Winter is winding down so be sure to add a whale-watching
trip to your itinerary before the whale season ends! Don't miss your chance to get a glimpse of the majestic grey
whales as they migrate from Alaska, passing right by San Diego and Mission Bay,
en route to Baja California, where they give birth to their calves. Their
journey starts in December and ends in April for around
20,000 of these whales, so now is the time to grab a camera and go exploring on
the sea.
From Land
The grey whales swim so closely
to the shore that you can easily spot them from land. Below are two of our
favorite spots to spend an afternoon enjoying nature and watching for the
graceful giants. . .
Thanks to the second largest kelp forest in California, the grey
whales hug the San Diego coast on their journey. One of the
closest points you can get to this kelp forest is at the Cabrillo National Park. Cabrillo has
some amazing vantage points for spying whales, such as the Old Point Loma
Lighthouse, a historical structure with views of the city and vast ocean.
A short walk from the Lighthouse is the Whale Overlook, with perfect views of,
you guessed it, the migrating mammals. The park’s visitor center has more
information on the whales and rangers are also available to answer questions or
give pointers on when and where is the best spot to catch a glimpse of
them.
Make a day of it with a visit to Torrey Pines State National Reserve, another
gorgeous park with perfect vistas of the whales' path. After
watching the whales on their annual winter journey from the bluffs overlooking
the ocean, you can explore the 2000 acres of protected wildlife on over 8 miles
of trails. Torrey Pines is unique not just because of the pristine cliffs
and land on the coast, but also because it offers a wilderness of both pine
forests and sandstone canyons in the middle of the Southern Californian desert.
From Sea
Being a
coastal city, San Diego offers numerous whale-watching tours, which is a great
way to not only appreciate the delicate balance of marine life, but also to
experience the stunning San Diego skyline. Here we’ve highlighted some of
our favorites. . .
The world-renowned Birch Aquarium has
partnered with Flagship Cruises & Events to offer two
very unique excursions to explore the ocean while looking for the giants of the deep. Tours are guided by Birch Aquarium Naturalists and
include fact sheets about the gray whale and the best part is, if you don’t see
a whale you ride again for free! For those who don’t have three and a
half hours for the standard whale tour, they also offer a ride on The Patriot,
a high-speed boat; you get as far out at sea as the other tour, but this
ride is an hour and a half long. A ride on the Patriot also has the same ‘see a whale or the next ride is
free’ policy. Talk about a win-win!
Hornblower Cruises & Events is one
of the most popular whale watching ships in San Diego. Their boats are
comfortable, spacious, and fast. It’s easy to see why they are the most
sought after tour when it comes to viewing the whale migration. They
always have live educational narration from both the captain and trained
Naturalists from the Natural History Museum, which makes for some fascinating
time on the sea. Before you book, you can check out current sightings and other ocean news on
their Whale Report blog.
For a truly luxurious whale watching
experience, look no further than the San Diego Sailing Tours. They offer a
half-day tour, which includes a gourmet lunch. Glide in and out of San
Diego Bay and up and down the southern Californian coast on a gorgeous
ship. Stewards serve cheese and crackers along with San Diego made craft
beer and chilled wine (for the adults, naturally) and everyone is served
a boxed lunch from their gourmet deli. At $149 for each passenger, this
is truly an elite day on the sea, but one you will never forget!
Mission Bay Vacation Rentals couldn’t
be any closer to the action, so book now and spend some time on both
dry land and the water. Once you get a magical
glimpse of these peaceful creatures in their natural habitat, you’ll want to come back for more.
