Physeter macrocephalus
Blocky head, bushy blow angled left. Regular in the deep basins, almost never within day-boat reach.
Length/weight/lifespan/diet: NOAA Fisheries species page →
Regionally these are not rare — sperm whales are present in California waters year-round on a stock of roughly 2,600. They simply work the deep basins and the slope while day boats work the shelf, so one Dana Point operator logged them in 2023 through 2026 and, before that, not since 2014.
NOAA Sperm Whale CA/OR/WA SAR, rev. 5/14/2024 source →
HOW RARITY IS JUDGED →Newport & Long Beach operators share daily trip counts — you can see what was spotted before you book. Other operators don't publish daily reports.