<\/p>\n
A humpback whale surprises a kayaker in Cayucos on June 26, 2026.<\/p>\n
Danna Dykstra-Coy<\/p>\n
Sam McMillan was harvesting crabs with his grandchildren in Cayucos when a humpback whale burst out of the water \u2014 scattering a flock of seabirds and drawing gasps from people on the shore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they come that close, it\u2019s spectacular,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
McMillan, a longtime Atascadero resident, saw the whales hunting for fish near the Cayucos Pier<\/a> on June 24.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a huge bait ball, and they were just feasting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n That evening, he returned to the beach and counted about 13 whales swimming near the pier. As of Monday, he heard the whales were still occasionally swimming near shore.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always exciting,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re just blessed to be able to see a variety of nature on the Central Coast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Eastern Pacific humpback whales migrate<\/a> through the Central Coast from about April to November during their annual migration, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.<\/p>\n Every year, the whales travel from feeding grounds near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to the Pacific Coast of Mexico where they breed. On the Central Coast, the whales hunt for fish, shrimp, squid and anchovies during their migration.<\/p>\n Whales have been extremely active on the Central Coast lately, according to Captain Dax Theis with Morro Bay Whale Watching Subsea Tours.<\/a><\/p>\n On Monday morning, his boat spent 45 minutes alongside five humpback whales and about an hour with a pod of orcas that included multiple calves.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was incredible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also heard reports of whale sightings from the beach at Monta\u00f1a de Oro and Cayucos.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whales have been very active breaching lately, which obviously makes it a lot easier for folks on land to see the whales,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Avila Beach Whale Watching<\/a> Captain Mark Kocina said the humpback whales follow schools of anchovies to shore. In San Luis Bay, squid moves into shallower waters around the full moon to spawn. Then, the anchovies follow the squid to eat their eggs, and the humpback whales follow the anchovies.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about the movement of food and the movement of fish,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While humpback whales have been swimming near the coast in Cayucos for about two weeks, they stayed 6 to 8 miles offshore from Avila Beach, Kocina said. Then, about three days ago, the whales moved closer to shore near Pismo Beach, he said.<\/p>\n Every day, the whales go somewhere new \u2014 and it\u2019s hard to predict where they will end up.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery single day is different,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been at this 15 years doing at least 250 days a year on the water, and it\u2019s never the same.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 3:40 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from San Luis Obispo Tribune<\/p>\n A humpback whale burst out of the water near the Cayucos Pier on June 24, 2026. Sam McMillan <\/p>\n
A humpback whale burst out of the water near the Cayucos Pier on June 24, 2026. Sam McMillan <\/p>\n
A humpback whale swam by a kayaker in Cayucos on June 26, 2026. Danna Dykstra-Coy
Humpback whales swam past a pair of kayakers on June 26, 2026. Danna Dykstra-Coy
A humback whale burst out of the water on the coast of Cayucos on June 26, 2026. Dana Dykstra-Coy
A humpback whale swam near Cayucos Pier on June 26, 2026. Dana Dykstra-Coy
A humpback whale burst out of the water near the Cayucos Pier on June 24, 2026. Sam McMillan
A humpback whale swam near the coast of Cayucos on June 26, 2026. Dana Dykstra-Coy <\/p>\n