I had a great time on board and would recommend this solidly to anyone interested in going whale watching at Fort Bragg. With some 20, 000 gray whales migrating North along our coastline from birthing grounds in Mexico to their winter home in Alaska, there will be plenty of whales to view from boat or shore. Tours last three hours and you can see from the photos below what you might be lucky enough to experience. Find more information on Questions, Private Message me... Ciao~. The Samurai is a 32x13 foot Radovich hull powered by twin screw Catterpillar 3116 diesel engines with a 6 KW northern lights Generator. Whales can be seen occasionally year round, but are most likely to be seen from December through the first part of April. Historical Walking Tour of Mendocino~ With Kelly House Museum Docents 707-937-5791.
For more information, you can check the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study Facebook page. Half Moon Bay is the oldest town in San Mateo county and home to some of the best beaches in California, including the world famous Maverick's beach where surfers from all over the world congregate to compete for riding against the waves. Several species of dolphins, porpoises, sea otters, harbor seals, California Sea Lions, Killer Whales, Mola molas (giant ocean sunfish) and jellies are a handful of the mind boggling array of sea life that you'll encounter in the waters of the Monterey Bay apart from whales. Newport Beach is another popular spot along the coast in Southern California for whale watching. History buffs will find the town's logging past fascinating. When you hike this trail, you will likely encounter tons of other wildlife species, including harbor seals! Trinidad Head is also home to a lighthouse, which is open between 10AM-2PM on the first Saturday of every month. Big River Interpretive Walks~ With the Mendocino Land Trust Docents 707-962-0470. At Fort Bragg Fishing we offer sport fishing trips for Salmon, Rock Cod, Ling cod, Albacore, and Pacific Halibut. See the wonderful array of boats, businesses, and marine life of the historical Noyo Harbor. If you go expecting to see large swathes of colorful glass, you may be disappointed: sadly, the glass is much depleted. The Kraken is Coast Guard certified and completely equipped for safety and comfort. Mendocino Headlands. You can taste as many wines as you want during the day without the hassle or hazard of driving.
Live Music will be performed by Pook and the Nasty's (formerly known as The Green Fields), and Hellbilly Brewgrass from the Mendocino Coast of Northern California. TIPS TO PREPARE FOR A CALIFORNIA WHALE WATCHING TRIP. The hotel is rated highly for its comfy beds. Of all these places, I have visited Fort Ross Historic State Park and highly recommend it as the one place along the Sonoma Coast that you should visit on a road trip along Highway 1, which easily qualifies as one of the most scenic road trips from San Francisco, not only for whale watching but also to marvel at a slice of California's history. The beach town of Santa Cruz is the unofficial surfing capital of Northern California and is a mere 1. I highly recommend going on a grey whale watching trip when visiting California in December to make your winter vacation even more memorable! Locals and visitors to Santa Barbara all head for Shoreline Park for the best shoreline viewpoints for whale-watching, from late December through late March. If you like chowder, now's your chance to chow down!
Gray whales migrate between 10, 000 and 14, 000 miles round trip to travel from their shallow, warm breeding grounds off the western shore of Baja California, up to the Arctic's cold, invertebrate rich Bearing, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The Sonoma coast is an excellent spot for gray whale watching from the bluffs of the Sonoma Coast County Park that stretches along the coast for 17 miles. Tickets can be purchased on the MendoParks website. The Telstar offers 2 hour Whale Watching Excursions. Orcas: Orcas or killer whales (so named because they eat marine mammals and not humans, although I wish they preyed on the folks at Seaworld for their infinite cruelty) prey on northbound gray whales so they can be often spotted in the months of April-June near Fort Bragg/Mendocino and in Monterey when the gray whales migrate north along the coast. Then from about June/July to September the blue whales and the humpback whales will be taking their turn to migrate.
The majority of Southbound migrating Gray Whales leave the Bering Sea in groups somewhat segregated by age, sex and class. For humpbacks, visit May through November, and for blue whales, the largest animal on Earth, plan your stay sometime between July and October. WHALE WATCHING IN LOS ANGELES. Liquid Fusion Kayaking offer guided meanders from mid-May through mid-September. But the fest's name comes from the Gualala area's reputation as a supreme spot for observing whales. Objectives include expanding opportunities for artists and arts organizations, supporting art education, promoting the role of the arts in the local economy and increasing public awareness of the value of the arts. 785 Iversen Ave., Point Arena CA 95468 (707) 882-3171. "I always suggest going in the gray whale season, " Turner said, "because there are so many whales coming by our harbor each day the chances are excellent to see something. " On March 7, our coastal chefs will prepare delicious chowders for your tasting pleasure. And, if all that isn't enough to entice you into a visit, read on... Some prominent whale watching spots in Big Sur are as follows: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve: Known as the "the crown jewel of the State Park System" Point Lobos not only has headlands, coves and meadows for stunning views and hikes, but also plenty of spots on land to watch sea lions, otters and of course migrating gray whales in winter and early spring. Again, your best bet to spot them is to join one of the many whale watching tours in Monterey. The three tallest trees in the world are in these parks!
"Spring is the best time to watch the whales here, " says a staffer at the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce. What makes it even more special is that the several turnabouts along Highway 1 double up as great vantage points for whale watching-both Humpback and Gray. Driving down Big Sur, the 90 mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel to San Simeon, is an once in a lifetime experience. This is a day use area with a separate route inside the park and so you may not have to pay at the visitor center. It is an experience you will not soon forget.
Russian Gulch State Park. In the summer and fall, you will find beautiful bloom displays in the botanical garden, and great weather to frolic on the beaches. "They have their babies with them. Intrepid explorers can visit Sinkyone Wilderness State Park to the north.
Phone: ||707-357-1875. Gross, I know but I have to tell you this: if you must puke your brains out, do so on one side of the boat and not inside the restrooms (cruise boats/trailers have one) out of courtesy to co-passengers. In the mid-1900's they were protected from whaling and then added to the Endangered Species list in 1969. Sites, including: |.
If you want to know more about the whales, MacKerricher State Park Visitor Center has a Gray Whale & Marine Mammal Program. They are best identified by their robust shape, less streamlined than other whales, their mottled gray and white coloring enhanced by numerous barnacles and whale lice, and their lack of a dorsal fin. Humpback Whales spend most of their time further offshore than the Gray Whale but can be seen fluking, spy-hopping, and breaching! Being further north, the best viewing times are a little different from southern California. I must warn you that Point Reyes Lighthouse is unlike any that you'll ever visit in California-you have to go down a gazellion flight of stairs to reach the lighthouse which is literally at the edge of Gulf of the Farallones.