I often see questions on travel forums about whale watching in California. Whale watching can be a very rewarding experience if done right. It can also be the biggest misery of your life if not planned correctly. So I decided to put a quick guide for you for whale watching in California so that your experience is more of the former than the latter. 🙂
Our family has gone whale watching in California several times already, in different locations, and here are things that you need to know if you want to go whale watching:
Whale Watching in California Tip #1: Figure out which whales you would like to see.
Different whales come to California coast at different seasons. November to March is the season of gray whales, summer is the season for humpback and killer whales. On a very rare occasion you can see a blue whale too.
Humpbacks are the most fun to watch they like to “perform” various tricks and jump out of the water. Gray whales mostly do tail flukes or you will see their backs, they rarely jump out of the water like humpbacks do. You will mostly see killer whale feeding, they don’t typically hang about the area.
Blue whales are the rarest to see in California they have the longest water spouts so you will see them from a long distance. I haven’t seen one yet on our whale watching trips. Typically these ones are seen more often in Hawaii.
Whale Watching in California Tip #2: Decide where you want to go whale watching
There are several whale watching locations offering whale watching tour along the California coast. We went whale watching in San Diego (spring), Monterey Bay (Fall) and Morro Bay (Summer).
I would rank our experience as follows: Morro Bay experience is a ranking for me 1st, San Diego 2nd, and Monterey Bay is distant last.
Let me start with the bottom. I was not fan of Monterey Bay whale watching because we had to go very far into the ocean, I couldn’t even see the coast. That was very disturbing to me, personally. For that matter, I have not even put San Francisco whale watching on this list because from San Francisco the boat goes to the protected Farallon Islands sanctuary which is about 2 hours trip one way, in the open ocean, on a small boat, which scares the bejesus our of me and it is also a waste of time.
San Diego experience was great. The difference from the the Morro Bay experience is that the boat that we took is a huge cruise boat with hundreds of people. It does not provide an intimate whale watching experience, but hey, it is a VERY stable and luxurious boat for So may be that’s your jam. If so, check out Flagship Cruises
I loved Morro Bay experience because the boat was small (but not too small), there were a lot of interactions with the guide on board and it felt like the whales were close to you because you are so much closer to the water on a small boat, just in terms of the boat height.
We used Morro Bay Whale Watching for our whale watching trip in Morrow Bay and I especially loved that our captain offered us an opportunity to buy professional photos of our experience for a small fee. They are totally worth it if you yourself are not a professional photographer. He has an amazing professional camera and all the fixtures that make perfect, sharp photos at the right moment in time (which also comes with his experience). These are the pictures you see in the article.
I also loved the fact that there is so much more abundant wildlife to see in Morro Bay then anywhere else: sea otters, seals, and sea birds of different varieties.
Whale Watching in California Tip #3: What you need to know before you go
Here are the things to know to prepare you well for the whale watching in California:
- It is very cold out in the ocean in California, even in summer. You will probably need a sweater AND a jacket. And a hat and may be even gloves because you will be holding on to cold metal rails for hours.
- Take binoculars with you – it will be a much more interesting experience and you will be able to see things that others won’t.
- If you are prone to motion sickness take a ton of remedies with you if you are going whale watching on a small boat, even if the ocean looks calm. We went whale watching in Morro Bay on the calmest day possible with almost no wind and yet the ocean still had waves even though they were not clearly visible from the shore. Remember, even small waves make your small boat go up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down… Are you already sick just reading this? Pack your meds right now – this see-saw will be going on for hours!
- Take water and snacks with you that won’t upset your stomach which will already be on the edge.
Whale Watching in California Tip #4: What you need to know when you are on the boat
Once you are already on your whale watching boat, please, bear in mind the following:
- The spot with the least motion is at the back, the spot with the most motion is upfront – find your comfortable spot right away before the captain announces this to everybody.
- If you are prone to motion sickness do not go inside. You will be sick right away. You will need to stay outside and focus on the horizon that is not moving. Hence, read my tip above: dress up very warmly, you won’t be able to go inside to warm up.
- Watch your kids! It is kind of a no brainer but somehow some people forget about that.
- Do not expect to see whales 100%, the sightings are not guaranteed, enjoy other animal and birds encounters.
- Try to enjoy the moment no matter what, it is a unique and unforgettable experience.
Conclusion
If you decide to go whale watching in Morro Bay, stop by and say Hi to me! My family now owns a wonderful California attraction – California Lavender Honey Farm with a Bee Museum on site, under 1 hour drive from Morro Bay in a beautiful Paso Robles wine country. We offer tours, tea tastings and unique events. So I promise you our farm will be a great addition for a surf + turf itinerary! 🙂
If you have any questions about whale watching in California, please, feel free to ask in comments below. I will try to help as much as I can.
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