The Gray Whales are back and it's time to hop on a boat and head into the beautiful Pacific Ocean to witness one of the greatest migrations on Earth! Okay, some may think I'm being overdramatic, but we are truly lucky to be so close to such a spectacular phenomenon that most people only read about in National Geographic or watch on the Discovery Channel.
What's the big deal? Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal, averaging between 10,000-14,000 miles roundtrip annually. In the summer months, the whales reside in the frigid waters of the Bering and Chukchi Seas off of the coast of Alaska. These waters are rich with microscopic crustaceans called amphipods, which the whales gorge on to build up their blubber reserves. In October, when the whales are plump and strong, they begin their long journey south to the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. By the time they reach their destination, the whales have burned off some of that extra weight, and while relaxing in the calm and protected waters of the lagoons, they mate and give birth. After 2-3 months of vacationing in Mexico, the whales are ready to make the 2-3 month journey home. Mothers and their calves swim close to the coast, making them very easy to spot as they surface for air. It's quite amazing to see them traveling up close or breaching (jumping) out of the water.
At this time of the year, there are many outfits offering whale watching trips out of Dana Point and Newport Harbors. I personally have had good experiences with Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching and Davey's Locker Whale Watching out of Newport, but I have always wanted to try Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari (he made a very cool award-winning documentary on marine life off of our coast). The Ocean Institute also offers excursions every Saturday. Below I have listed some information on the aforementioned whale watching excursions. And don't miss out on the Dana Point Festival of Whales!! See the next article for more event information!!
Happy Whale Watching!
Dana Point
Captain Dave's Dolpin & Whale Safari - danapointwhalewatching.com 949-488-2828
Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching - www.danawharf.com 800-979-3370
Newport
Davey's Locker - www.daveyslocker.com 949-673-1435
