Orcas off California turn up in two seasonal pulses rather than one long summer. Reports build through March to an April high of 82 and stay strong in May, the weeks when gray whale mothers and calves travel north past the coast and mammal-hunting orcas often shadow them. October is busier still, with 119, the single biggest month. Calm fall seas and late-season boat trips can put extra eyes on the water then, so that peak likely mixes whale movements with human ones. February and July are the quietest months.
Nearly every one of the state’s 613 records is backed by a photo, with 606 coming from iNaturalist. A tall black dorsal fin and pale saddle patch make a killer whale easy to confirm from a picture, even one taken at a distance from a rocking deck.
From Humboldt to the Channel Islands
Most records sit offshore, but among those that land in a county, Humboldt leads with 17. That’s a strong showing for the far north coast, where high headlands give shore watchers a long view over open water. San Francisco has 5, Monterey 4, and Los Angeles and Santa Cruz 3 each. Channel Islands National Park is the most often named place, and the Phillip Burton Wilderness on the Point Reyes coast adds 2.
Native to California’s waters, the orca carries no NatureServe state rank, and the IUCN lists the species as Data Deficient worldwide.
Full species profile
