With our hospitable weather, protected waters, and position directly in a major migration path, Los Angeles is one of the world’s top destinations for whale watching. So where do you go for the best whale watching Los Angeles tourists can hope for? And what can you realistically expect to see? Today, we’ll take a closer look at the whale watching tours of the Greater Los Angeles area. Trust us; at least one trip into the Pacific should be on your bucket list!
The Thriving Ecosystem Off SoCal Coasts
One of the reasons that the Greater Los Angeles area stands out as a hotspot for whale watching tours is the vast proliferation of sea life you can see on an affordable three-hour outing. Here are just a few of the creatures that pass through the welcoming waters off LA’s coast:
- Blue whales
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Common dolphins
- Finback whales
- Gray whales
- Humpback whales
- Minke whales
- Orcas (killer whales)
- Pacific white-sided dolphins
- Risso’s dolphins
- Sea lions
- Sharks
- Sperm whales
But what you see is highly dependent on when you go.
Migration Shaped Whale Watching Tours Over Time
You can find whale watching tours leaving Greater LA harbors at any point of the year. But this wasn’t always the case. Historically, these tours were situated around the gray whale migration seasons. This meant that the gray whale watching Los Angeles tourists sought could only be feasible in the late winter through the spring.
This all changed in 2005. At this point, blue, finback, and humpback whales started to migrate through LA’s coastal waters in large enough numbers to provide reliably consistent sightings. These new migrations spanned from May through November, giving whale watching tours a full 12 months of activity.
Best Time for the Kind of Whale Watching Los Angeles Tourists Rave About
If you’re primarily interested in seeing gray whales, their migration runs from late December through April. During those months, anywhere between 20,000 and 27,000 gray whales swim back and forth along the Southern California Coast to and from the Baja Peninsula. It’s in the Baja lagoons that these whales mate and give birth to their calves.
While gray whales are the most commonly sighted whale during the winter into spring seasons, you can also catch other whale species. Finback, humpback, minke whales, and even the occasional orca pod also populate the waters off of Los Angeles during these months.
From summer into the fall, you’re much more likely to see blue whales breaching Pacific waters. May through September present the optimum months for whale watching tours if you have your heart set on seeing the massive blue whales. You could also catch glimpses of humpback, finback, and minke whales. However, a sighting of a gray whale is highly unlikely during this period.
The Genesis of SoCal Whale Watching Tours
Whale watching tours are a surprisingly new phenomenon… especially considering that the whales have been there longer than we have. The whale watching Los Angeles tourists and residents alike enjoy can be traced back to ocean-enthusiast John Olguin.
Often considered the “father of whale watching”, Olguin was the first to convince fishing boats to take groups of school children out into Southern California’s waters in search of the majestic creatures. This was in San Pedro. But over half a century later, Los Angeles can thank Olguin for our wealth of whale watching options.
But even across this relatively short span of time, whale watching has evolved. For example, whale watching tours are no longer permitted to get within 100 yards of whale activity. This law was developed after concerns were raised about boats disrupting the whales’ natural behavior. However, whales are still able to approach the boats at their own discretion. In cases where the boat is coasting placidly, whales are more likely to indulge their curiosities with a closer inspection.
Deciding When (and How) to Whale Watch
So, where do you go to find these whale watching tours? Obviously, you can’t just roll up to any random beach hoping to find a charter boat. If you’re looking for the closest option possible, Marina del Rey is probably your best bet. But you can also find whale watching tours leaving Long Beach, Newport Beach, and Dana Point throughout the year.
Where you go will often be determined by how you go. There are several options for getting out on the water in search of whales. You can book whale watching tours in which double-decked boats coast for a few hours, trying their luck. If you want something more adventurous, you may enjoy a glass bottom boat tour. Those who’d prefer a more comfortable whale watching experience can even shell out for luxury catamarans. These options aren’t available at all ports, so you may want to choose your destination based on what kind of tours are on offer.
Whales Are Never Guaranteed
Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee a whale sighting on any of the whale watching tours offered in the Greater LA area. While the whales are abundant, you’ll find every tour is upfront about this caveat. Therefore, it can be beneficial to arrive with no expectations beyond a languid afternoon at sea. You’ll almost definitely find pods of dolphins; they tend to flank boats out of curiosity. And the seals are frequently lounging as you leave the harbor. But whales can be more elusive. So strategize your trip, pack your open mind and hope for the best!
