From Betsy Malloy,
Your Guide to California Travel.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Whale-watching is a popular tourist activity along the Pacific Coast from Washington to California, and it's no wonder. With some of the world's largest creatures migrating past coastal points, feeding off the coast and swimming in inlets, there are plenty of ocean creatures to see.

What You'll See When

• December through February: Grey whales southbound from Alaska to Mexico
• February through April: Grey whales northbound from Mexico to Alaska. Mothers with calves travel last, staying closer to the shore and moving slowly, making this one of the best times to see them.
• June through October: Blue whales and humpback whales can be seen along the Big Sur coast, and around the Channel Islands.
• April to early December: Humpback whales along the central California coast.
• May through September: Orcas (killer whales) near Washington's San Juan Islands.

Whale Watching From Land

Migrating whales will come closest to the parts of the coast that "stick out" the furthest. Any place with "Point" in its name is a good bet, as are most of the coastal lighthouses.

California Whale-Watching

Humpbacks especially at the junction of Partington Ridge and Highway One (between Nepenthe Restaurant and the town of Big Sur), where there is a deep submarine canyon.

Any coastal state or national park will have whale-watching information and programs during the winter. Try Point Reyes National Seashore , Cabrillo National Monument's Whale Overlook, Point Lobos State Park, where you can also tour a Whaler's Cabin, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park from the bench at the end of Overlook Trail.

Oregon Whale-Watching

Several times a year, trained volunteers from Whale Spoken Here staff 29 locations along the Oregon Coast to help whale-spotters.

Washington Whale-Watching

Lime Kiln Point State Park, Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands Sometimes called "Whale Watch Park," this is one of the best places to see orcas from land. While you're there, don't miss the Whale Watch Museum.

Whale-Watching Tips

Unless you're an expert whale-watcher, binoculars may not be very useful. Looking through them is hard on a moving boat, and even on dry land, they restrict your view to a small area.

If you see a whale spout, you can expect it to spout again in the direction it's moving (south in winter, north in spring). They move about 5 miles per hour, or the speed of a child on a bicycle.

Grey whales normally swim in a cycle of 3 to 5 blows, 30 seconds apart, followed by three- to six-minute dive, and they often show their tail flukes just before they dive.