Winter Whale Watching in San Diego

 While the gray whale is on its annual migration from the Bering Sea into warmer waters to bear their calves, it is an ideal time to go whale watching in San Diego.

The gray whales head into the waters of Mexico, making the migration south during the months of December and January and the return trip with the calves in as early as February, but most ideal times are March and April.

There are many groups that do whale watching tours from the San Diego Harbor area. The two main boats are the Flagship, which is led by experts from Birch Aquarium in La Jolla and the Hornblower, with expert whalers from the San Diego Natural History Museum.

We chose to go with the Flagship cruise.

The Naturalist that narrates the three and a half to four-hour cruises explain how to spot a whale as well as teach visitors about the gray whale.

On the return trip back to the harbor, volunteers walk around the boat with samples of arctic mud, whales teeth, called plates; and more.

There is also a chance to see seals, sea lions and dolphins, all of which are in the waters around San Diego.

 The Flagship leaves twice daily, boarding at 9:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. The company guarantees a whale sighting during the cruise. Whale watching season for the Flagship runs approximately Dec. 11 through April 10.

Boarding for the Flagship is at 1050 North Harbor Drive in San Diego. The best and cheapest place to park is at the USS Midway, for $7 for three hours and is only about a block and a half away. There is also a city parking lot across the street, at Broadway and Pacific Highway that charges $10 for three hours. Metered parking is available around the harbor area with a three-hour maximum at $1.25 per hour.