Humpback whales have returned to the waters of Pismo Beach and other parts of San Luis Obispo County, and people are heading to piers, cliffs and kayaks to get a closer look.
Cal Fire paramedic and firefighter Todd Gary of San Luis Obispo got more than he bargained for when he went out to watch the whales on Friday.
The Morro Bay High School graduate and man with decades of whale watching experience went on a short solo kayak trip after hearing that humpback whales were gathering off the coast of Pismo Beach.
“I didn’t expect the magic to last for eight hours,” he said in an email to the Tribune.
“It was truly a magical day,” he said.
A humpback whale jumps off the coast of Pismo Beach on Friday, July 12, 2024.
Gary knows that humans must stay at least 100 yards away from the large protected marine mammals, and he strives to do so.
“But the whales don’t know this and frequently approach me, even bumping into my kayak when I’m sitting still or paddling in the opposite direction,” he says. “On that day, no whales came within four feet of me!”
Cathy George, director of cetacean conservation biology at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, said Monday that proper whale-watching etiquette is “stay out of the whale’s migration path, don’t cross in front of the whale, stay parallel to or behind the whale, slow down if possible, don’t chase, watch with your eyes (or a telephoto lens) from a distance, and if using a drone, keep it elevated.” Drones are banned in some waters and on land in the county.
A humpback whale kicks its tail off the coast of Pismo Beach on Friday, July 12, 2024.
However, “humpback whales are definitely inquisitive creatures, so it’s best to observe them from a distance,” she explained, “and bring a 200-400mm lens.”
Paddleboarders and kayakers may be at greater risk than those taking a whale-watching boat tour: “A whale’s fins and tails can cause serious injury or worse to athletes who get too close,” George said.
She said around noon Monday that mammal center watchers had not yet recorded any humpback whale sightings in Morro Bay, but “we’ve got teams out there today that are out in the ocean looking for any whales that are out there.”
A humpback whale grabs a bite of a fish off the coast of Pismo Beach, Friday, July 12, 2024.
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George said the whales were chasing prey close to shore.
“They’re just here to eat,” she said. “They feed on krill offshore, or anchovies and herring along the coast. Heat waves reduce krill production.”
For protection, Gary packed his cell phone and his Canon 7D Mark II with a 24-205 mm lens in a small dry bag.
A humpback whale jumps off the coast of Pismo Beach on Friday, July 12, 2024.
“A lot of people don’t know the dangers of kayaking, what makes a kayak different, what it’s like if your kayak flips over in the waves or in the middle of the ocean,” he says. “Practicing kayak safety is a must: know your kayak, wear a PFD (personal flotation device), know what to do if you flip over, and know your limits.”
For those who don’t kayak, whale tours are available, “and now is the season!”
“At one point, I saw traffic jams on the highway,” he says, “but I was lucky enough to be in the middle of the ‘whale of traffic.'”
On Friday, July 12, 2024, a humpback whale surfaced off the coast of Pismo Beach.
One of the young whales performed a tail-wagging routine for 30 minutes, then jumped repeatedly for another 30 minutes, Gary said.
“It’s going to be a long, slow row” on the way to shore, he said, adding that although he was exhausted, he had a “forever smile” on his face after what had been “a day I’ll never forget.”
For information on good whale watching spots and tour boat companies on the Central Coast, visit Visit SLO CAL at www.slocal.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/animals-wildlife/whale-watching/.
A humpback whale surfaces to breathe off the coast of Pismo Beach on Friday, July 12, 2024.
A humpback whale jumps off the coast of Pismo Beach on Friday, July 12, 2024.
On Friday, July 12, 2024, a humpback whale surfaced off the coast of Pismo Beach.
On Friday, July 12, 2024, a humpback whale surfaced off the coast of Pismo Beach.