If you’re in San Diego on vacation, one of the things you absolutely must do is go whale watching! It’s the perfect thing to do in our perfect weather, and you’ll hopefully get to see lots of amazing marine animals. Want to get the inside scoop on the best way and best place to go whale watching, as well as what you might see? Read on!
The Best Time For Whale Watching in San Diego
If you’re wondering when is the best time to go whale watching in San Diego, the answer is “now!” Yes, believe it or not, whale watching happens all year long in California!
Different seasons bring different types of whales, so when you go will determine what type of whale you are likely to see. San Diego whale watching season is really divided up into two seasons: gray and blue whales. Gray whales migrate along the coast from December to April and this is one of my favorite times of year to go whale watching because they move at a steady pace along the coast so they are easy to track and see!
Blue whale season usually starts around April and goes until October, so the summer months are the best times to see them. Unlike the gray whales, blue whales don’t come to California on migration but instead come to feed on krill. This makes them a little more unpredictable to track, but the higher the amount of krill in the area the higher your chances are of seeing the blue whales.
So the best time to view whales really depends on what type of whale you want to see. We’ve been blessed with a whale watching season in San Diego that runs pretty much all year round, so get out your binoculars and enjoy!
San Diego Whale Watch Experience
There are lots of ways to whale watch in San Diego. From sitting on the shore and spotting spouts to taking a San Diego whale watching cruise to kayaking, the method you choose will depend on your level of adventurousness. One of my favorite ways to whale watch, though, is by going out on a boat and getting close to these magnificent creatures!
There are lots of companies that run San Diego whale watching tours, but one of the ones I’ve used several times is San Diego Whale Watch. Of course, sightings can be quite unpredictable and they can’t guarantee you’ll get to see whales…but they do guarantee that if you don’t see whales or dolphins on your trip you can go out again with them for free!
So what might you see on your whale watching trip? Here are some of the highlights from my whale and dolphin watching in San Diego with San Diego Whale Watch!
1. Common Dolphins
It’s nearly guaranteed that you’ll see dolphins on your San Diego whale watching cruise! They have a few spots that they usually like to hang out, and your captain and guide know where those spots are and make sure to take you there so you can see them.
While Bottlenose Dolphins are the dolphins of our imagination, the ones you are most likely to see in San Diego are actually the common dolphin.
These dolphins love to come and swim alongside the boat (when they do this, they’re called “surfers”). They’re very playful and love to jump in and out of the water! It’s really special to be able to get so close to these sweet animals and observe them playing and having fun…in fact, I’d almost just go out to go dolphin watching in San Diego even if there was no chance of seeing whales!
2. California Sea Lions
Like the dolphins, the local sea lions have their favorite hang out spots…whether that be on a buoy or on a pier. It’s also nearly guaranteed that you’ll get to see these adorable little fellows on your way out to whale watch and on your way back in to the harbor. You can usually watch them sleeping all cuddled up together or see them enjoying sunbathing with a flock of birds nearby.
3. Other Dolphin Species
If you’re lucky, you might even get to see some other types of dolphins on your tour! One day while I was out with San Diego Whale Watch, we spotted a whole group of Risso’s Dolphins which is super rare!
Unlike other types of dolphins, Risso’s dolphins are quite stocky in appearance with rounded heads and they don’t really have a beak. Younger Risso’s dolphins are often more gray in color while older ones are whiter as they get lots of scars while feeding on their favorite food–squid!
When you see Risso’s dolphins, they look more like a really small whale than a dolphin, but they love to jump in and out of the water and are quite playful just like the common dolphins you are sure to see on your San Diego whale watching trip.
While it’s not guaranteed (or likely) to see Risso’s dolphins on your trip, it is likely that you’ll get to see some really cool animals regardless and that you might get to experience an unexpected species of dolphin as well!
4. Whales
And of course, if all goes as planned, you’ll have the opportunity to see what you really came out on the water for: a whale! I’ve been out on the water at times where we sadly didn’t get to see any whales (so they gave us a 50% off coupon to come back) and I’ve been out during the spring when we did get to see some beautiful gray whales in San Diego. It really all just depends on the day, the weather conditions, how many boats are out, and a lot of other unpredictable factors.
While we didn’t get to see whales as close up here as when I was whale watching in Newport Beach, it was still a great treat to get to see these two gray whales making their way up the coast! They kept coming to the surface and spouting water up into the air before diving back under for a while. We were all mesmerized for sure!
San Diego Whale Watching Tips
Even though pretty much anytime of year is part of “whale watching season” in San Diego, it’s still definitely a good idea to check whale sightings before you go. Many companies post their whale and dolphin counts online so you can check out whether there’s been any recent activity. As you may expect, if you choose to go out on a day during a week that they haven’t been seeing many whales, then of course your chances of seeing a whale are pretty minimal too.
If you choose to book with San Diego Whale Watch, they have a large and free parking lot that makes parking a breeze! Of course, there are lots of other great whale watching companies as well including Flagship and Hornblower Cruises.
And of course, you’ll want to come prepared with a few things like a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses…and Dramamine. While most of the times I’ve been out whale watching have been really calm, one time the sea was unexpectedly quite rough. Everyone on the ship (except for myself and about three other people) got super sick. People were sitting down with their heads in their hands, the crew was passing out bags to throw up in, and…let’s just say it wasn’t a good situation. Of course, this is an anomaly, but especially if you already know you get a little seasick then it’s a good idea to come prepared with medicine to help you cope just in case!
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