Whale Watching in Los Angeles
Information about Whale Watching in Los Angeles California
Los Angeles has several Harbors from which to go whale watching. Most of the whale watching trips offered are seasonal and coincide with the migration of the Gray Whale, but year round whale watching can be found. Here is my first choice for whale watching in Los Angeles. The most commonly seen whale off the waters of Los Angeles is the Gray Whale, but Fin Whales and Blue Whales have been seen regularly. Humpback Whales and Minke Whales are always a possibility, as well as various other species of whales including Orcas.
Common and Bottlenose Dolphin are the most frequently seen Dolphin species. Risso's Dolphin and Pacific White Sided Dolphin are also regulars to the area. Other dolphin and porpoise species are also possible, as are seals and sea lions.
(individual pages coming soon)
Whale Watching in San Pedro
I don't have much to say about San Pedro Harbor at this time. The one time I went, I got there early for a full day Catalina Island trip aboard the Monte Carlo. I was tired when we got back and I didn't see much of the harbor. There is free parking across the street. It was quiet and easy to access.
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22nd Street Landing - has seasonal whale watching during the Gray Whale migration. They have hosted American Cetacean Society Whale Watching trips aboard the Monte Carlo. I found the Catalina Island Whale Watch trip was disappointing. The long ride in and out of the harbor makes their standard 2 ½ hour whale watching cruises too short.
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LA Harbor Sportfishing - has seasonal whale watching trips during the Gray Whale migration. Another fishing operation that fills in doing whale watching cruises during the “slow” fishing times from December through March. The man made break wall in Los Angeles Harbor makes for less productive viewing time as it takes upwards of 30 minutes to leave its sheltered waters. Once you leave the break wall, ocean conditions seem rougher than other parts of Southern California that I have experienced. Maybe this area is not sheltered by the islands as well. I am not sure but the two times I did go out were a little rough.
Whale Watching in Long Beach - Rainbow Harbor
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Harbor Breeze Cruises - have both seasonal Gray Whale migration trips and year round Dolphin and Whale Watching cruises. As their name suggests, their main focus is harbor cruises which they run about every hour. During the summer months their harbor cruises pack them in. I think a lot of their success is that they are close to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I wouldn’t suggest going out with Harbor Breeze Cruises just for the whale watching. Other locations are much better, but with the Aquarium close by, it might make sense.
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Pierpoint Landing - provides seasonal whale watching cruises during the traditional Gray Whale migration period. They are one of several fishing operations that use whale watching to fill in during the “slower” fishing periods. I didn’t feel like an individual when I gave them a try, instead I felt like one of 50 tickets issued. Everything was very basic including narration. We did sort of see a Gray Whale, but I would not call it a true viewing, it was more of a tease. Overall the long cruise out of the harbor makes me say,
“Go south” -
Long Beach Sportfishing - provides seasonal whale watching cruises similar to the other fishing companies. Just looking at their web site makes you think twice, and I did. These fishing boat options can vary dramatically in terms of the quality of the whale watching experience. There is a hand full of captains from the fishing industry that are very knowledgeable some of which are ex marine biologists, but many of them seem to be “bus drivers”, just taking you out for a ride.
Whale Watching in Redondo - Redondo Pier & Kings Harbor
The Redondo Beach Pier is a very nice pier with lots of restaurants, cafe's, shops and games and is adjacent to the marina the commercial boats leave out of. I've never been Whale Watching from this pier/harbor but have been to the pier and love it. From what I understand there is quick and easy access out of the Harbor for the fishing and Whale Watching boats.
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Redondo Sport Fishing - Seasonal Whale Watching during the Gray Whale migration from December 26 through mid April. Redondo Sport Fishing has a great location with easy access to the open ocean, but very modest ships are used for their whale watching cruises. The boats seem pretty old. If the old boats don’t bother you, it might be worth considering. There is not the long cruise traveling out of the harbor as with most of the whale watching operations in Los Angeles/Long Beach Area. Then again why not drive the extra twenty minutes south and go out of Newport Beach.
Whale Watching in Marina Del Rey - Marina Del Rey Harbor
I've never been to the Marina Del Rey Harbor but will have to take a trip there someday. It's very close to Venice Beach and Santa Monica.
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Marina Del Rey Sport Fishing – They offer seasonal Whale Watching excursions during the Gray Whale migrations. They only accept cash, their primary business is fishing, and when I saw their all aluminum boat I just couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm to give them a try. Take the little bit of extra time to go to Newport or Santa Barbara, it would be well worth it.
Catalina Whale Watching
I've never been Whale Watching out of Catalina Island, but I have been Whale Watching around Catalina Island. You can find the occasional all day Whale Watching trip to and around Catalina Island area from Los Angeles. Orange County now has a whale watching trip every Sunday, year round to Catalina Island. On and around Catalina Island there are many things to do including Whale Watching. Gray Whales migrate very close to the island along with numerous other species that can be seen very close to the island.
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Newport Landing Whale Watching - offers year round whale watching. They depart from Newport Beach. They offer the standard 2 ˝ hour cruise as well as a weekly Catalina Island Whale Watching cruise every Sunday. This trip is nine hours in length and includes a two hour lay over at Avalon on Catalina Island. I have taken this cruise once and had a blast. We spotted several gray whales just outside the harbor and while crossing the Catalina Channel we came across several very large pods of common dolphin. We stopped off at Avalon and I had a wonderful lunch and a quick hike before returning to our ship. The viewing at Catalina Island is amazing. We saw dolphin just off the island, three gray whales, and even a bald eagle made for some great viewing. Great experience. I will be doing this again.
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Ocean Rafting - Ocean Rafting is the only provider actually located on Catalina Island. They have seasonal whale watching trips during the Gray Whale migration. As their title suggests they use motor powered inflatable rafts. They recommend dressing warm and definitely using the restroom before departing because you will be out of luck after that. This trip seems a little too “bare bones” for me. I would rather hike to some of the vantage points along Catalina’s coast or take the Catalina trip out of Newport Beach.
(Other areas/companies to come if available - if you know of any other Whale Watching companies or Harbors that do Whale Watching in or around Catalina Island let us know)
Gray Whale Census
If you are within driving distance of Rancho Palos Verdes and love Whale Watching you may want to find out more about the Gray Whale Census. It's a shore based study of Gray Whales and other Marine Mammals. You would be amazed at what can be observed from the cliffs of Palos Verdes and I have seen more species while participating in the Census then I have from Whale Watching boats. Of course, I have spent many more hours on shore than by boat, so that may be an unfair comparison. Nevertheless it is worth a visit. There is also the Point Vicente Interpretive Center that goes into detail more about the eco system, history, and of course whale watching.
During my Whale Watching trips out of Los Angeles County California and my Census participation I have seen numerous Cetacean and Pinniped species. There are many more that can be seen and I will hopefully add to my list someday. So far I have seen....
Gray Whales
Fin Whales
Blue Whales
Minke Whale
Common Dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Pacific White Sided Dolphin
Risso's Dolphin
Dall's Popoise
California Sealions
Harbor Seals
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