish made their way deep into the port near Avila Beach Paddlesports, bringing with them the humpback whales that feed on them.
“In the last couple of weeks, they've been about a mile, two miles out,” said Alicia Avina, owner of Avila Beach Paddlesports. “Finally, yesterday, they came right inside the port, and we were able to see them from the shop here.”
Whales are plenty in Morro Bay, too.
“It’s been pretty dang busy,” said Hardy. “It feels like they showed up a little bit later, or at least in the big numbers. But since August, we've had feeding frenzies of 20, 30, 40 whales at times, just all over Estero Bay.”
Now that the Central Coast is in the thick of humpback whale season, precautions should be taken while on the water.
“We've been seeing the water temperature is up, which usually we see more bait, more life, more activity when that happens,” said Dakota Osborne, a boat captain for Subsea Tours and Morro Bay Whale Watching in Morro Bay. “You always want to be respectful, give them space. Don't intentionally approach very close to them.”
“If you see a lot of the bait fish and you see a lot of animals all together, you want to make sure that you keep a safe distance because we want to make sure that we keep the marine mammals safe, as well as yourself,” said Avina.
It’s not just people on kayaks or paddleboards who need to be careful around the gigantic mammals; Morro Bay Harbor Patrol says whales can damage smaller vessels and pose a danger to those onboard, and also the whale itself.
It’s a bit deceiving, but whales, even with their massive stature, are swift movers in the water, so if you see one while you’re on the water, it won’t take long for it to reach you.
Humpback whale season for the Central Coast is typically between April and November as they migrate south for the winter.
