With whale-watching season in full swing in Southern California, here’s a guide on how to watch, where to watch and what you can expect to pay.
Where you’ll see ’em
Whale-watching tours depart daily from harbors up and down the coast of southern Los Angeles County and Orange County: Marina del Rey, Redondo Beach, Long Beach, San Pedro, Newport Beach and Dana Point.
Experts note that migrating whales seem to prefer swimming closest to shore along Point Vicente on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Laguna Beach and Dana Point.
What you’ll see
The season’s first gray whale was spotted last week; they’re a common sight off the West Coast, especially this time of year as they make their way south from Alaska to give birth in the warmer waters off Baja California. Whale-watchers stationed at Point Vicente during the December-through-May gray whale migration season counted 1,430 southbound and 2,541 northbound gray whales last season.
Blue whales, the world’s largest mammals, normally swing by over the summer to feed on a buffet of krill and small fish. Fin and Minke whales, and lots of dolphins, can be seen year-round.
Humpbacks and orcas are rarer sights, though a boat out of Dana Point last week spotted a pod of 15 to 20 killer whales. Long Beach whale-watching boats caught up with the orcas and followed them to Point Vicente. A few days later, they got an extremely rare glimpse of about 100 sperm whales off of Catalina Island. There have also been recent humpback whale sightings in the San Pedro Channel.
What’s different?
With less Arctic ice blocking feeding grounds off the Alaskan coast, gray whale migrations seem to be starting earlier so the animals can feed longer, according to local marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger. This has led to noticeable growth in the West Coast’s gray whale population in the past five years, she said.
A persistent El Niño has warmed Pacific waters and messed with the coastal ecosystem — heard of tons of mini crabs and squishy sea cucumbers invading the beaches lately? Expert whale-watchers think that may be why they recently saw three Bryde’s whales chasing sardines up and down the coast of Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Experts estimate there are only about 20 or so of the species in this region of the Pacific Ocean.
Don’t bum them out
A lot of people watch whales from the water, from small boats or personal watercraft. What’s more, watchers like to take whale selfies, meaning they want to get close to the creature. Here are a few tips to avoid ticking off the biggest creatures on Earth.
• See a blow? Go slow. Approach any whale at the same speed the whale swims, roughly 2-3 knots.
• Carefully approach from the right or left flank. Do not pull directly in front of, or behind, the whale. You don’t want a cranky whale under your Jet Ski.
• Skip the selfie. Stay at least 100 yards away. If a situation arises when you cannot avoid a whale by 100 yards, operate at a no-wake speed.
• Do not get between two whales — females are very protective of their young.
• Do not feed or touch whales. If you happen to be close enough to the creatures for touching or feeding, remember that their size alone can pose a threat.
How much to pay
Excursions out of the local harbors range from $10 to $50 per person (a little cheaper for kids and seniors), depending on the length of the trip and where they depart from; sometimes they’re are a bit more expensive on weekends and holidays. Keep an eye out for group specials, online discounts and special deals on sites like Groupon and Living Social.
And don’t forget to bring a windbreaker.
Boat operators
These operators offer regular whale-watching expeditions:
• Harbor Breeze Cruises has daily cruises from Long Beach and weekend trips from San Pedro that will increase to daily later this month. Discount tickets are available online at www.2seewhales.com.
• Marina del Rey Sportfishing offers morning whale-watching tours daily and adds afternoon trips on the weekends. Tickets can be purchased online at mdrsf.net.
• Voyager Excursions offers regular tours from the Redondo Beach Marina during the gray whale season but is currently on hiatus.
Staff Writers Sandy Mazza and Erika I. Ritchie contributed to this report.
