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The large whale skeleton at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, known as "Ms. Blue", is being removed from its foundation. Officials say the skeleton has been attached to a deteriorating structure after years of exposure to the elements. The center’s director says the whale will be lowered from its perch in the coming weeks and will remain on display until they can determine what comes next. At 87 feet long, it was one of the world's longest whale skeletons on display. A public celebration is scheduled for this Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

A very rare whale was spotted in the Monterey Bay Sunday morning. According to Monterey Bay Whale Watch, the critically endangered North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) was spotted during a whale-watching trip this morning. Captain Pualani Dalton on the Point Sur Clipper was the one who spotted it and Evan Brodsky with Monterey Bay Whale Watch said it is "One of the rarest whales in the world, estimated only 32 individuals along the Pacific coast." He said those on the boat could tell it was a North Pacific Right Whale due to the raised patches of rough skin called...

A powerful midweek storm caused "significant damage" across Santa Cruz County, including the coastline where multiple piers took a beating, county officials said Thursday. In the popular coastal town of Capitola, a section of the wharf collapsed into the ocean as destructive waves pounded the coastline. Nearby Seacliff Pier also suffered "heavy damage," the county said.... ...Rain runoff and a surging swell converged in Capitola's village, prompting officials to evacuate the area. Businesses in the village sustained "significant damage,",,,

A Monterey Bay whale-watching company has documented the first-ever newborn humpback calf found off the Monterey coast. Monterey Bay Whale Watch Company was hosting a whale-watching tour on Nov. 4 when they noticed something unusual in the water. A drone flight by Evan Brodsky, the crew's resident cinematographer, captured the moment: A newborn humpback whale calf alongside its mother, something that had never been documented in Monterey Bay. University of California, Santa Cruz professor Ari Friedlaender has been studying the underwater behavior of marine mammals for more than 25 years and he said that the sighting of this calf is...

Ever wondered what the whales in Monterey Bay sounded like? Now it's easier than ever to listen to them live. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has an underwater microphone (hydrophone) off the Central Coast. You can listen live on their website, here. MBARI also has clips of some of the most common kind of whales found in Monterey Bay. According to Monterey Bay Whale Watch, Gray Whales migrate south from December through mid-February, with peak numbers occurring during mid-January. Killer Whales are most frequently sighted in the Bay from January through May and from September through November. Video: Large...

Researchers with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) found and extracted a mammoth tusk deep under the ocean. According to MBARI, their team spotted the tusk 185 miles offshore and 10,000 feet deep on top of a seamount in 2019. They returned on July 2021 to bring the tusk to the surface. "The researchers have confirmed that the tusk—about one meter (just over three feet) in length—is from a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi)," reported the institute. They believe it could be the oldest well-preserved mammoth tusk recovered from this area of North America. The Columbian mammoth went extinct around 11,500...

MONTEREY — In the days leading up to Halloween, a rare all-white dolphin named “Casper” has been frequenting the Monterey Bay. But sighting the perplexing creature isn’t a trick of the eyes, or just a spooky Halloween treat. The dolphin actually visits the region quite often, according to Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch.... ..Black and other scientists think the dolphin is around 9 years old — still a juvenile since Risso’s can live up to 35 years. Casper frequently travels with his mother and has been seen as far north as Davenport, with pods of...

The adorable animal, a resident of Monterey Bay Aquarium, was filmed playing a super-fun game we'll call "hide the shrimp." INTRODUCING "THE SHRIMP GAME": How do you describe a hot new game to a friend? Do you start with the rules? The game's aim? How does it feel to play it? The quirks, twists, and surprises you can expect? There's a lot that goes into breaking down the specifics of a fresh challenge, but sometimes you just have to jump in, (webbed) feet first, and move a shrimp around, all to create something cute and fun. Oh, did we say...

A rare fish, which much is unknown about, was captured by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) cameras in Monterey Bay. >>Watch the video above to see the fish. According to MBARI, whalefishes have rarely been collected alive and much of their biology remains a mystery to this day. Even MBARI's deep see remote-operated vehicles have only spotted this species 18 times in 34 years. According to MBARI scientists, "Whalefishes (order Cetomimiformes) lack external scales and pelvic fins, and in adults, the eyes are very primitive and small. The eyes’ lenses are lost after they transform from the larval stage,...

Did someone send out a bat signal? Graceful bat rays have been spotted by divers all along Monterey's coast recently. The Monterey Bay Aquarium writes, "Bat rays swim gracefully by flapping their batlike wings (pectoral fins) bird style. They are found in muddy and sandy bottom bays, kelp forests and close to coral reefs. If disturbed while resting on the seafloor, bat rays raise themselves up on the tips of their pectoral fins with their backs arched, ready to swim away if a diver approaches too closely. Rays are known for their ability to jump out of the water and...

A local surfer escaped from the jaws of the oceans most infamous predator early Saturday morning at Marina State Beach. Eric Tarantino was bitten on the neck and forearm by what researchers are calling a 14-foot great white shark—the 19-inch bite mark on his surf board is a testament to just how lucky he is. Tarantino was helped to shore by friend and fellow surfer Brandon McKibben. Though the shark narrowly missed severing vital blood vessels in Tarantino’s neck, the surfer was released from Regional Medical Center of San Jose at 1:30pm today (Monday). Tarantino issued a short statement thanking...

Monterey biologist accused of feeding whale SAN FRANCISCO ---- A marine biologist who runs popular whale-watching tours on California's Monterey Bay has been indicted for violating federal laws that protect marine mammals. Nancy Black, a marine scientist whose work has been featured on PBS, National Geographic and Animal Planet, was charged Wednesday with four violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Her attorneys countered the charges by arguing that her interactions with the creatures were legal scientific research. She was accused of feeding killer whales in 2005 during a research trip, and misleading investigators by editing video footage of her...

It sounds like something out of a monster movie. A mysterious sea creature, up to 7 feet long, weighing up to 100 pounds, with 40,000 sharp teeth. It hunts in packs of hundreds, flying through the water at 25 mph, changing color. With a parrot-like beak and strong arms, it attacks and tries to eat nearly anything it sees, including fish, scuba divers, even its own kind. But it's not a creature of Hollywood. It's real. And it's reached Monterey Bay. The Humboldt Squid, also known as the Giant Squid or Jumbo Squid, traditionally has lived in warm waters off...

Excerpt - In what police describe as a "probable" suicide leap, a prominent Monterey Bay Area attorney fell at least nine floors to his death at the Embassy Suites Hotel Monterey Bay in Seaside the morning before Christmas. Shortly before 9:30 a.m. Sunday, officers found the body of Aptos attorney Paul Sanford in the west end of the hotel lobby, where he had landed on a large ventilation grate. Police Capt. Steve Cercone said horrified guests were eating breakfast in the atrium at the time, and a number of witnesses saw Sanford fall from somewhere between the 9th and 12th...

SANTA CRUZ — It could be years in the making, but one day hikers and bikers may be able to traverse the entire Monterey Bay via a scenic trail. Representatives from Monterey and Santa Cruz county, state parks, the state coastal commission, the national marine sanctuary and U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, have been quietly working on the plan. Initial estimates place the cost of the effort at about $35 million, but that amount is almost sure to be revised. The goal is to bring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary alive to the millions of tourist who visit the...