Most of the humpback whale sightings have been about three miles off the coast of morro bay in 200 feet of water, winfield said. The catamaran is an open boat with an unobstructed view, but the weather it can get cold in morro. Sub sea tours kayaks and whale watching home facebook. Whale watching mission if you have traveled a long distance to the central coast or if you are a local, virgs landing offers seafaring voyages full of richness and wonder that will affect all of your senses. About sub sea tours and kayaks sub sea tours bay cruise offering above water and below water viewing. In addition to the whales that migrate seasonally through the area, such as humpbacks, blue whales and gray whales, many other whale species are visible throughout the year. These massive, itinerant mammals travel from feeding grounds in the bering sea to mating and breeding lagoons along baja california in mexico. See schools of fish, jellyfish and kelp, from inside the boat. As a young child kevin was totally imprinted on the ocean, fishing, spear fishing and surfing. The california gray whale migration south occurs in late december through february and migration north starts in. Crabbers said theres no regulation dictating where they can drop crabpots in the monterey bay, and 175,000 traps are allowed along california s coast during crabbing season.
Its one of the most amazing wildlife migrations on the planet. June 6 aboard dos osos with captain kevin, we saw a gray whale, about 2 months past the season when they are usually here. March 2015following are the naturalists sightings reports from our half moon bay gray whale watching programs during march 2015. Whale watching with san pedro special the opportunity to see whales is truly breathtaking.
Monterey bay whale watch is owned and operated by nancy black, the marine biologist who accompanies most trips. The whale rock dam was designed and constructed by the state department of water resources beginning in october 1958 and completed in april 1961, to provide water to the city of san luis obispo, cal poly state university and california mens colony these three groups make up the whale. Find more info about things to do, restaurants, hotels and lodging in sonoma county. Enjoy san luis obispos best sailing tours and small power boat adventure charters year round. Winter and spring trips monterey bay whale watch trips. California gray whales can be found near morro bay from december through april, as they travel from the bering sea down the coast to their breeding grounds in baja, mexico and back. We are located on the waterfront next to harbor hut restaurant. Up in morro bay, the tourism industry is seeing a boom this year. Abundant rains in early winter months followed by lazy warm days bring out the best of natures displays wildflowers. Springtime kicks off whale watching season in morro bay, which starts in april and ends in october. Run on miles of continuous hardpacked sand, kayak through the pristine national estuary, hike or mountain bike around morro bay state park, indulge in the shopping and outdoor restaurants along the waterfront, or paddleboard across the calm protected bay. For recent marine mammal sightings in the monterey bay area, visit sanctuary cruises or monterey bay whale watch.
Just south of downtown san luis obispo there is a small port town called avila beach. Nancy has a masters of marine science degree from moss landing marine laboratories, has worked with whales and dolphins in the region for over 25 years, and has become an expert in the biology of killer whales off the california coast. Orcas photographed attacking gray whales in morro bay local. Sub sea tours and morro bay wale watching captured videos of. Back all trips whale watching sub sea tour rentals cocktail cruise private charter ash scattering covid19 back see photos daily blog cart 0. Another great spot for whale watching is on the pismo beach pier, overlooking pismo state beach from a different angle.
Morro bay charters join the uscg licensed captain for an adventure aboard the 32 foot, 26 passenger u. Sea otters in morro bay, courtesy of city of morro bay. The tour takes a couple hours and you go a couple miles outside the morro bay harbor mouth. Home types of trips rentals recent sightings about us location contact book now. While stagnaros boats strictly adhere to the mlpa marine life protection act which requires a 100 yard minimum standoff while monterey whale watching, these curious creatures often come right up to the boat. Not sure whether to do the trip from monterery or morro, morro makes more sense. Sub sea tours is a family owned business since the turn of the millennium. There is ample free parking right on morro bay landing premises. And consider taking a whale watch boat trip with an experienced company such as bodega bay sport fishing center, fish on charters, miss anita fishing charters, or north bay charters.
Mar 06, 2020 winter and spring trips gray whales, dolphins january through march gray whales in monterey bay photo by richard ternullo. We did a whale watch out of morro bay once during migration season and didnt see even one. Humpback whales are back in the waters off slo county. Saturday morning trip was in for a treat as they spotted a pod of killer whales alongside a group of humpback whales. But when nicholas taron and sam synstelien were headed back into morro bay after a day of work, they noticed something unusual.
Read more half moon bay gray whale watch sightings. The whale came up out of the water, landed on the superstructure, and slid back off into the water, saindon said. Keep in mind that the san pedro special is an open boat with an unobstructed views. Guests enjoy the ocean view, the full size decks over the water, the view, the full. Check out these 2005 photos a local photographer snapped of a humpback breaching near morro rock and this viral video that made national news when some morro bay divers nearly ended up whale brunch. Reservations for central coast sailing and avila beach. Spring kicks off whale watching season in morro bay, which lasts through summer into fall. In california, whale watching is a popular thing for tourists to do, and its no wonder why. Morro bay, california is a tiny coastal town along californias central coast and one of.
