Whale Watching’s Other Season

Most are surprised to learn Southern California has a summer whale-watching season. While the nearly 20,000 California Gray whales migrating along California’s coast from mid-December through April gets the lion’s share of attention, local waters from Newport to Catalina are a favorite waypoint for Humpback, Minke, and the awe-inspiring Blue whales from mid-June through October.

The underwater Newport Canyon, beginning just a few hundred feet off of Newport Pier, is a favorite feeding ground for visiting whales. Much like canyons on land, submarine canyons are linked to water movement. The upwelling currents created by these coastal features brings nutrient rich waters close to shore, and the beginning of the whale watching show close to home.

Giant Leviathans of the Deep

Although endangered like most whale populations, Blue whales appear to be making a comeback in the waters between Southern California and Catalina. These giant leviathans of the deep can grow up to 90 feet long and weigh up to 142,000 pounds, feeding almost exclusively on krill. Most whales can be identified by the waterspouts created when they surface to breathe. On a blue whale, the spout is shaped like an exclamation point without the dot and rises nearly 30 feet.

Humpback whales are identified by the black and white pigmentation patterns and scars on the underside of their flukes, and distinctive scalloped edge, called the trailing edge of the flukes. Humpbacks are easy to spot by their surface activities and aerial displays. They are the most acrobatic of the large whales, often breaching, spy hopping and slapping their long flipper Like Blue whales their blow is in the shape of a tall column. Local Humpback sightings are part of the larger California/Oregon/ Washington population that migrates from central America and Mexico to southern British Columbia in the summer.

Beyond the migrating whale population, you and your guest will also enjoy the company of common, bottlenose, and Pacific White-sided dolphin. If you encounter a pod of dolphins, drop you boat speed and watch as these masterful swimmers play on the invisible forces just beyond your bow.

Viewing Safety First

Every migrating period, whales face dangers from disturbance, ship strike, disorientation, entanglement in fishing gear, stress from harassment, and skin disease. For safe boating practices, wildlife viewing guidelines include: a no head-on approach zone, run a  parallel course never follow animals from behind, maintain a viewing distance of at least 300 feet with a max speed of 5 knots, avoid sudden changes in direction, limit viewing time to 30 minutes, and never put your vessel between a mother and calf.

Let Us Arrange Your Trip

Check in with our Concierge service before your whale watching  trip and we’ll provision your boat for the day and provide updates on best viewing locations.

Travel Times
Getting to and from the best local whale watching spots is literally minutes away. Your day can begin at the Newport Canyon, just off Newport Pier. The best viewing opportunities for giant Blue whale will be in deeper water and closer to the east and west ends of Catalina. The 27-mile transit to Avalon from Newport Beach Harbor will take about an hour in our Pardo and BRABUS models. The Sirena 58, running at a cruising speed of 15 knots will take just under 2 hours. Morning departures are generally greeted with smooth water, a nascent breeze, and the best conditions to see whale spouts.

We hope this brief introduction to whale watching’s other season helps you find a world of joy in your boating life.