Feeding whales tend to be near the western end of the northern channel islands and the journey there is often filled with playful visits from dolphins, seals, and california sea. Whale shark facts the whale shark is the largest fish on the planet, reaching lengths of arround 18 to 40 feet 5. Animal rights activists praised the decision as a death blow to the. Summer west winds subside in the fall making for perfect ocean conditions to go along with large numbers of whales present, making for outstanding whale watching conditions. Year round whale watching and a whale watch guarantee available. An entangled right whale off the coast of north carolina in february, 2014. One year of whale watching in just one infographic. With such a rich marine environment, whale watching cruises only need from 22. Nancy and alisa have followed these orca families so long that they now have documented 4 generations. Record number of gray whale sightings this season news.
The whole population of gray whales migrate past the big sur california coastline twice a year. Record variety of whales seen off southern california. The common name of the whale comes from the gray patches and white. While gray whales get the spotlight along the california coast, other.
Trends in cetacean density and distribution off southern california were assessed through visual. California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. The whaleplanner february a whale watching infographic. Check the california whale migration season calendar and schedule your cruise. During grey whale season, typically from december through april, crew members will provide a. The area is known to have one of the largest population dolphins and blue whales in the world. Eschrichtius robustus migrates past the big sur coastline from november to april either going to mexico or alaska. Up to nine species of whales visit baja on a regular basis.
Whale watching in sonoma county california is very popular because there are so many easily accessible prominent high points from which to watch for whales. Scammons is also the largest of the three whale watching lagoon. The best time to visit baja is undoubtedly between mid january and mid march, when the grey whales migrate to the lagoons to give birth. You go whale watching almost anywhere along the california coast. Usually, well over whales are here during each season and, on some exceptional seasons, baja whale watching experts counted over. Whale watching in sonoma county california coastal vacations. Although viewing them is not guaranteed, the marine sanctuary seldom lets visitors down. The california gray whale or california grey whale eschrichtius robustus is a whale that travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. Toward the end of the season, in april and may, calfcow pairs can be seen making their way. The different whale watch boats communicate with each other so if one boat finds whales away you go.
Blue whales are semideep divers going down as deep as 600 feet in search of the 1 to 8 tons of krill they consume in a single day, depending on location and season. Whale watching on monterey bay is a onceinalifetime experience. Whale watching season in san diego has traditionally occurred from december through april when california gray whales journey from the chilly alaskan seas to the warm water lagoons of baja california. Seaworld hit by whalebreeding ban in california cbs news.
The protected waters provide world renowned whale watching opportunities for san diego visitors year round. Killer whale season whale watch trips in april and may 2020. Then, visit the photopass section of and enter the disney photopass id located on the back of your pass to link your photos to your account. They sell a combo ticket, and the boat will have have an educational staff member from the aquarium on board. Sanctuary superintendent paul michel told cbs that there had been 75 to 100 close encounters between humans and whales that season. Facts about whales whale classification breeding patterns of whales whale migration join us californian coast. The california coastal commission, which oversees seaside developments in the state, barred seaworld from breeding whales at the facility, a ruling that. Gray whale the entire gray whale population migrates past the monterey coastline every winter and spring. Baja california sur is one of the best world destinations to see whales.
From bodega bay north, highway 101 tightly hugs the shoreline and provides many handy pullouts. Whale watching is easy, fun, and the whole family can join in. Dozens of blue whales surface off the coast of southern california, drawing hundreds of tourists and locals. May through november brings sea animals such as blue whales, finback whales, dolphin pods that number in the thousands, seals, orca. Whale watching california coast gray whale blue humpback. These whales have one of the longest animal migrations known, traveling over 12,000 miles from their summer feeding grounds in the bering sea to their. Gray whales can get up to 45 feet long and can easily be seen from points along the coast. Newport landing whale watching offers tours year round, december through april is the best time to catch the gray whale migration. Divers nearly swallowed by whales off california coast video. Why are so many whales dying on californias shores.
We are now off to deeper waters in search of humpbacks, blues, minkes, and fin back whales. This is a unique opportunity to look for killer whales with the leading california killer whale experts. Gray whale census and island packer cruises of venturaoxnard confirm numbers, plus sightings of. Record number of gray whale sightings this season l. The unique experience monterey bay whale watch provides is an onboard marine biologist. Newport beach, ca whale watching is popular among visitors and locals. The graphic above shows the times of year that whales are usually seen along the california coast. Pdf download our local big sur visitors guide, in adobe pdf. Whale watching in august california forum tripadvisor.
