Blue whale the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale, swims and feeds right here off newport beach coast. Southern california whalewatching tours depart from most harbors along the coast. Gray whale season has officially kicked off, with some already seen in the past few days near the shores of manhattan beach, palos verdes, long beach, newport beach and dana point. The northbound gray whale migration is peaking off southern california, where a recent sightings spike has astounded scientists and landing operators. Mar 02, 2017 orange county whale watching is year round. The best time for whale watching in california reserve your trip online or call 949 6731434 to schedule. For a sighting of massive, blue whales, head to newport beach in the peak of summer. Whale and dolphin watching cruises with daveys locker orange. First blue whale of the season spotted off orange county coast. During the winter and spring months witness the grey whale migration and during the summer and fall months the giant blue whales. See whales playing with dolphins off orange county coast. Sharks, on the other hand, are drawn by warmer ocean waters, this year particularly off orange county.
Dana wharf whale watching offers yearround whale watching in dana point. Each year, about 20,000 gray whales make an epic 6,000mile journey between alaska and mexicoand then back again. The height of the southern california whale watching season is the annual california gray whale migration, from december through april. Roundtrip transportation from select anaheim hotels is included. The whales travel 10,000 to 12,000 miles from the cooler waters of the chukchi and bering seas to the warm. Get up close and personal with blue whales, gray whales, fin whales, humpback whales, minke whales, killer whales, and five species of wild dolphins that can number in herds of up to 10,000. With just a few weeks left in the prime whale watching season, here are a few of the top orange county whale. Dana point a blue whale found feeding about eight miles outside of dana point harbor is the season s first to be seen off orange county waters. I also recommend for parking to download and use the parkmobile app its easy to use and if you. Discover the best year round whale watching in the world best year round whale watching in the world. May 10, 2018 dana point a blue whale found feeding about eight miles outside of dana point harbor is the seasons first to be seen off orange county waters. Starting in 1971, dana wharf whale watching was the first whale watching company in orange county. Whale watchers report thousands of dolphins in superpod.
Gray whale mothers and calves continue heading north. Orange county register august 20, 2018 a baby gray whale playfully swimming just a few feet from shore drew hundreds of spectators to the shoreline at seal beach on sunday. With two prime ports nearby, it is easy to hop on a boat, get offshore, and witness natures majestic giants making their migrations. Blue whale viewings become more frequent and multiple viewings of the largest of all whales are possible. Dana wharf whale watching dana point whale watching. First blue whale of the season spotted off southern. Whale watching in orange county an adventure is calling. As i mentioned previously, we booked our whale watching experience with daveys locker on groupon. Photo courtesy of carla mitroff gray whales frolic in a pod off dana point in 2015. Whale watching in orange county, california usa today. Whale watching orange county book safaris with capt dave. Species exotic to california andor north america, yellow background. View giant blue whales in the summer and fall months and the annual gray whale migration in the winter and. Enjoy stops in laguna beach for a photo on the cliffs, newport beach for a 2.
Whalewatching and orange county beaches tour from anaheim. Newport landing whale watching offers tours three times per day. Finback whales, minke whales, humpback whales, and even killer whales make this the other best month for large variety of. Gray whales, the animal that started the whale watching phenomenon in dana point, can be seen migrating along our coast now through may. Best places for whale watching from shore in southern california. Whale watching on the california coast california beaches. We helped put dana point whale watching tours on the map by delivering breathtaking whale and dolphin watching in a warm and welcoming environment. Laguna beach whale watching deals in laguna beach, ca groupon. The warm waters right out of dana point harbor are flourishing with sea life including. We are the premier yearround whale watching facility in southern california. First gray whale of season spouted in south orange county. Orange county whale watching join guided cruises in the o. Its whale season, and these volunteers are counting each one. A prime location for whale watching, orange county, california, offers yearround options to view several whale species from land, sea and air.
Best time of year for whale watching by seasons daveys. Humpbacks are best identified by their fluke tail which is like a fingerprint as each one has a. Mar 28, 2018 gray whales playing with dolphins off oc coast laguna nigueldana point, ca it was a beautiful day as two gray whales stopped to play with a pod of dolphins off the orange county coastline. The real housewives of orange county season 2 wikipedia. If you are coming to whale watch you want to do it from dana point with dana wharf the pioneers of the industry. Gray whales can be seen off southern california from december through may. Guide to whale watching in orange county oc mom blog. A study prepared for international fund for animal welfare in 2009 estimated that million people went whale. Providing whale watching in orange county for over 20. Humpback whale orange county outdoors orange county outdoors. If you want to whale watch, do it from dana point with dana wharf, the industry pioneers. I also recommend for parking to download and use the parkmobile app its. Orange county register whale spotted in seal beach.
