Inside: What to expect from whale watching in San Diego. Collaborative post.
In some coastal areas, whale watching is strictly a seasonal pastime. However, this is not true of whale watching San Diego, which can be undertaken at any time of the year. San Diego is located along the migratory routes of multiple whale species and because various species migrate at different times of the year, you are likely to see whales whenever you go out.
Nevertheless, there are some good reasons to schedule your whale watching trip for the winter. Here is a look at why winter is a good time of year for whale watching along the Southern California coast and what you can expect when you are out there.
Whale Watching During Wintertime
Winter is a good time to see many different types of whales that are migrating during this time, heading to warmer waters to give birth to their calves. The best time of day to go out is in the morning as the weather conditions make spotting the whales easier, even from a great distance.
However, you shouldn’t have to worry about weather conditions making your winter whale watching excursion uncomfortable or dangerous – particularly if you have younger kids to consider. Though winter can be colder in areas further inland or to the north, the decrease in temperature in San Diego is negligible during the winter. At most, it may be a little chilly, and you should dress accordingly.
Whale Migration Dec-March
If you want to see the very biggest whales, you should wait for the blue whale migration in the summer. On the other hand, if you want to see a greater variety of whales, winter is the time to go whale watching.
The biggest draw during winter whale watching is the gray whale. Weighing approximately 40 tons and reaching lengths of nearly 50 feet, gray whales are relatively small. Like most whales, the gray whale is generally gentle and mild-mannered, usually not aggressive. Nevertheless, they can be ferocious when defending themselves, so much so that hunters used to refer to them as “devil fish.”
Approximately 20,000 gray whales pass along the Southern California coast during their annual migration, which lasts from December to April.
Gray whales are not the only species passing alongside the coast during winter migrations. Here are examples of other whales you may see when whale watching from December to March:
- Fin whales are one of the largest species in the world. In length, they are second only to the blue whale, but because of their slim, streamlined shape, they weigh considerably less.
- Minke whales are one of the smallest species. “Small” in this case means weighing approximately 11 tons and averaging around 25 feet in length.
- Humpback whales are middling in size compared to other species but they have many fascinating attributes. If you are lucky enough to see a humpback whale on your excursion, you are in for quite a spectacle. Humpbacks are one of several species known for breaching, a behavior in which they throw their bodies up out of the water and then land on their stomachs or their backs. Breaching humpbacks make a big splash, literally as well as figuratively.
Book your whale watching trip or private boat charter today.