When whale watching season approaches, I always get the urge to buy whale watching tickets or grab my binoculars to look for whales. The California coast is well known for being one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Whales make an impressive 6,000 mile journey while migrating from Alaska down past California and ending in Mexico. This makes it the largest migration of mammals on the planet! Over 20,000 whales will make this migration journey, allowing for plenty of opportunity for us curious sightseers to spot whales in their natural habitat. Read more to find out the best locations for whale watching along the California coast.
When is the best time to go whale watching?
December to May is the best time to see whales. Gray whales are commonly seen in the winter, while Blue whales are more common in the late spring to summer.
Tips for Whale Watching
- Sea Sick Meds
- If you get sea sick, consider taking over-the-counter Dramamine
- Pack a snack
- If your boat allows, bring saltine crackers to settle your stomach if you feel queasy. You might also just have the munchies being out on the water.
- Wear layers!
- Even if it’s sunny out, the ocean breeze during your boat ride can make it chilly out on the water. Make sure to bring a jacket!
- Sun protection
- Wear a hat and bring sunscreen. A day out in the sun is going to leave you with a sunburn.
- Wear comfortable and sturdy shoes
- I recommend tennis shoes or strapped-on sandals. The boat floor can get slippery when wet and you want shoes that have good grip.
- Protect your phone
- Attach your phone to a laniard to carry around your neck. Trust me. Picture yourself seeing a whale, getting so excited, and quickly running over to the edge of the boat to snap a photo and having the rocking motion of the boat make you drop your phone. You don’t want to accidentally drop your phone into the ocean! And by having your phone handy around your neck, you won’t have to dig through your bag to get your phone and potentially miss a photo-op.
Locations for Whale Watching
Orange County
If you are looking to go on a chartered whale watching boat tour, Dana Point Harbor is my number one pick. It has earned the designation as Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World! With that designation, it doesn’t take much convincing to take a whale tour here! Captain Dave’s Whale Watching Tours is my favorite tour to take because they have underwater pods that you can crawl in to see any marine life swimming by. It’s as if you’re swimming underwater with them!
Newport Harbor, about 30 minutes north of Dana Point, is also a popular harbor for boat tours. For a location closer to Los Angeles, Long Beach Harbor is a convenient choice.
San Diego
The high cliffs of San Diego make it a perfect place to watch whales from the shore- just grab your binoculars! Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and Cabrillo National Monument are two popular areas to see whales. Both are located a short 20 minutes from each other and offer panoramic views of the coastline.
[Entrance fee for Cabrillo National Monument is $20]
Channel Islands
Channel Islands National Park has been well kept as a marine sanctuary, making it a premier whale watching destination. 29 of the 78 species of whales/dolphins have been spotted in the waters here. You can take a whale watching tour from the Channel Island Harbor in Oxnard, which is a one hour drive north from Los Angeles.
Monterey
I vividly recall driving along Highway 1 as I was coming back from Monterey and seeing whale spouts in the near distance. I had to take a double look because I couldn’t believe whales were that close to shore! The colder temperatures of Monterey makes it an ideal place for whales to feed, so you will find plenty of whales here. You can also find chartered boat tours for some incredible viewings.
San Francisco
Point Reyes National Seashore is a stunning place to see gray whales migrate, with peak viewing between December and February. 94% of migrating whales pass through this stretch of this conserved peninsula!
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Where is your favorite place to whale watch?
2 Comments
Captain Dave’s tour off Dana Point is amazing! I really want to go on a tour off of San Diego too!
Wow, Thank you for the great article and for mentioning our Team here at Capt. Dave’s! We are grateful and excited to always share our dolphins and whales with folks from all over the World who come to the “Capital!!