Visit san jose del cabo on a trip to mexico audley travel vocal repertoires oceansounds e. Best whale watching in southern california condor express. You can also book through their website, but their groupon deal is a steal search daveys locker in orange county, ca. Visit the whale watching sites below to find tours. Cruise off the coast of orange county in search of whales on this excursion from newport beach. Its one of the most amazing wildlife migrations on the planet. Gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal. You will see blue whales all the way from may through november but the most gorgeous sightings start happening in from the end of. Local day adventures san clemente, ca san clemente inn. Orange county offers cruises out of newport harbor and dana point, that is home to large pods of whales, dolphins, and sea lions. The second season of the real housewives of orange county, an american reality television series, was broadcast on bravo. Whale watching in dana point orange county whale watching. Chuck gathers and craig dewitt while on a private whale watch charter for capt daves dolphin and whale safari. Where to go whale watching in california socal field trips.
The juveniles are often found playing in the soft sands off the shores of orange county. Whale sightings experience whale and dolphin sightings. In areas like dana point, you dont have to go further than local parks to hike to a viewpoint and catch spouts, flukes. Daveys locker whale watching offers whale watching cruises daily year round. Dana point a blue whale found feeding about eight miles outside of dana point harbor is the seasons first to be seen off orange county. See whales and dolphins in newport beachs huge marine sanctuary with daveys locker tours. Providing whale watching in orange county for over 20 years. Blue whales average 100 feet in length and 100 tons, this is the size of a boeing 737 jet.
Dana wharf whale watching began in 1971 and was the first whale watching company in orange county. According to wyland, dana wharfs tours are californias best for whale watching and when you see the whales, dolphins and sea lions frolicking in the surf. Southern california whale watching tips travel caffeine. Bryant, mainly from the photographs of john avise, university of california, irvine click on images or names to open. According to dana wharf, one of the most popular whale watching tour companies in orange county, this has been a record season for spotting whales with more than 549 sightings of gray whales alone. The dana point headlands is undeveloped and there is a public trail on top of the headlands that takes you out to the promontory. One whale watching and dolphin cruise for one junior or one or two adults from daveys locker up to 68% off. According to experts, gray whales breachthats the spectacular jumpoutofthewater and make a big splash movemore often near dana point and. These massive, itinerant mammals travel from feeding grounds in the bering sea to mating and breeding lagoons along baja california in mexico. Select from several whale watching cruise times daily and year round. There are several great places in orange county to spot whales. First blue whale of the season spotted off orange county.
Join guided cruises out of newport beach s newport harbor and dana point, which has been dubbed the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world, to explore remarkable marine habitat thats home to huge numbers of whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Whale species viewed while whale watching in orange county. Paddleboarders float directly over a whale in the dana point harbor. On an ecofriendly catamaran, glide through san francisco bay and under the golden gate bridge to reach the open pacific, where youll keep your eyes peeled for humpback and gray whales, as well as marine life like dolphins and seals. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity cf. Newport landing whale watching offers whale watching cruises open to the general public viewing california grey whales, blue whales, all types of dolphins. The whales travel 10,000 to 12,000 miles from the cooler waters of. Jun 05, 2017 the reasons for orange countys lively whale scene are varied, and not always fully understood, says jessica roame, marine education specialist at newport landing whale watching.
Join newport landing on one of our open to the public whale watching cruises or rent a whale watching boat charter a whale watching boat for just your groupcompany. Ocean temperatures are warmer from may through november and feature more blue whales, finback whales and humpback whales, along with killer whales, huge pods of dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea otters and many other marine mammals. Long beach, newport beach, dana point, oceanside, and san diego all offer whale watching. Dec 01, 2016 5080 offshore type killer whales visited the coast of orange county, dana point whale watching vessels first spotted them as they headed up the coast, newport coastal adventure stayed with them. Blue whale blue whales average 100 feet in length and 100 tons, this is the size of a boeing 737 jet. You can see them seasonally along the orange county oc coast, along with migrating gray whales. Long beach, newport beach, dana point, oceanside, and san diego all offer whalewatching.
Whale watching in orange county is a year round event. Whale watching trips depart daily from several different spots along the coast. How to go whale watching in orange county orange county. Any time of year, you might also see a fin whale, a humpback, a minke whale, or a pod of orcas. There are five overlooks with comfortable bench seating. Whale watching and dolphin cruise for one, two, four, or. The real housewives of orange county season 14 episodes 2 3 s14e12. Watch the rugged, beautiful scenery of the pacific coast glide by as you listen to interesting commentary from your crew about the native california marine life.
