Gray whale watching started December 26th and it’s shaping up to be one of the best whale watching seasons ever! There has been a ton of press coverage, so this post is definitely on the late side. But it’s still worth mentioning in case anyone missed the news or needs a reminder.

Volunteers for the ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project have spotted more gray whales this season than in the last 28 years for the same time frame. On several days volunteers spotted more than 20 whales. Even better…transient killer whales have been visiting Los Angeles and giving whale watchers quite a show.

On Wednesday (January 4th), a pod of killer whales was seen near Point Vicente by ACS/LA Census volunteers. I drove out there with fellow whale enthusiasts to see them, but by the time we got there the killer whales were out of sight hunting sea lions. Bummer! I still haven’t seen a killer whale in the wild…there’s still time though since this is the very beginning of whale watching season. (Gray whale watching season lasts through early April.)

The bottom line is that this is an amazing time to go whale watching! Visit Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s website for a list of the Los Angeles whale watch landings. For ongoing updates on the number of gray whales seen each day, “like” the ACS/LA Facebook page, it’s also a great place to see photos and read recent whale related news. Also, if you have any questions about whale watching near Los Angeles, feel free to ask me through the contact page.