Whale Watching in CA?

May 25, 2009 9:41 AM

Whale Watching in CA, I will be traveling to Bakersfield CA in the next couple of days and spending some time there and in Santa Monica. Anyone know of somewhere I could go and take a whale watching trip while there? (within a reasonable driving distance from either location)
posted by jseven to Travel & Transportation around Bakersfield, CA (5 answers total)

The grey whale migration is usually over by this time of year, so it's going to be harder to find a whale watching boat. Other species of whale are out and about (blues and humpbacks, mostly), though, so you may be able to find an outfit to take you out. You might wind up not finding anything, though.

Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach has "whale watching cruises" year-round, but it doesn't look they've spotted any whales in a while. There might be some smaller outfits leaving from the Santa Monica or Redondo Beach piers.
posted by Thoughtcrime at 10:45 AM on May 25, 2009

It is a bit of a drive from Santa Monica and Bakersfield, but there are whales year-round in Monterey. The humpbacks are out right now, feeding. That's where they spend most of their California summers.
posted by bubsy012 at 10:50 AM on May 25, 2009

It might still be a bit early, but the humpbacks are usually off Morro Bay in the summer. Morro Bay is an easy drive from Bakersfield; Hwy 46 across, through Paso Robles, takes less than 3 hours. It's a beautiful drive. From Morro Bay you can drive south on 101 through even MORE beautiful country through Santa Barbara - that takes less than 4 hours.

http://www.subseatours.com/whales/whales.html
posted by elsietheeel at 10:59 AM on May 25, 2009

I don't know where the whales might actually be, but I do know that lots of those boats leave from San Pedro, from santa monica take the 405s to the 110s.
posted by paultopia at 1:02 PM on May 25, 2009

I have heard that Condor express out of Santa Barbara has a great, fast, smooth riding boat and very good knowledge about the local whale conditions.
posted by Iron Rat at 7:11 PM on May 25, 2009