Everything To Know About Whale Watching In Monterey Bay, California
Planning A Wildlife Trip To Monterey Bay, California, And Looking For More Info About Whale Watching?
Almost every year my family takes a business trip to the Monterey Bay area, and we’ve been lucky enough to have some great marine life and wildlife experiences while we were here, so after all our great encounters, here are all the details I think are helpful to know for some great whale watching (and other marine life) experiences in this Northern California town.
🐳 Whale Watching In Monterey Bay, California
While the Monterey Bay area has a few things that really make it worth visiting, one of the biggest draws for visitors is all of the whales (and other marine life) that frequent these rough waters.
So that you can make the most of your time in Monterey, below are some helpful details about whale watching as well as a few other animals to keep an eye out for during your trip.
➡️ Trying to decide exactly where to visit in this part of Northern California? here are a few comparisons between Monterey and Carmel, and Monterey and Santa Cruz to help you out
Is It Worth It
Is Whale Watching In Monterey Bay Even Worth It? If you love searching for wild animals, then whale watching in Monterey Bay is definitely worth it.
There is hardly any other place in the world with so many regular whale visitors and barely a slow season, so Monterey Bay is often considered one of the best whale watching locations.
You never know exactly what you will see, but you can almost guarantee that you will see something, so definitely visit Monterey if you want a wildlife-centered trip.
Type Of Whales
Of course the time of year and sea conditions will determine exactly what kind of whales will be in Monterey and when (more details in the next section), but some of the most common visitors include:
- 🐳 Humpback Whales – one of the most commonly seen whales here, that you could see jump out of the water (if you’re lucky)
- 🐳 Gray Whales – they migrate close to shore so you could see them from land*
- 🐳 Blue Whales – the biggest of the whales; endangered and the largest animals to have ever lived on earth*
- 🐳 Orca/Killer Whales – the most ominous-looking whale; they’re the largest member of the dolphin family and they’re top predators, highly social, and highly intelligent*
*all information learned in Monterey
When To Visit
Monterey Bay, California is one of the few places in the world where you can see some kind of whale basically all year round with the only real slow period being between mid-November and mid-December (and that doesn’t mean that you 100% won’t be able to see any whales at all during this period).
It is so common to see whales in fact, that most tours actually guarantee whale sightings or else they’ll send you back out again for free.
In addition to the time of year, sea conditions can also affect when/where whales show up in the bay, but here is more about general seasons when specific whale groups are in Monterey Bay.
Whale Watching On Land
Where Can You See Whales On Land In Monterey? If the rough waters of Monterey Bay are too much for you, there are a few places on land where you might be able to do a little whale watching:
- 👀 Asilomar State Beach – 1 mile of coastline with rocky coves and a walking path
- 👀 Point Lobos State Natural Reserve – scenic coastal state park with hiking trails and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities
- 👀 Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park – waterfall, redwoods, and coastal views
- 👀 Along Highway 1 in Big Sur – one of the best day trips to take from Monterey with lots of coastal views
- 👀 Cannery Row – famous historical sardine-canning street along the coast
- 👀 Point Sur Lighthouse – historic lighthouse in Big Sur
- 👀 Bird Rock – lots of birds, harbor seals, and barking sea lions
- 👀 Harbor Seal Observation Area – common beach spot for harbor seals
- 👀 Fisherman’s Wharf – where most boats depart from, but common spot to see sea lions or maybe even more marine life
- 👀 Fanshell Beach Overlook – pupping habitat for harbor seals
- 👀 pretty much any sea-weedy waters close to shore in the Monterey, Carmel, or Pebble Beach areas
Whale Watching Tours
What Is The Best Monterey Bay Whale Watching Tour? There are plenty of whale watching options for Monterey Bay, California, and whales are so common that pretty much all of the whale watching tours guarantee that you’ll see something or you can go back out again for free.
Most are also pretty similar in price, length of time, and quality so basically any tour will be fine, but here are a few of the most popular options:
What To Wear
Regardless of the season or the weather on shore, it will be colder and windier out on the water on a whale watching tour in Monterey Bay, California.
Despite being warned about weather and temperatures before going out, a lot of passengers on my boat complained about the cold, so I definitely suggest coming prepared.
Dress Recommendations:
- a beanie or tight hoodie that will stay on your head through the wind
- a warm sweatshirt and/or long sleeve shirt
- a rain/waterproof jacket to wear over your other sweatshirt or shirt (it’s very possible to get a little wet from ocean spray or the rush of water on the boat deck)
- pants (I wore leggings and was fine with those)
- closed toed shoes with good traction (the boat deck does get wet)
- sunglasses (but keep them secure with a string or cord)
- a seasick/motion sickness bracelet
- camera or phone with a strap to keep from dropping it
Whale Watching Tips
I was somewhat unprepared or unsuspecting of a couple of things when I went on my first whale watching tour here in Monterey Bay, and although I had a great time seeing all kinds of marine life, there are a few things I wish I’d known beforehand:
- 🐳 Listen For The Blowhole
- most of the time you’re only going to see the whales back or tail (it’s a special and lucky experience if you see a full breach) and they can come up and dive back down in the blink of an eye
- look and listen for the blowhole to know when whales are coming up (they spewed water up in the air right before taking a deeper dive); this will help you start spotting the whales easier
- 🐬 Look For More Than Just Whales
- while whales are obviously the main attraction on a whale watching tour, Monterey Bay is filled with tons of other marine life too
- on my trip, I also saw Risso’s Dolphins, Sea Otters, Sea Lions, and a Sunfish
- 🌊 Come Prepared For Rough Waters
- the bay here is known for its rough and choppy waters no matter what season it is, so come prepared to have the best experience
- I’d never gotten seasick until this whale watching trip, but that might have also been caused by the large number of other passengers getting sick and the strong gassy engine smell of the boat
- 🅿️ Park Early
- if you book your whale watching tour ahead of time, and you are driving yourself, make sure to arrive early enough because finding a parking spot can be a little difficult
- 🚘 Explore More For More Chances
- although Monterey has plenty of wildlife to see, go out and explore other areas to have even more viewing opportunities (more details in the next section)
🦦 Other Wildlife Viewing Opportunities
Although Monterey has some really awesome wildlife viewing opportunities, other nearby destinations in Northern California also have even more exciting possible animal encounters like:
- 🚘 Big Sur – I saw some elk while driving through
- 🚘 Pfeiffer Beach – I saw a few purple shore crabs here
- 🚘 Elephant Seal Boardwalk – one of the coolest places to visit to see the elusive elephant seals
- 🚘 17 Mile Drive – scenic route through Pebble Beach; I saw some deer here with huge antlers
- 🚘 Santa Cruz – surf town with nearby redwoods; I saw a famous banana slug while hiking here
This whole part of California is full of some really incredible nature and with that, lots of exciting wildlife and marine life, so I definitely recommend exploring more than just Monterey if you want to have the best chances of seeing some exciting animals.
🔁 Sum Up: Whale Watching In Monterey Bay, California
Monterey Bay, California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching (as well as lots of other exciting marine life and wildlife) because there is such a huge variety of animals that frequent the rough waters of the bay as well as the fact that it is almost a year round whale watching destination. If you are as excited by wildlife encounters as me, then Monterey is the perfect place for you to visit and search for as many animals as you can from land or out on a whale watching tour on the water.
