Sanctuary Cruises Whale Watching

Sanctuary Cruises Whale Watching Get up close and personal with humpback whales, orcas, blue whales, gray whales, dolphins and more! Our boat Sanctuary is U.S. And we run the trips as a team.
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Come aboard Moss Landing's original and oldest whale watching tour to find all the wildlife Monterey Bay has to offer! -Daily marine wildlife tours with an emphasis on whales and dolphins.
-We run a longer trip, with smaller groups (20-22 passengers or less), which gives us time to find cool stuff and more time to spend with the animals.
-We're always the last boat in because we like to be out th

ere with the marine wildlife more than anyone.
-We guarantee you will see whales or your next trip is free!
-We've partnered with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to help with marine education by donating a portion of all ticket sales to the foundation.
-Our trips have fewer passengers on board than any other boat in the Monterey Bay. Most marine wildlife/whale watching boats in The Monterey Bay take out between 45-120+ passengers on any given trip. Coast Guard certified to carry up to 39 passengers. However, we generally average around 25 passengers per trip for a more enjoyable, informative experience for all.
-We offer a higher end trip and a better experience.
-We're the boat the locals prefer to go out with.
-No age limits and pregnant women are welcome.
-We use 99% biodiesel made from recycled vegetable oil in our brand new engines. It's better for the ocean creatures, the air, our engines & you.
-We're the only company on The Bay owned by a woman with degrees in marine biology & education and a captain with vast experience in both power boat and sailing seamanship. So you get the owners of the company taking you out and ensuring you have a great day with the Monterey Bay marine wildlife.

https://www.flyingdawnmarie.com/new-blog/monterey-bay-sanctuary-cruises
06/03/2024

https://www.flyingdawnmarie.com/new-blog/monterey-bay-sanctuary-cruises

Today we're heading out on a luxury motor yacht with Sanctuary Cruises for a private whale watching charter. This is one of the top orca and whale watching companies in Moss Landing in Central California, providing group and private tours of the Monterey Bay. We'll encounter all kinds of marine wild

The humpback whales have been putting on some amazing displays over the last week! Almost every single trip has been abl...
05/21/2024

The humpback whales have been putting on some amazing displays over the last week! Almost every single trip has been able to encounter some level of surface activity, but the breaching activity has been incredibly high. Don't miss this epic show! www.sanctuarycruises.com

📷: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

Who do you think tail-lobs better?The last couple days we've seen a plethora of different species and different behavior...
05/15/2024

Who do you think tail-lobs better?

The last couple days we've seen a plethora of different species and different behaviors! While humpback whales constantly put on amazing displays, killer whales are less likely to do so. When the pod of killer whales started getting active yesterday with a few breaching and tail-lobbing displays, we were thrilled! The whale watching has been superb as of late, so if you're looking for a time to go, this is it! www.sanctuarycruises.com

📷: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

Today was beyond epic!!!We started the morning with nearly 15 humpbacks in front of the Moss Landing harbor before headi...
04/13/2024

Today was beyond epic!!!

We started the morning with nearly 15 humpbacks in front of the Moss Landing harbor before heading out a few miles to spend time with 7 killer whales. After we got some great looks at the killer whales, we came back to the harbor where we were treated to a nonstop breaching display from a pair of humpbacks. The whales in front of the harbor have been putting on unbelievable displays the last few days! www.sanctuarycruises.com

Photo workshops begin in a few days! Only a few spaces left!

Photos by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

The humpbacks couldn't keep their flukes in the water today! Both our trips got to enjoy endless amounts of humpback fun...
04/10/2024

The humpbacks couldn't keep their flukes in the water today! Both our trips got to enjoy endless amounts of humpback fun as multiple whales tail-lobbed and tail-shaped for hours. We also saw breaching and pec-slapping, all while counting nearly 20 whales! www.sanctuarycruises.com

Photos by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

Here are some images from yesterday's extraordinary day with over killer whales! While these predators are known for hun...
04/03/2024

Here are some images from yesterday's extraordinary day with over killer whales!

