North America is truly a paradise for people that want to see whales. Whale watching spots can be found in so many locations. You just need to look online and you will find various incredible destinations that can be taken into account. Those that are presented below are definitely among the best. However, feel free to also look at other spots if this is what you would like. Just be sure you seriously consider these since they are truly awesome.
Cabrillo National Monument – San Diego
Out of all the world’s mammals, the gray whale has the longest migration. At Cabrillo National Monument you basically get to see some of the pit stops that they make. These 33 ton creatures can easily be seen around the middle of January. However, you can see them from time to time from the middle of December to March.
Monterey Bay – California
Whale watching is available every single day of the year here. The Monterey Bay runs right across the central coast of California, featuring blue whales and humpbacks between the months of April and December. In the other months you can se gray whales. Among those that are harder to spot but that do visit the area, you can see killer whales. They are actually hunting gray whales as they migrate.
Santa Barbara – California
Gray whales can be spotted, together with different other marine life. There are actually 27 different types of dolphins and whales that can be found in these waters, all at different year times. If you want to plan a great vacation, the best choice is February and a part of April. This is when you see the California grey whales. Between May and September there are blue whales, humpback, right whales, orcas and minke.
Vancouver Island – British Columbia
Pacific grey whales, humpbacks and killer whales are visible here, with tourists normally starting on tours from Vancouver Island. Around 85 orcas can be seen here and there are 20,000 grey whales that are making an annual migration right along the west coast of Vancouver Island. The official whale watching season is between March and November.
Kodiak Island – Alaska
Sea otters are quite often seen but most tourists want to visit to see gray whales. During the month of June you can see minke, humpback whales and fin whales. April is highly recommended as a month to visit since there is a long festival held, the Whale Fest Kodiak.
San Juan Islands – Washington
Orcas seem to really like this area of Washington State. You can see one of the three pods that appear here between April and October, together with humpback whales, minke and gray whales. Among the other sea animals to consider, sea lions, otters, porpoises and seals are great.
Long Island – New York
From July to Labor Day you should consider whale watching in this region to see minke, humpback, sperk, blue, sei and North Atlantic right whales. All these whales are drawn in by the herring schools, marine crustaceans and sand eels. Most of the best whale watching trips will start from Montauk.
Cape May – New Jersey
New Jersey’s whale action is tremendous, with the season starting in March. The whales that are often seen here are finback and humpback. The waters are filled with fish and the whale sightings will go on all through the month of December.
Provincetown – Massachusetts
When spring comes you want to visit Provincetown as there are so many humpbacks, sei, minke and fin whales to see. The endangered North Atlantic right whale is also frequently found in these waters throughout the month of October. Be sure that you also consider Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. It is only 5 miles from Provincetown to the north.
