You’ve heard enough anecdotes about kayakers off the Redondo Pier paddling up to humpbacks and binocular-clad spotters watching pods of orcas off Palos Verdes—it’s time to go actually whale watching for yourself. Whether you’re celebrating the gray whale migration at this weekend’s Dana Point Festival of Whales or embarking on a tour later in the year, here are five things you should know before leaving the marina.
You may see whales. You will see dolphins.
Many whale watching tours promise that you’ll spot a whale during your cruise. They don’t, however, specify what type of encounter it’ll be. You may spot a few hazy puffs and say “I guess that’s a whale,” or you could find yourself face-to-blowhole with a colossal marine mammal in a majestic, life affirming experience. Hope for the best, but keep your expectations grounded—those bold photos of breaching whales are mostly of humpbacks, which are spotted occasionally in the summer. That said, you will see dolphins, sometimes hundreds or thousands of common dolphins jumping alongside the boat, as well as a few bottlenose and, in the winter, Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Bundle up and shed layers.
Assume it’ll be at least 10 degrees cooler and a bit windier on open water. Of course, we Angelenos are weenies when it comes to temperature tolerance, so you might want to dress as if it’ll be even 10 degrees colder than that. On the other hand, all of that reflective water can make things a bit toasty in the summer, so dress in layers and protect yourself from the sun with anything that can’t go overboard. Finally, keep in mind that water is wet: Depending on where you watch from, you might catch some spray from the waves, especially on smaller boats. And if you find yourself on the trampoline of a catamaran, prepare to be soaked.
Earlier isn’t necessarily better—unless you get seasick.
Winds tend to pick up in the afternoon, so the ocean waters are a bit calmer in the morning. If the thought of two or three hours on a seesawing ship makes you green, consider taking an early cruise (and some Dramamine). As for finding whales, one time of day isn’t necessarily better than another. That said, later cruises have the advantage of setting sail with the wisdom of where earlier ones spotted whales.
It’s all about the migrations.
While you lament your commute over the hill, gray whales are busy swimming from Alaska, down to the Baja and back. Lucky for us, that puts Southern California in a near constant stream of gray whale activity during the winter. Expect to see adults heading south in January, and then back north in mid-March to April with calves in tow.
During the summer months, excitement switches over to the awe-inspiring blue whale. Though endangered, one of the most thriving populations of blue whales just so happens to skim our shores roughly from June to September.
Unfortunately—or fortunately if you can spot them—two of the most exciting encounters are also the rarest. Pods of orcas (killer whales) have been spotted playing and hunting in recent years between November and January. Humpback whales, meanwhile, have been known to breach and lobtail their way into Southern California during the summer, as late as October.
Don’t forget to check the (marine) traffic.
You know that the 405 should be clear as long as you’re on the road by 2pm, but it’s still worth checking the traffic. The same goes for whales. Most tour companies keep a daily log of sightings—Captain Dave’s has a particularly legible journal—while the Aquarium of the Pacific blogs about notable activity. Of course, all of these companies ultimately want you to buy a ticket for their tours, so use the numbers more as a guideline than a guarantee.