While these predators are known for hunting minke whales all over the globe, it is rarely witnessed here in Monterey Bay as they generally go after gray whale calves on their migration north. As spring ramps up, we expect to see more killer whales over the coming weeks as this is historically the best time of year to see them. Join us for a trip or photo workshop this month or next to get an opportunity to see and photograph them and many other animals for yourself! www.sanctuarycruises.com

Photos by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

Our spring photography workshops are approaching quickly and some are selling out! Join us on those early morning tours ...
03/24/2024

Our spring photography workshops are approaching quickly and some are selling out! Join us on those early morning tours as search the bay for the best photo ops. Killer whales, active humpbacks, dolphins, and more are all priority targets during these extra long trips!

You will be joined by our naturalist and professional photographer, Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images as he helps you capture the best images possible! Don't miss out on these highly popular trips! Learn more and register by heading here: www.chasedekker.com/whalewatching

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! Use the code "irishluck" at checkout to receive $10 off each ticket for any whale watching tr...
03/17/2024

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Use the code "irishluck" at checkout to receive $10 off each ticket for any whale watching trip this March! The whales and dolphins have been fantastic as of late, so don't miss your chance to see how much luck you'll have out on the bay!

www.sanctuarycruises.com

Photo by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

The Spring action pretty much kicked off today. We came across a couple of humpback whales yesterday. But today they sho...
02/26/2024

The Spring action pretty much kicked off today. We came across a couple of humpback whales yesterday. But today they showed up in some decent numbers. We heard reports of 10 plus humpbacks lunge feeding. But by the time we got there they must have went through the school of anchovies they were feeding on. We ended up off Point Lobos, south of the Carmel Bay. The humpbacks were pretty well broken up into a couple of different pairs and with various blows northwest of us. But there was lots of life in the area. There was a mixed pod of 300-500 Pacific White-sided dolphins and Northern Right Whale dolphins. So that was very cool. Hopefully the humpbacks will start making their way closer to Moss Landing. We keep you updated.

We had some amazing lunge feeding humpbacks yesterday! Even in early December, there are plenty of humpbacks within a fe...
12/04/2023

We had some amazing lunge feeding humpbacks yesterday! Even in early December, there are plenty of humpbacks within a few miles of Moss Landing putting on some great displays. Hopefully this whale watching season continues to last! www.sanctuarycruises.com

If you missed it Monday night, you can watch this news piece about the us and the whales here!:
09/20/2023

If you missed it Monday night, you can watch this news piece about the us and the whales here!:

Summer is nearly over, which means whale watching season is upon us.

We’ve had incredible wildlife encounters over the past few days! There are humpbacks all over the bay putting on amazing...
09/19/2023

We’ve had incredible wildlife encounters over the past few days! There are humpbacks all over the bay putting on amazing displays from breaching to lunge feeding! We have also seen Risso’s, commons, and Pacific white-sided dolphins, sharks, and lots of other wildlife! The conditions have been perfect, so don’t miss the best time of year out here on Monterey Bay! www.sanctuarycruises.com

Photos by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

Did you see us on NBC News last night? If so, let us know!!!

Yesterday was packed with action! We had multiple humpback whales breaching, tail-lobbing, and more as well as some frie...
09/09/2023

Yesterday was packed with action! We had multiple humpback whales breaching, tail-lobbing, and more as well as some friendly behaviors! We also had a nice pod of common dolphins to finish out our day! www.sanctuarycruises.com

📷: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

The whale watching and whale photography opportunities have been superb recently! With lots of humpbacks right near the ...
09/08/2023

The whale watching and whale photography opportunities have been superb recently! With lots of humpbacks right near the harbor and thousands of dolphins roaming across the bay, it's always clear to us why September is our favorite month! www.sanctuarycruises.com

Photos by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

We have seen an amazing variety of wildlife over the past couple weeks! From killer whales, humpbacks, blue whales, mult...
06/15/2023

We have seen an amazing variety of wildlife over the past couple weeks! From killer whales, humpbacks, blue whales, multiple species of dolphin, to the rare Baird's beaked whale. It has been an amazing start to the summer season and we're excited to see what else shows up!

www.sanctuarycruises.com

05/28/2023

Very rare beaked whales show up and put on an amazing show. Drone video by Giancarlo Thomae

05/18/2023

Friendly humpback whales come and check us out aboard the Sanctuary.

