California Whale Watching

California is a prime destination for whale watchers, offering whale watching opportunities in spring, summer and fall. There are also a lot of good whale watching locations to choose from along California's extensive coastline.

The San Francisco Bay area, Monterey Bay and various points in the Orange County area south of Los Angeles are most popular with whale watchers. Whale watching is a large and growing industry in California, and top quality tours and cruises can be found at very competitive rates.

A whale watching boat tour in California can be particularly rewarding. Young whales growing up off the coast of California have never known the threat of whaling, and so are increasingly unintimidated by humans. As a result, many whales, in particular the overly curious Humpback Whale, will spend hours interacting with boats and their passengers at close range.

It is also possible to do a lot of great whale watching without paying for it. In many areas, travelers on California's famous coastal highways can simply pull over and be treated to spectacular displays of whales feeding near the surface or diving for prey into nearby submarine canyons.

Whales to look for off the coast of California include the aforementioned humpbacks, as well as grey whales and blue whales.