Endorsed by the orange county cetacean society, daveys locker provides year round whale watching cruises daily. It aired from january 16, 2007 until march 20, 2007, and was primarily filmed in orange county, california. California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. Captain dave founded and organized orange countys first whale rescue group in the worlds whale watching. After a record number of whale sightings last spring, whale watchers are anticipating another good gray whale watching season, according to officials at the cabrillo marine aquarium. Captain daves dana point dolphin and whale watching safari is the first tour in dana point to offer yearround dolphin and whale sightings.
Depart anaheim in the morning and head south to explore the beautiful orange county beaches. Whale watching off orange county from newport harbororange. Not only is orange county right along the gray whale migration route which takes place december through may, but in the summer we see blue and humpback whales that come here to feed, as well as minke and fin whale sightings yearround. Download the ios app download the android app about us api. Aug 08, 2017 the whale was first spotted at around 6. Whale watching cruises are a great experience for families, churches, and companies in orange county with a universal appeal to all ages. Whale watching tours pricing newport beach cruises. Unlike gray whales which migrate past orange county, humpbacks do not migrate past here, instead they come here to feed and sometimes we see an individual humpback whale here for more than a month while others show up one day and are gone the next. Whale watching in orange co unty its whale watching season again and orange county has plenty of options available for you to catch a glimpse of one of these magnificent creatures. Starting early summer to mid fall a wide variety of baleen whales are viewed, like the humpback, finback, minke and blue whales. If you are coming to whale watch, you want to do it from dana point with dana wharf, the pioneers of the industry. A juvenile gray whale off the coast of laguna beach this week is the season s first spotted off orange county.
The real housewives of orange county season 14 download. Along with this migration comes a surge of whale watchers in southern california. In addition, during summer, blue, humpback and other whales can be seen. For a closer look, book a whale watching cruise with san diego whale watch. Whale watching california coast gray whale blue humpback. First gray whale of season spouted in south orange county the migration begins. The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale, swims and feeds right off newport beach coast. Whale species in southern california and surrounding waters. Around 20,000 grays are moving up and down the coast during this time of year, which makes it a great time for whale watching. Southern california whale watching tours depart from most harbors along the coast. Whale watchers report thousands of dolphins in superpod off laguna beach a superpod of at least one thousand common dolphins convened off the coast of laguna beach, california, on may 16.
Basking shark scotland top things to do in san diego february 24 march 1, 2015. Best time for whale watching in california condor express. Its so great for the mind and soul to hop on a boat and enjoy an abundance of marine life that is not trapped in a tank. At around 26 feet long, its the smallest baleen whale off orange county. Free gray whale cliparts, download free clip art, free. Located in newport beach, just minutes away from most cities in orange county, daveys locker has been providing whale watching cruises for over 40 years to both residents and visitors of orange county and. Newport beach, ca whale watching is popular among visitors and locals. The original whale watching company in orange county. Our company offers whale watching trips throughout the year and often times we are asked when the best time is to see the animals. Education director for the cabrillo aquarium whale watch program, diane alps, says. Take your students whale and dolphin watching with dana wharf. The big pods of dolphins often seen at dana point are around all year long.
The best time for whale watching in california usa today. Get discount whale and dolphin watching cruises with daveys locker tickets for daveys locker ships orange county. Whale watching in orange co unty is a year round event. The graywhalewatching season in california varies along the coast during winter and spring as the grays migrate south to the mating and calving lagoons of mexico, then return north to feed mainly off alaska. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins cetaceans in their natural habitat. Dana point located in south orange county dana point is an excellent place to spot passing whales. Southern california whale watchers can view these giants during the summer months. The orange county register reports that the migration season for these whales will last until april. November through april, gray whales pass along the california coast, and theres no better place to watch them than in southern californias beach cities of dana point, long beach, and newport beach. Whale and dolphin watching from dana point orange county. Gray whale season kicks off and southern california whale. Dana point whale watching tours introduce you to magnificent wildlife and extraordinary views. Buy tickets online or call 949 6731434 to schedule a cruise. If you dont see any whales on your journey with the company, they let you cruise again for free.
Gray whale watching season school group special novapril. Baby gray whale coaxed back to sea from dana point photos. Orange county, california, is one of the best spots in the state for whale watching. Orange county residents and tourists from all over the world come whale watching in orange county to see these giants. Check the whale migration season california calendar and schedule your cruise. With just a few weeks left in the prime whale watching season, here are a few of the top orange county whale watching tours. Whale and dolphin watching from dana point, mar 12th 9. Some fishermen out of orange beach have a whale of a tale. Whale watching at dana point and coastal orange county. One of the largest the blue whale, can reach over one hundred feet and 100 tons, yet they eat some of the smallest animals called krill, shrimp like creatures that are barely visible to.