Whale Watching involves a lot of watching. Some days you see them, others, you don’t. Right now, you may see two species of whales in the Pacific or in the Bay, as they continue their migration along the California coast.
Published: February, 2006
Whale Watching involves a lot of watching. Some days you see them, others, you don’t. Right now, you may see two species of whales in the Pacific or in the Bay, as they continue their migration along the California coast.
Information provided by the American Cetacean Society www.sfbaywhalewatching.com
Sperm Whales (migrate Nov. - Apr.)
-grow to be 50 feet in length
-blow low, up to eight feet and forward
-have a dorsal lump and bumpy spine
-do not have a dorsal fin
-raise their flukes or tails before diving
-have a boxcar-shaped head
-are extremely rare to see in this area, and require a lot of whale watching patience. They have been spotted; however, out at the Continental Shelf and beyond.
Gray Whales (migrate Nov. - May)
-travel in groups of one to five
-blow five to 14 feet in V-shaped blows
-raise their flukes or tails before diving
-are not migrating as far north, or as far south, as they used to, because they are finding nutrient waters on the coasts of CA and OR; for this reason, Gray Whales are sometimes resident to certain areas.
