Join us on a journey to witness the magnificent migration of whales on the California coast
Discover the Wonders of the Ocean with the Latest Whale Sightings in San Diego
Get up-to-date information on the latest whale sightings in San Diego and surrounding areas with our daily blog posts. With a focus on blue whale sightings, orca sightings, and more, you’ll never miss a chance to witness the beauty of these magnificent creatures in the wild.
Every year, whales make their way to the California coast for their annual migration. As one of the best places for whale watching, San Diego offers incredible opportunities to see these magnificent creatures up close. With peak viewing season occurring from December to April, visitors can expect to see a variety of species, including blue whales, gray whales, and orcas. However, even outside of peak season, whale watching is available year-round and offers a chance to witness the beauty of these creatures in their natural habitat. Whether you’re looking for recent whale sightings, the latest whale sightings, or whale sightings today, San Diego is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the wonder of whale migration.
Stay Informed with Our Daily Updates on Recent Whale Sightings in San Diego
With whale migration season in full swing, we encourage you to follow our daily updates and get the most out of your whale watching experience. From December to April, the California coast is a prime location for whale watching, with a variety of species making their way along the coast. But even outside of peak season, there is always a chance to spot these magnificent creatures in the San Diego area.
Gray Whales
Gray whales are among the most commonly seen species during whale watching tours in San Diego. These magnificent creatures migrate annually from their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to their winter breeding grounds just south of San Diego in Baja California.
Blue Whales
Blue whales, renowned for their size as the largest mammals on Earth, stretching up to 100 feet in length and weighing over 200 tons, embark on captivating annual migrations along the California coast, affording residents and tourists in San Diego an awe-inspiring spectacle of whale watching.
Dolphins
With its abundant population of dolphins, San Diego is a prime location for observing these playful creatures in their natural habitat. From the comfort of a boat, you can witness the dolphins swimming, jumping, and playing in the waves, making for a truly unforgettable experience.
Stay Informed with Daily Updates on Whale Sightings
Don’t miss a moment of the incredible whale migration in San Diego. Subscribe to our daily newsletter to receive updates on recent sightings and more!
Experience the Magic: Humpback Whale and Dolphin Encounter – November 30, 2023
Join us for a thrilling Humpback Whale and Dolphin Encounter off San Diego's coast. Rainbows! Whales! Dolphins! Rain! Sunshine! Glassy Seas! We had IT ALL!Another splendid adventure out on the pacific in San Diego. We headed straight out of the jetties today in some...
August 30, 2025 – Sunset
Captain Brian found us a Minke whale about 6-miles offshore in about 700’ of water. He put the boat into neutral and the whale came up about 4 times close to our vessel, even spouting once. We could all smell the nickname of this whale, the “stinky” Minke. Further...
August 29, 2025
MINKE MADNESS aboard the Privateer! We sighted ~500 Common dolphins and 2 Minke whales on our amazing sunset trip! We left Mission bay and headed west and once we got to about 3-miles from shore, we spotted a fast-moving pod of ~100 Long-beaked Common dolphins! They...
August 24, 2025
Super Cetacean Sunday!! We had a Happy Humpback whale on the sunset trip that BREACHED at least 25 TIMES including other incredible surface active behaviors! We also had a Minke whale on the afternoon trip as well as Common dolphins ALL DAY! We had an awesome couple...
August 24, 2025
Our usual summer weather in the mornings is overcast. A gray Sunday morning greeted an enthusiastic group of passengers with what is known as an atmospheric marine layer, a temperature inversion. This occurs along the...
August 22, 2025
Our wildlife viewing began just a minute after we left the dock. Hundreds of birds and a dozen California sea lions, our feathered and flippered friends. We saw brown pelicans, snowy egrets, great egrets, Brandt’s cormorants, western gulls, Heermann’s gulls, and a...
August 22, 2025
Our wildlife viewing began just a minute after we left the dock. Hundreds of birds and a dozen California sea lions, our feathered and flippered friends. We saw brown pelicans, snowy egrets, great egrets, Brandt’s cormorants, western gulls,...
August 21, 2025
WITH THE RIZZ! And by that I mean Risso’s dolphins! It’s been forever since we’ve seen these incredible dolphins but we got lucky with the COOLEST pod today! These Risso’s were pretty close to shore and RACING after something when we found them but very quickly...
August 20, 2025
We had a Wacky Whale Wednesday with sightings of Offshore bottlenose dolphin, Long-beaked Common dolphins and a MINKE whale! We started our afternoon off by cruising out to the west and cruising the drop-off. It was a bit quiet except for a small group of 4 large male...
August 19, 2025
Sunny, warm weather is a welcome respite from the marine layer we’ve had for more than half of the summer. We saw a lot of bird guano on the dock. White indicates birds are eating fish. Red guano is from a diet of krill, and purple or...
Explore the Wonders of Marine Life: Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, and Dolphin Sightings
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Explore the ocean’s wonders and witness the magnificent migration patterns of whales and dolphins. From blue whale sightings to gray whale migrations and dolphin watching, discover the diverse marine life in San Diego with our comprehensive guides.