Tips to see whales in action off the california coast. Blue whales are regularly found and a half dozen or more whales can be located in same area feeding on krill. With a donation or an adoption of a whale you can help to make the world a place where whales and dolphins are free and safe. The grey whales of baja california are a friendly bunch could a cetacean smooch here be the worlds best wildlife encounter. Annual migration of the gray whale is currently underway. It reaches a length of about 16 meters or 52 ft, a weight of 36 tons or 80,640 pounds wow and an age of 5060 years. Whale watching is one of the most popular activities in baja. Their name is taken from the gray patches and white mottling on their dark skin. Gray whales have been late to migrate from the lagoons of mexico up to the coast of northern california this year, and black hypothesized that.
In california, whale watching is a popular thing for tourists to do, and its no wonder why. Welcome to harbor breezes california blue whale website. Whale watching is easy from big sur roadside turnouts. Check the whale migration season california calendar and schedule your cruise. Best places for whale watching from shore in southern. Today was glassy, calm, overcast and foggy for the first 2 trips of the day. Each year, about 20,000 gray whales make an epic 6,000mile journey between alaska and mexicoand then back again. Every year, the california gray whales set off on the longest migration made by any mammal. Fall giant blue whale watching blue whales, finback whales, much more. When the gray whales arrive in baja to have their babies, it is a magical time. Yearround visitors are greeted by dolphins, sea lions, and harbor seals, but it is the whales that often spark the most excitement.
The graywhalewatching season in california varies along the coast during winter and spring as the grays migrate south to the mating and calving lagoons of. Gray whales were once called devil fish because of their fighting behavior when hunted. An adult pacific gray whale can be 45 feet long and weigh up to 33 tons. The 201220 gray whale season has officially ended for the condor and condor express team. The worlds entire population of gray whales approximately 23,000 individuals migrates past the big sur coastline twice a year. Bring along some binoculars for the best view, although in some cases you can view whales with the naked eye. Three whales species are commonly seen off the south coast. Southern california is no stranger to huge numbers of whales. Whales eat very little when they start the breeding season, but thomae had an answer. Movements of north pacific blue whales during the feeding season. With some of the worlds largest mammals migrating past coastal points, feeding near the coast and swimming in inlets, youll find plenty of ocean creatures to see.
Fall giant blue whale watching the official travel. The gray whale eschrichtius robustus, also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, pacific gray whale, or california gray whale, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. Join us in big sur to watch humpback whales swim near shore. Traditionally, whale watching season runs from december through april. Humpback whales can be seen from the roadside turnouts in big sur, california during the summer and fall.
December through early april gray whales travels along the southern california coast as they journey to and from the lagoons of baja california. The sun came out with a light breeze in the late afternoon. Beginning in january and running through the end of march, approximately 15,000 gray whales swim south from the icy waters of the arctic to mate and nurse their young in the warm, shallow lagoons along magdalena bay in. We are lucky to have so much marine life bringing splashes and adventure to the waters off venturas coast. Whale watching in newport beach is ranked as one of the top activities in southern california. Watch the seasonal migration of california grey whales and blue whales off the san diego coast up close and personal. Gray whales are one of the most commonlyseen whales along the california coast. Both have spent over 30 years studying the killer whales off the california coast, and know all the individuals and their family histories.
Its one of the most amazing wildlife migrations on the planet. Southern california whalewatching tours depart from most harbors along the coast. Use an online guide to find out about tour companies, seasons, and where to watch from land in the mostvisited locations. The whale watching season half moon bay is the perfect spot for witnessing the journey of these spectacular creatures. Interannual and seasonal trends in cetacean distribution, density.
Long beach, newport beach, dana point, oceanside, and san diego all offer whalewatching. Whale watching in california pacific coast highway travel. Blue whales were primarily observed during summer and fall while fin and humpback whales were. We are delighted to inform you about our fun, informative, and exciting blue and gray whale watching cruises. Best time for whale watching in california condor express. Downloading with the disney maxpass feature is not available for photos captured after pass expiration or after a pass is removed from a disney account. These massive, itinerant mammals travel from feeding grounds in the bering sea to mating and breeding lagoons along baja california in mexico. Two divers were nearly swallowed by humpback whales that were gulping down fish off the central california coast near avila beach. There are so many whales here at this time, that you can just drop anchor and wait for them to swim up.
The satelliteacquired locations of 10 blue whales balaenoptera musculus tagged off southern california with argos radio tags were used to identify 1 their. Pdf download our local big sur visitors guide in adobe pdf. The blue whale typically dives for periods averaging 5 to 10 minutes. Take a look at our california whale watching seasons and pricing information for your trip. The whalewatching season runs from january to april later in the season is best as, although there are fewer whales, there are more with calves and they are more playful. The southern california coastline has more than just the pacific blue and gray whales. Some of the warmest water temps of the year makes this the best month for the mega pods of dolphin unique to southern california. A recent spate of whales washed up on the states beaches may be.