I took the day off and steve and i went to morro bay to do some whale watching via the dos osos whale watching tour boat. What began as a seasonal fluke off the coast of california in the 1950s has grown into a. Live bait had changed the face of fishing in morro bay and boats from southern california began to come up just to fish the albacore season out of virgs. Ocean salmon seasons california department of fish and. To seek a whale sighting on shore, hit highway 1 and search the common points in slo cal of avila beach, pismo beach, shell beach and morro bay. Nearby whale activity has been recently captured in images and video. Gray whale watching half moon bay, ca oceanic society. California gray whale eschrichtius robustus 18,017 eastern north pacific increasing blue whale. Our family company was the first to offer zodiac whale watching and harbor tours on the central coast of california since 2009. Morro bay is a waterfront city in san luis obispo county, california.
Salty dog sailing adventures in morro bay salty dog sailing. Nov 27, 2016 this was a whale watching trip my family took out of morro bay, ca. In addition to the whales that migrate seasonally through the area, such as humpbacks, blue whales and gray whales, many other whale. The coast guard, aided by the morro bay harbor patrol and aircraft from the california highway patrol, mounted an extensive search in the area but was hampered by heavy fog. No need to travel to another location to try to locate your boat, parking and docks. Near south tpier, along the harbor walk, and next to target rock are some of the most popular spots to spy these morro bay sealebrities. To make reservations, you must call us at 805 7715500 or click here to book your trip online. Whale watching season in full swing, boosting business on. Virgs landing sportfishing 215 embarcadero morro bay, ca 934422041 805 7721222.
When the kmz fishery is open, all fish caught in the area must be landed south of horse mtn. Join us for a unique whale watching, wildlife viewing and scenic coastal adventure with a naturalist as your. We saw a few whales which was cool for all my girls to see. This website offers free downloads of the popular bishop peak and felsman. If i were doing a whale watch tour, i would book with sanctuary cruises out of moss landing. Apr 23, 2016 if youre lucky, the whale will breach, or rise out of the water. Killer whale season whale watch trips in april and may 2020. Blue whales swim and feed off the california coast from midjune through october when krill is abundant. Come see humpbacks, gray whales and more off our beautiful coastline. Some of these operators only provide whale watching during the off season for sport. Whale watching morro bay california 805 7729463 sunday, july 24, 2011. During this migration, more than 23,000 gray whales pass by the central coast southbound to mate and give birth in the warmer waters of baja. Watch orcas, humpbacks and dolphins swim in morro bay near. Sub sea tours located near marina square offers whale watching with two vessels.
Sub sea tours and kayaks morro bay 2020 all you need to. Probably the most popular spot for folks who love wildflowers is found in the eastern part of the county way out highway 58. Easy and exciting encounters in the 1970s, most species of whales were hard to spot, as their populations were still low due to whaling. Whale watching can be a truly memorable and onceinalifetime experience. Spring often comes early to san luis obispo county. Morro bay has an active sea otter population yearround. April, 2018 monterey herald article, killer whale season in monterey bay. Avila beach whale watching offers the best whale and dolphin watching boat tours in california. The boat left morro bay harbor in the morning and they.
Whale entanglement settlement abruptly ends dungeness crab. Nov 08, 20 nearby whale activity has been recently captured in images and video. With some of the worlds largest mammals migrating past coastal points, feeding near the coast and swimming in inlets, youll find plenty of ocean creatures to see. This is a great family adventure aboard our very comfortable 28 ft power catamaran the pacific flyer. We also offer whale watching, wildlife viewing and a wonderful family atmosphere as we sail the bay aboard a beautiful 44 ft yacht or 26 ft power boat. Virgs landing in morro bay virgs landing 1169 market ave. The whale trail looks over the waters of one of our nations most spectacular marine protected areas, offering some of the best wildlife viewing in the worldincluding 34 species of marine mammals. Whale watching in monterey bay is the marine equivalent of going on a safari in africa. This is the trail to see amazing marine life at the whale trails shorebased sites at any time of year.
Take a whale watching tour in morro bay to see california gray whales, humpback whales, blue whales and. This was a whale watching trip my family took out of morro bay, ca. Along the highway 1 discovery route, whale trail signs can be found at the following spots. The boats out of montereymoss landing have a much higher success rate at finding whales at sea. We have our own docks right in back of morro bay landing, right on the water front. California is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. The primary attraction is the humpback whales which generally feed in the nutrientrich waters of the california central coast from about may to october. California dungeness crab fishery catches record number of. I started it from the little cayucos creek road instead of th st.
