The majestic gray whales have had their winter vacation down to the warm waters of Mexico, gave birth along the way and hung out in the bays. Now its time for the long journey back to Alaska.
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Newport Coastal Adventure offers intimate boat rides, perfect for private parties. Photo: Chelsea Mayer/ Newport Landing
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A whale breaches on a recent day near Newport Beach. Photo: Chelsea Mayer/Newport Landing
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The Dana Point Headlands, in the distance, are a great place to watch for whales if you want to stay on dry land. Photo: Domenic Biagini/Capt Daves Dolphin and Whale Safari
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The northbound whales seem to like an area between the Newport harbor entrance jetty and the Balboa Pier. Photo: Slater Moore/Newport Coastal Adventure
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Gray whales are traveling passed Southern California to Alaska on their long 10,000 migration. Photo: Slater Moore/Newport Coastal Adventure
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The gray whales have been spotted in big numbers this month. Photo: Slater Moore/Newport Coastal Adventure
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If youve never seen a whale, now would be a good time, as theyve been reported in big numbers cruising up the coast. Photo: Mark Girardeau/Newport Coastal Adventure
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Gray whales have been reported coming close to shore in recent weeks, making whale watching possible from the shore. Photo: Mark Girardeau/Newport Coastal Adventure
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A drone is a good way to get a birds-eye view of whales cruising up the coast on their northbound migration. Photo: Mark Girardeau/Newport Coastal Adventure
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The Dana Point Headlands, in the distance, are a great place to watch for whales if you want to stay on dry land. Photo: Domenic Biagini/Capt Daves Dolphin and Whale Safari
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Theres been plenty of gray whales offshore in recent weeks, as the northbound migration passes through Southern California. Photo: Domenic Biagini/Capt. Daves Dolphin and Whale Safari
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A gray whale breaches on a recent day off the Orange County coastline. The whales are mostly heading northbound toward Alaska. Photo: Carla Mitroff/Dana Wharf Whale Watching
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A gray whale breaches on a recent day off the Orange County coastline. The whales are mostly heading northbound toward Alaska. Photo: Carla Mitroff/Dana Wharf Whale Watching
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A gray whale breaches on a recent day off the Orange County coastline. The whales are mostly heading northbound toward Alaska. Photo: Carla Mitroff/Dana Wharf Whale Watching
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But not without curious eyes marveling at them as they pass by Southern California.
Whale watching charters and enthusiasts in recent weeks have reported big numbers of sightings of gray whales on their northbound migration. Earlier this month, Dana Wharf counted 35 sightings in one day, with nearly 200 for the entire month. And a few days ago, census counters on the cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula logged nearly 50 gray whales spotted in one day.
Theres plenty of ways to see the gray whales pass by as they make the longest migration of any mammal on Earth, some with their newborn calves in tow. So if youve never seen one of these mammoth mammals, now would be the time to grab the binoculars and cameras to check them out.
1. On a boat: Getting out on the ocean, with a captain experienced at searching for whales, is the best way to get up close to the creatures. But with so many charters from Los Angeles to Oceanside, which is right for your excursion? They all offer naturalists or captains on board who know much about gray whales and their migration habits, with keen eyes that can spot whale spouts in the distance to point out to passengers.
Dana Wharf Whale Watching, Newport Landing and Harbor Breeze Cruises out of Long Beach can accommodate big groups, and often have budget-friendly specials. Dana Wharf, for example, has two-for-one Tuesday deals and senior discounts for weekdays during March. Newport Landing offers tickets as low as $13 on weekdays.
Capt. Daves Dolphin and Whale Safari has an underwater viewing pod to go eye-to-eye with whales without getting wet on their catamaran Manutea.
Newport Coastal Adventure gives an intimate trip, with a small inflatable that fits six passengers. It can zip through the ocean to get to a whale on the move, and being low to the waters surface gives passengers a close-up look. Its perfect for private charters with a group of friends and family.
In the South Bay, taking a trip on the 42-seat boat Indian from Redondo Beach Whale Watch can help give back to a cause, with a portion of ticket sales going to the whale watch-naturalist program run by Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the American Cetacean Society.
2. Join the Gray Whale Census project on the Palos Verdes Peninsula: Dedicated volunteers post up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula cliffs, spending the day scanning the ocean, looking for whales to pass. The shore-based study dates back to the late 1970s. It runs from December through late May during daylight hours, seven days a week. Participants use binoculars and record such information as weather data, sea conditions and, of course, daily whale tallies. On a recent day, census volunteers counted 47 northbound gray whales, including a calf. They also document the behavior of the whales, such as spyhopping or breaching, helping researchers find trends and migration patterns. More information: acs-la.org
3. From the beach or pier: If you get seasick and want to stick to dry land, you could have some luck seeing whales on their northbound migration hugging the shoreline. They tend to like to come close to the shallow sand as they swim north, possibly finding areas where they can scratch barnacles or parasites off their exterior.
They seem to like cove areas in Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove, as well as the area between the Newport Harbor entrance and the Balboa Pier. Manhattan Beach Pier could also be a good vantage point.
4. Dana Point Headlands: If you want to look for whales while enjoying a hike, check out the three-mile path in the Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area above the Dana Point harbor, which has pedestrian trails, coastal access, overlooks and a Nature Interpretive Center. Whales can be visible from the nature center patio and from overlooks 2 and 3. Binoculars are available for free and can be checked out from the center, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
The center gives tips on how to see a whale from shore. First, scan from left to right, slowly, then back again. Watch for anything that breaks the surface of the water. Look for boats that are stopped — they could be whale watching. Search for spouts, or “blows,” plumes of water that form when a whale exhales at the surface. Gray whales have a double blow-hole and their spouts can look heart-shaped, according to the center.
And if you see a whale tail, the whale is likely going down for a long dive and it could be minutes before it is seen again.
5. Watch them snack in the Los Angeles Harbor: Harbor Breeze, which departs from Long Beach, has reported whales feeding inside of the Los Angeles Harbor for about two months. At times, there have been as many as five inside the harbor feeding on small crustaceans living in the nutrient-rich bottom of the 190-acre Cabrillo Shallow Water Habitat. The whales have been stopping in for a snack on their way north, and their short detour has been giving a thrill to whale enthusiasts who get to see them up close.
6. Drones: If you know how to safely operate a drone, this is a good way to scour the sea for the whales from above. Many of the boat charters use drones to document the whales and to show passengers on a screen as they swim nearby. Just make sure you know the Federal Aviation Administration rules and other regulations. Laguna Beach, for example, prohibits the use of drones in the city.
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