Whale Watching

From December through March, visitors to San Diego have the unique opportunity to glimpse one of nature’s most extraordinary events—the migration of California gray whales from the chilly Alaskan seas to the warm water lagoons of Baja California where they birth and rear their young.

Each winter, tens of thousands of these “peaceful giants of the sea” come within a few miles of the San Diego coast on their 5,000-mile southern journey, the longest known distance any mammal migrates on an annual basis. With 70 miles of coastline, San Diego makes an ideal location for viewing this impressive parade. During the peak migration season in mid-January, as many as 200 whales per day have been counted off of San Diego’s shores.

Whale Watching for “Land-Lubbers”

Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego's picturesque national park, is situated on the panoramic Point Loma peninsula and offers a glass enclosed observatory overlook from which to spot whales from late December until early March. Visitors can explore whale exhibits and listen to a taped narration describing characteristics of these popular animals.

From late December through March, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps celebrates the gray whale season with educational activities and whale exhibits. The aquarium's outdoor tide-pool plaza, overlooking La Jolla's shoreline and the Pacific Ocean, offers an excellent vantage point for viewing the gray whale's epic journey.

Whale Watching by Sea & Air

There are a variety of operators in the San Diego area whom will take you out on a whale-watching cruise. Cruises usually average between three and four hours and start in mid-December and run through March.

For a bird’s eye view of the gray whale migration there are also flights one can take to view these magnificent mammals.