The humpback action has been on fire recently! Almost every trip we are getting either breaching, tail-lobbing, or frien...
05/02/2023

The humpback action has been on fire recently! Almost every trip we are getting either breaching, tail-lobbing, or friendly humpbacks. Spring is great time to view these amazing animals in Monterey Bay, so join us for a photo workshop or whale watch this week!

www.sanctuarycruises.com

Looking for something to do this Thursday? We are offering $50 off our 8-hour whale photography workshop on April 27th! ...
04/25/2023

Looking for something to do this Thursday? We are offering $50 off our 8-hour whale photography workshop on April 27th! We have been seeing multiple whale species over the past week from humpbacks to blue whales as well as dolphins and other marine life. The weather looks great, so it should be a wonderful day out at sea! Head to website below for more info and registration or give us a call to grab one of the last few remaining spots!

www.chasedekker.com/whalewatching

Epic day out there yesterday.
03/31/2023

Epic day out there yesterday.

460 Likes, 15 Comments - Sanctuary Cruises () on Instagram: "First gray whale predation of the season!! 📸: "

Incredible day on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary yesterday. Excellent weather conditions as well with sunny ...
03/31/2023

Incredible day on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary yesterday. Excellent weather conditions as well with sunny and calm conditions. The stars of the day were the killer whales with around 15-20 individuals attacking two adult gray whales. This is unusual in that we've never seen killer whales go full on predation mode against full-size gray whales as they generally hunt the calves. At the end of the 6-7 hour hunt, both the killer whales gave up and both gray whales swam away as fast as they could. Excellent start to the killer whale season and hopefully encounters like this will continue to happen! Get your tickets at: www.sanctuarycruises.com

Have you signed up for a spring whale photo workshop yet? Many of them are sold out or are about to be, so make sure to ...
03/29/2023

Have you signed up for a spring whale photo workshop yet? Many of them are sold out or are about to be, so make sure to get on one of these extended morning trips before they're all gone! With only 10-11 passengers and 8+ hours out on the water, these trips provide the best opportunity to get amazing marine life images!

Visit www.chasedekker.com/whalewatching to learn more or book by calling us or visiting www.sanctuarycruises.com

03/07/2023
03/07/2023

Killer whale season starting early this year. Epic conditions. A couple humpbacks around and two different pods of killers spotted today.

Don't miss the opportunity this season to join one of our spring whale photography workshops! Every year we head out to ...
02/23/2023

Don't miss the opportunity this season to join one of our spring whale photography workshops! Every year we head out to find our focus animal, the killer whale, as they use the bay to hunt migrating gray whales. We'll also have the chance to photograph humpbacks, blue whales, fin whales, dolphins, and more! You'll be joined by our expert wildlife photographer Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images as he will help you capture the best images possible!

Spaces are limited and some departures are already sold out, so book soon! Follow the link below to get your spot today!

www.chasedekker.com/whalewatching

The conditions have been epic lately. Beautiful and glassy all day long. There has also been a handful of feeding humpba...
12/21/2022

The conditions have been epic lately. Beautiful and glassy all day long. There has also been a handful of feeding humpback whales out toward the Soquel Canyon. That's about an hour or so boat ride from Moss Landing Harbor. So that pretty much what we've been doing. Today was incredible with a handful of very well behaved killer whales. These were the CA39s with a new calf. So the action is still on. But we are still waiting the grey whales. There have a been a few coming through. But the bulk of the estimated 20,000 of them should start coming through in a couple of weeks. Check back or give us a call to find out what's happening out there.

11/28/2022

Today's trip saw several whales on the bay. This one loved the boat.