Hi, im travelling to west coast ca end of april beginning of may with some friends. May 2, 2017 sfgate featured a video titled humpback whales interfere as killer whales fed on a gray whale calf. Whales, whales, whales, gotta love them, kevin winfield beamed. Sub sea tours conducts very fine whale watching cruises out of morro bay. Mike baird link to original whale watching california boat tours. Whale watching sub sea tours and kayaks tripadvisor. We are located very close to pismo beach, avila beach and san luis obispo, california. The whales of monterey bay santa cruz whale watching by. Whale watching cruises are available from most of the. Go see the wildflowers in season san luis obispo county. Morro bay is brimming with wildlife waiting to say hello.
For some of the best spots in the bay area to whale watch, check out the gallery above. Below is a monthbymonth account of whale migratory patterns. Kevin, rose marie, shawna, mario and adam have been sharing their love of the water with visitors, friends and locals of morro bay for the last 20 years. Humpback whales are the most animated of all baleen whales. The best places to whale watch in the bay area sfgate. Book online or via phone at 805 7721222, extension 0. Bay whale walk in 2006 and further enhancing whale watching experiences in. Whale watching in california, avila beach, pismo beach and. Whale watching boat tours leave central california from three locations.
Newport landing whale watching proudly supports crystal cove alliance, the nonprofit partner of crystal cove state park, which is dedicated to education, conservation, and restoration efforts within the state park and its marine conservation area. The diversity on the monterey bay is pretty amazing. Venture out on a whale watching expedition to see these. A blue whale s tail off the central california coast. Whale watching morro bay california 805 7729463 friday, july 30, 2010. View morro bay above water and below from our semisubmersible vessel. The best time for whale watching in california usa today. Home types of trips all trips whale watching sub sea tour.
Each year, about 20,000 gray whales make an epic 6,000mile journey between alaska and mexicoand then back again. May 2, 2017, updated may 3 article titled whale wars. Monterey bay is a most abundant food source for these beautiful cetaceans. They tend to stick close to shore making for excellent, and safe, viewing. The entire gray whale population migrates past the monterey coastline every winter and spring. Find neighboring whale watching sites like morro bay for gray whales, humpback whales, minke whales, and rissos dolphins. Blue whales feed off the california coast between bodega bay and san diego. Find virgs landing in morro bay with address, phone number from yahoo us local.
Gray whale watching gray whales migrate through the area as early as november until march. Less common, but no less visible, the blue whale and humpback whale arrive in april when the water warms each year. Id been hearing great reports all summer including blue whales and breaching humpback whales. Sub sea tours and morro bay whale watching captured videos of. We are also on the feedingmigration route and there are great whale whatching outlets inlcuding subsea tours. Also, i think there is a lot to do in morro bay versus moss landing as the harbor is a fantastic place to kayak, paddleboard, take harbor cruises and is lined with restaurants. Farther south, trips are also run out of morro bay and port san luis. From above deck, see our local sea otter, harbor seal and sea lion populations. Thanks to sub sea tours owner kevin winfield for calling out us local photographers and nature enthusiasts. Whale watching in morro bay san luis obispo county visitors guide. It is surrounded by apple orchards, natural hot springs, rugged coastline and humpback whales swimming in the bay. An orca soars out of the water near morro bay as a pod of killer whales kills a gray whale calf. Actually, i live here in morro bay and have a sail boat and the whales are abundant and in huge clusters. Mike baird photo click here to see more photos of the orcas by mike baird.
Sub sea tours kayaks and whale watching, morro bay, ca. Watch california gray whales and central coast humpback whales from an open boat with an unobstructed view. Our captain and crew know how to track down amazing sea life, close encounters include grey whales, blue whales, humpback whales, dolphins, sea otters and many variety of birds. Jul 19, 2014 42316 killer whales attack gray whale calf in monterey bay duration. Whale entanglement settlement abruptly ends dungeness crab season by peter johnson commercial dungeness crab fishermen, like 29yearold sean harvell of atascadero, are used to making their livings at sea until july, which normally marks the end of the wintertosummer season.
Humpback whale watching may through october, watch the humpback whales feed and frolic near morro bay on the central coast. Grays inn waterfront hotel in morro bay ocean view motel. Top things to do near morro bay state park, ca tripadvisor. Whale watching california the central california guide. Whale watching from june to september, when humpbacks whales feed off the coast of morro bay, sub sea tours 699 embarcadero blvd. Find salty dog sailing adventures in morro bay with address, phone number from yahoo us local. Whale watching with san pedro special morro bay sport.
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