California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. 每年, 约20,000头灰鲸组成了一部史诗,000-mile journey between Alaska 和 墨西哥—和n back again. 这些巨大的, itinerant mammals travel from feeding grounds in the Bering Sea to mating 和 breeding lagoons along Baja California in 墨西哥, 使 for one of the most amazing wildlife migrations on the planet.
在这里 are the best places for spotting whales along the California coast, from north to south.
奇诺
每年, 从11月到4月, California gray whales make their annual migration from feeding grounds in Alaska south to mate 和 have babies in the warm coastal lagoons of Baja, 墨西哥. 一路走来, the whales do a swim-by off the 奇诺 Coast, offering an unforgettable chance to see the leviathans spouting, 违反, 和 diving as they make their epic journey south. High vantage points along the coast are good spots to spot whales, particularly on calm mornings. Favorite spots near town include coastal trails in 门多西诺海岬州立公园，和 角竞技场灯塔. 想要近距离观察，可以在门多西诺酒店预订一个位置 观鲸宪章, or, if you’re feeling adventurous 和 waters are calm, rent kayaks. (更多: 门多西诺观鲸)
旧金山
如果你想去附近看鲸鱼 旧金山，头到尖端 雷耶斯岬国家海岸 从12月到2月. 据专家介绍, an astounding 94 percent of migrating Pacific gray whales pass within one mile of this protected peninsula some 27 miles north of the city. Other watch-from-shore locations include the headl和s in 蒙达拉 和 半月湾 (both less than 45 minutes’ drive south of 旧金山). From the city, gray whale cruises head out from 码头39, 和 cruises also depart from 半月湾 和 圣克鲁斯. 的 海洋社会 offers trips led by expert naturalists for a chance to see not only whales but 海豚, 海豚, 和海豹. (更多: 旧金山附近观鲸)
圣克鲁斯
Migratory whales, including grays, blues, 和 humpbacks, can all be spied off the 圣克鲁斯 coast at different times of year, 和 海豚, sea otters, 和海豹 are observed year-round. 你自己看看就兴奋了 观鲸邮轮, chartered sailing excursions, or—for staggeringly intimate encounters—on guided kayak paddles. If you prefer to keep your feet on terra firma, take a nine-mile drive up 1号公路 to 达文波特. 在这里, at locations like Hole in the Wall 和 Panther Beach, 你可以看到灰鲸和座头鲸, 更不用说海豚了, 蓝鲸, 海豚和海狮. If you work up an appetite, drop by long-time 达文波特 fixture 鲸鱼城烘焙吧 & 烧烤 for vegan treats, comfort-food classics, 和 local wines. (更多: 圣克鲁斯观鲸)
蒙特利县
因为寒冷, 食物丰富, 还有离岸一英里深的海底峡谷, 鲸鱼和海洋哺乳动物在这里茁壮成长, 使 蒙特利县 an outst和ing place to go whale-watching year-round. You might also sporadically spot smaller cetaceans such as fin 和 minke whales, 还有虎鲸, 海豚, 和鼠海豚. Numerous companies offer whale-watching tours departing from 渔人码头, or take a guided kayak tour into the open ocean off tiny 莫斯兰丁. For prime whale watching from l和, drive south along the spectacular 大苏尔海岸， 最高点在哪里? 1号公路 提供绝佳的观鲸点. (更多: 蒙特雷附近观赏鲸鱼)
海峡群岛
的城市 奥克斯纳德这里距离市中心不到10英里 海峡群岛国家公园是一个完美的基地 老远来看鲸鱼. 岛包装工 offers both winter 和 summer three- to three-和-a-half-hour 观鲸邮轮 along the Santa Barbara Channel, with the option of extending your trip to a full day to l和 on Anacapa or 圣克鲁斯岛. (的 Santa Barbara Channel was designated as a 鲸鱼遗产地 到2023年，美国仅有的两个这样的网站之一.S.，以及丹娜一点)。. 海峡群岛钓鱼运动 has tours that run from late December through April. Of the 78 species of whales, 海豚, 和鼠海豚 in the world, 29 have been spotted near the 海峡群岛国家海洋保护区. 即使鲸鱼没有出现, 游客通常可以看到一群海豚, 还有成群的海狮. (更多: 海峡群岛观鲸)
洛杉矶
After marveling at the model of a giant blue whale in the 太平洋水族馆 in 长滩去看真正的电影吧 洛杉矶 whale-watching trips from the adjacent harbor, or head out from 圣佩德罗 向西. 什么时候最合适? 近海, you have a good chance to spot 蓝鲸 June through October 和 migrating gray whales December to mid-May. 这样的公司 港湾微风游艇租赁和巡游 和 精神邮轮 全年提供每日行程. For spying whales from l和, head about nine miles west of 圣佩德罗 to the Point Vicente解说中心. Perched on a rocky promontory along the scenic Palos Verdes Peninsula, this site is one of Southern California’s premier locations for viewing the gray whale migration from l和. (更多: 洛杉矶附近观鲸)
奥兰治县
Some experts believe that the 200-foot-high cliffs off 奥兰治县’s 丹娜一点 作为迁徙鲸鱼的地标. 正确与否, the unusually high number of whales traveling along this stretch of coast has earned it the designation of 海豚 & 世界赏鲸之都®，以及被认可 世界鲸类动物联盟: it’s the first location in the Americas that the organization has named as a 鲸鱼遗产地. 从达纳角港， 达纳码头钓鱼运动 & 观赏鲸鱼 offers narrated whale-watching trips all year, some aboard a 65-foot catamaran. Captain Dave’s 海豚 和 Whale-Watching Safari, also out of 丹娜一点 offers underwater viewing capability, so that you can see the marine beauties both as they jump out of the water 和 as they swim below the surface. From Newport Harbor 和 Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula, respectively, 纽波特登陆观鲸 和 戴维的橱柜 全年每天提供几次游船. (更多: 奥兰治县观鲸)
圣地亚哥
无论是陆上还是海上， 圣地亚哥 是加州的一个 观赏鲸鱼的最佳地点. With just a pair of binoculars, you can catch sight of whales from the high bluffs at 多利松州自然保护区 和 桦树水族馆，两者都是 拉霍亚, 约20 minutes north of downtown 圣地亚哥，和 卡布里洛国家纪念碑距离洛马角西南方向10分钟车程. For a closer view, book a 老远来看鲸鱼. 圣地亚哥观鲸会 和 旗舰观鲸游船 offer a guarantee—if you don’t see either a whale or a dolphin, 你可以改天再免费出去玩. 其他邮轮营运商包括 H&M着陆 和 Hornblower邮轮, which has some of the biggest 和 most stable in the business—a best bet for those unaccustomed to sea travel. (更多: 在圣地亚哥观鲸)
