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15 Best Places to Whale Watch in the US + When to Go

If you’re hoping to see whales, here are the best spots to visit.

Thar she blows! If you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these massive and majestic creatures, there’s nothing quite like it. Before you go on your first trip, you need to know that whale watching can be a hit or miss, since there’s no guarantee you will see them in the wild. We’ve been on a handful of whale-watching tours and sometimes it feels a bit like fishing because there’s a lot of waiting involved.

If you want to go whale watching, you’ll want to plan ahead to make sure your chances are optimal. We added some tips below to help you make the best of your experience.

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Last Updated: September 20, 2023

15 Best Places to Whale Watch in the US

1. Glacier Bay, Alaska

What You Will See: Humpback, Minke, Orca and Blue Whales
When To Go: June to August
Where to Stay: Search for Nearby Hotels

Visit this beautiful bay to see humpbacks, minkes, orcas, and blue whales. Did you know the blue whale’s call can be heard in Japan from here?

glacier bay whale watching alaskaPin

2. Juneau, Alaska

What You Will See: Humpbacks and Orcas
When To Go: April to November
Where to Stay: Hotel Deals In Juneau

Get a look at humpback whales from the capital of Alaska, or hop on a boat to see orcas in the wild.

See More: 9 Incredible Things to Do in Seward Alaska

Alaska Juneau Whale Watching Season + 15 Best Places to Whale Watch in the USPin

3. Kodiak Island, Alaska

What You Will See: Gray Whales | Fin and Humpback Whales
When To Go: April, June to November
Where to Stay: Best Hotels in Kodiak Island

Every April, Kodiak has a 10-day festival celebrating the return of Eastern Pacific gray whales to the area. In June, you will start to see fin and humpback whales and even catch a glimpse of minke and sei whales.

See More: 17 Unforgettable Things to Do in Denali National Park Alaska

kodiak alaska whale watchingPin

4. Big Sur, California →

What You Will See: Blue, Gray, and Humpback Whales
When To Go: Year Round
Where to Stay: Search Big Sur Hotels

This is one of our favorite places to visit on the West Coast, and if you keep your eye out on the ocean, you may spot a blue, gray, or humpback whale gliding by.

See More: 11 Things You Can’t Miss in Big Sur

Big Sur Whale Watching Season + When and Where to Whale Watch in the USPin

5. Monterey Bay, California →

What You Will See: Humpback, Blue, and Gray Whales
When To Go: Year Round
Where to Stay: The Best Monterey Bay Hotels

Depending on the time of year, you’ll find different types of whales in this area. April to December brings humpback and blue whales, while December to April brings the gray whales. You may even catch some killer whales in the area too.

See More: 15 Places in Monterey California You Can’t Miss

Monterey Bay Whale Watch + Best Places for Whale Watching Near MePin

6. San Diego, California →

What You Will See: Gray, Blue, and Fin Whales
When To Go: Mid-December to Mid-March, Mid-June to September
Where to Stay: Hotel Deals in San Diego

You have plenty of choices to see the whales in San Diego. You can take a whale-watching tour like we did, or just head to the western overlook of Cabrillo National Monument. The peak time to see these massive whales is mid-January. Blue whales and fin whales can be spotted on whale-watching tours from mid-June to September. See our 8-hour tour here.

See More: Your Ultimate San Diego Bucket List

Blue Whale Tail Sighting with Pacific Nature Tours.
Blue Whale Tail Sighting with Pacific Nature Tours.

7. Santa Barbara, California

What You Will See: Gray, Blue, Minke, and Humpback Whales
When To Go: February to Early April, May to September
Where to Stay: Santa Barbara Hotel Deals

Over 27 types of whales and dolphins come through this area at any given time. Gray whales can be seen from February to early April, and you can visit from May to September to see blue whales, minke, and humpback.

Santa Barbara Whale Watching Season + 15 Best Places to Whale Watch in the US + When to Go!Pin

8. Jacksonville, Florida

What You Will See: North Atlantic Right Whales
When To Go: November to April
Where to Stay: Search Jacksonville Hotels

The North Atlantic Right Whales are still fighting back from near extinction. If you’re lucky, you can spot these majestic animals in the winter months anywhere on the northeast coast of Florida between Jacksonville and Cape Canaveral.

north atlantic right whalePin
north atlantic right whalesPin

9. Maui, Hawaii

What You Will See: Humpback Whales
When To Go: December to April
Where to Stay: Maui Hotel Deals

Although over 20 species of whales have been spotted in the area, the stars are the humpback whales. Nearly 3,000 whales come to mate here, and it’s one of the few places you can hear them serenading potential mates.

See More: 19 Incredible Road to Hana Stops You Can’t Miss

Whale Watching MauiPin
Maui Whale Watching Season + The Ultimate Guide to When and Where to Whale Watch in the USPin

10. Cape Cod, Massachusetts

What You Will See: Minke, Fin, and Humpback Whales
When To Go: April to October
Where to Stay: Search Cape Cod Hotels

The World Wildlife Fund has named Massachusetts one of the top 10 whale-watching spots in the world. Many local companies claim a 99% whale-spotting success with seeing minke, fin, and humpback whales. That’s incredible!