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7881 Sandholdt Road
Moss Landing, CA
95039

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+18319171042

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Videos

Large groups of humpbacks are still around! We’ve been seeing between 20-40 humpbacks every trip with some dolphin and orcas sightings as well! The whale watching season is still going strong! www.sanctuarycruises.com

Whale watching doesn’t get any better than this! Over the past few days we’ve been experiencing amazing weather and even better whale encounters! The humpbacks are still here in full force and we’ve been spotting above 30 whales almost every single outing. With sightings of multiple species of dolphins and killer whales, it’s been an autumn season to remember! If you’re not out on a boat or planning to be, you’re missing out!!! www.sanctuarycruises.com

The wildlife has been incredible the last few days! We are seeing 25-30 humpback whales right outside the harbor and have also been encountering thousands of common dolphins! On yesterday’s workshop we found a super pod of nearly 5,000 dolphins and had a large stampede of them today! Join us this Labor Day weekend to experience all this wildlife action!!! Filmed by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images www.sanctuarycruises.com

We’ve been having some great whale watches recently! The humpbacks and dolphins have all been putting on a real show ever since the beginning of August. With the Monterey Car Week going on, we wanted to offer $10 off a ticket using the promo code “carweek” when checking out. You can use this for any tour between now and this Sunday! Book your tickets here: www.sanctuarycruises.com

Very rare beaked whales show up and put on an amazing show. Drone video by Giancarlo Thomae

Friendly humpback whales come and check us out aboard the Sanctuary.

We’ve had some incredible whale watching the past week! There are humpbacks all over putting some active surface displays as well as getting friendly with our boat and passengers on multiple occasions! We also saw orcas multiple times and had fantastic encounters with dolphins, blue whales, and more! Filmed by: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images

Southern Resident Killer Whales on yesterday’s tour!!!! We were treated to an ultra-rare sighting of some resident orcas yesterday, who are typically found in the Pacific Northwest. These fish eating orcas form larger family groups than our transient orcas, so we were able to count nearly 20-25 of them as they cruised near Moss Landing! Last time these resident orcas were here was in March of 2019, so it was beyond amazing to see them again, especially on such a calm day. We also spent time with some humpback whales, gray whales, and Risso’s dolphins! 📷: Chase Dekker-Wild Life Images #killerwhale #orcas #whalewatching #whales #montereybay #mosslanding #wildlifephotography #ocean #dolphins #monterey

Killer whale season starting early this year. Epic conditions. A couple humpbacks around and two different pods of killers spotted today.

Hi there
Hi there

Today's trip saw several whales on the bay. This one loved the boat.

Dolphins
Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins bow riding. Humpbacks are still stealing the show on the bay. Daily departures. Sanctuarycruises.com

Jimmy and family
Jimmy and family

Today was spectacular show. Daily departures Sanctuarycruises.com

Ocras
Ocras

We were enjoying a great humpback whale show. When outta no where orcas showed up on our 8am trip. Daily departures Sanctuarycruises.com

Humpback Whales Chase Pod of Killer Whales
Humpback Whales Chase Pod of Killer Whales

We've been having excellent killer whale sightings just about every day for the last week. The Humpback whales have been coming together and chasing and harassing the humpbacks. It's been very interesting watch. Here a couple of humpbacks chase the killer whales under our boat. Crazy.

Feeding humpbacks
Feeding humpbacks

Lunge feeding whales
Lunge feeding whales

More longer feeding action on our trip today. Daily trips leaving at 8am also 1130am. Sanctuarycruises.com

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-Daily marine wildlife tours with an emphasis on whales and dolphins. -We run a longer trip, which gives us time to find cool stuff and more time to spend with the animals. -We're always the last boat in because we like to be out there with the marine wildlife more than anyone. -We guarantee you will see whales or your next trip is free! -We've partnered with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to help with marine education by donating a portion of all ticket sales to the foundation. -Our trips have fewer passengers on board than any other boat in the Monterey Bay. Most marine wildlife/whale watching boats in The Monterey Bay take out between 45-120+ passengers on any given trip. Our boat Sanctuary is U.S. Coast Guard certified to carry up to 39 passengers. However, we generally average around 25 passengers per trip for a more enjoyable, informative experience for all. -We offer a higher end trip and a better experience. -We're the boat the locals prefer to go out with. -No age limits and pregnant women are welcome. -We use 99% biodiesel made from recycled vegetable oil in our brand new engines. It's better for the ocean creatures, the air, our engines & you. -We are family owned and operated. So you get the owners of the company taking you out and ensuring you have a great day with the Monterey Bay marine wildlife.

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