the biggest mammal

Monterey Bay is full of whales right now, and quite a few of them are endangered blues (the largest mammal ever to live, on land or in the sea) and humpies.

It's been a bonanza for whale watchers, and is occurring because of the unusual abundance of the whales favorite food.

Strong northwest winds have been pushing up cold, nutrient-rich waters from the ocean bottom — a phenomenon known as upwelling. That has fueled blooms of phytoplankton that have led to an explosion of krill, the main food source of blue and humpback whales.