Whale Watching Cape Cod By Season + 15 Best Places for Whale Watching in AmericaPin

11. Bar Harbor, Maine →

What You Will See: Fin, Minke, and Right Whales
When To Go: Mid-April to October
Where to Stay: Check Out Hotels in Bar Harbor

You can find these whales just 20 miles off the coast, enjoying the cool water and food.

See More: 15 Incredible Things to Do in Acadia National Park

Bar Harbor Whale Watch + Best Time for Whale Watching + Other TipsPin

12. Long Island, New York

What You Will See: Fin, Humpback, Minke, Sperm, North Atlantic Right, Blue, and Sei Whales
When To Go: July to Early September
Where to Stay: Search Long Island Hotels

From July to early September, you get an incredibly diverse set of whales in this area. It’s a great feeding ground for the whales. They can’t resist!

humpback whale calfPin

13. Virginia Beach, Virginia

What You Will See: Humpback Whales
When To Go: December through March
Where to Stay: Virginia Beach Hotel Deals

Humpback whales and occasionally fin whales can be spotted at Virginia Beach anytime between December and March. Once it gets warmer, you’ll be able to catch bottlenose dolphins playfully swimming by as well.

14. Depoe Bay, Oregon

What You Will See: Gray Whales
When To Go: Mid-December to June
Where to Stay: Depoe Bay Hotel Deals

Nearly 18,000 gray whales pass by the Oregon coast on their bi-yearly migration. You can visit the Oregon Parks and Recreation Whale Watching Center on Depoe Bay to get a great view or join one of the whale-watching tours in the area.

See More: 101 Things to Do in Oregon State

depoe bay whale watchingPin

15. San Juan Islands, Washington

What You Will See: Orcas, Gray, Minke, Humpback
When To Go: Mid-April to Early-October
Where to Stay: Search for Hotels in the San Juan Islands

With their largest island named Orcas Island, you can only hope to spot an orca.

Local Tip: If you’re curious about the island’s history, it was named after Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo. Orcas is a shortened form of Horcasitas. But you do find orcas here as well!

San Juan Islands Whale Watching Season + Your Ultimate Guide of When and Where to Go Whale Watching in the USPin

More Whale Watching Destinations in the US

  • Cape May NJ (Finbacks, Humpbacks, Right, Mar-Dec)
  • Dana Point CA
  • Deception Pass State Park WA at Oak Harbor
  • Gloucester MA / Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (May-Nov)
  • Long Beach CA (Fin, Humpback, Minke, Orcas
  • Kauai HI (Dec-May)
  • Kohala Coast, Big Island HI (Humpback in Nov-early May, Sperm, Pilot, Pygmy Killer, Rare Beaked are Year Round)
  • Malibu CA (Grey Feb-Apr)
  • Myrtle Beach SC (Humpback, Pygmy Sperm, Right, Nov-Apr)
  • Newport Beach CA (Blue May-Nov, Finback, Gray Dec-Apr, Humback, Minke, Year-Round)
  • Waianae, Oahu HI (Dec-May)
  • Provincetown MA (Humpback, Fin, Minke, Pilot, Sei, Right, May-Oct)
whale watching in alaskaPin

Whale Watching Season Infographic

Whale Watch by Season: When and Where to Go Whale Watching in the US.

Essential Tips for Whale Watching in the US

  • It’s also good to take an all-day tour versus one that’s a few hours so that you can travel farther out and have more opportunities to cross paths with them.
  • From what we hear, chances of sightings are much higher in the early morning.
  • Rainy weather isn’t bad. Sometimes it’s nice because it calms the ocean and you can see more.
  • When the waves are high, it’s so hard to see any movement. Half the time I couldn’t tell if it was a wave or a fin.
  • Bring a jacket. The temperature out on the water can get considerably colder. Here are our favorite travel jackets.
  • Boats are required by federal law to stay at least 100 yards away from humpback whales in Hawaii and Alaska waters, 200 yards from killer whales in Washington State inland waters, and 500 yards away from North Atlantic right whales anywhere in the U.S. waters. If you stop the boat, and the whale comes to you that’s fine, but you can’t pursue the whale any closer.
  • This means you will want to bring your longest lens, preferably on a cropped body (this is the lens we use).
  • If you’re bringing a lot of camera gear. You may want to bring your own dry bag. We’ve tried out a few, and so far these are our favorite.
  • Don’t forget to bring this and this if you get seasick like me.
whale watching kodiakPin

Have you been whale watching? If so, where? Which of these places would you like to visit?

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Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Becky

    Orcas Island
    It is easy to confuse the name of the whale (orca, lower case “o”) with the name of Orcas Island, but it is a good distinction to know. The ‘orca’ whale is part of the Latin scientific classification Orcinus orca, which translates as “belonging to Orcus” – Orcus was a Roman god of the netherworld, and this genus name is likely a reference to the hunting prowess of the killer whale. In Latin, orca translates “large-bellied pot or jar”, but orc- also refers to a whale.

    The name of Orcas Island, on the other hand, came when Spanish explorers entered the area in 1792 and named the San Juan Islands after various Spanish and Mexican dignitaries. Orcas was a shortened version of Horcasitas, after Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the Viceroy of Mexico who sent an exploration expedition under Francisco de Eliza to the Pacific Northwest in 1791. Eliza used the name for the whole archipelago, but in 1847, mapmaker Henry Kellett assigned the name to Orcas Island during his reorganization of the British Admiralty charts.

  2. mildred rozza

    I’m more excited to go whale watching now.

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