Have Whale of a Time During Great Migration

Thar she blows! That’s the call of the sea now through April as California gray whales cruise past the Southland coast on the longest-known migration of any mammal on earth.

From their summer home in the Bering Sea, the likable leviathans annually make a 10,000-mile round-trip excursion to their breeding and calving grounds in the lagoons of Baja.

In earlier times, harpooning whalers made the trek a dangerous one for the gray whales and almost caused their extinction. The 40-foot, 40-ton creatures are now protected by law and the only hunting is done with a camera.

Whale watching has become so popular that it’s also a profitable endeavor for boat operators; every year the public spends more than $2.5 million for excursion tickets to witness the migration from ocean-going vessels.

In the Southland, whale watchers have a choice of daily departures from 10 ports. The boats vary from triple-deck Catalina ferries to sailing schooners and sportfishing vessels. This year at San Pedro you can also board a sightseeing helicopter for aerial observation of the whales.

Here is a port-by-port summary of public (non-charter) whale-watch outings. Call the listed numbers to make reservations, confirm departure times and get directions to the piers; the area code is (213) unless indicated otherwise.

Be sure to dress warmly and pack a few refreshments if your boat doesn’t have a galley that serves snacks and drinks. Take binoculars and a telephoto lens for your camera for close views when the whales spout, fluke and breach.

Most excursions range from 2 to 3 1/2 hours, but longer outings go to the Channel and Coronado islands and to the Mexican lagoons where the whales gather.

Boat captains usually give some narration about the whales and other marine life that you’ll encounter, and some vessels feature naturalists or volunteer guides from the Cabrillo Marine Museum and American Cetacean Society.

Surveys indicate that the animals keep farther offshore during the swim to Baja than when they’re returning north with their young. With more than 13,000 whales making the migration, you’re likely to encounter at least one or two. A few boat operators offer “whale checks” to passengers who don’t see a whale the first time out.

San Pedro: Four companies offer whale-watching trips from Los Angeles Harbor. At Berth 79, you can board Ports O’ Call Sportfishing vessels to seek out the gray whales at 9, 10, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30, 2 and 3 p.m. on weekends. Weekdays the 100-passenger Sport King and Outer Limits depart at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Adult fare is $8; children 12 and under pay $5. Phone 547-9916.

From Berth W33 at Ports O’ Call Village, an 85-foot sailing schooner called the Spirit looks for whales weekends at 9 a.m., noon and 2:45 p.m., and weekdays at 12:30 p.m. only. A complimentary continental breakfast is served on the 9 a.m. weekend trip. Passengers who don’t see any whales are invited to return on another trip without charge. Adults pay $12.50, children 12 and under $7.50; weekdays the fares are $10 and $6. Call 831-1073.

That’s also the number to call about whale watching in a helicopter. The 25- to 30-minute excursions operate from noon to 5 p.m. weekends only. The $49 fare includes a whale trip on a sailboat too.

Also in Ports O’ Call Village at the Village Boat House, a Los Angeles Harbor Cruises vessel departs daily at 11:30 a.m. Weekend outings are at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Board the 102-passenger boat for $12; children 2 to 12, $5. Phone 831-0996.

Nearby at Skipper’s 22nd Street Landing, 141 W. 22nd St., whale-watch trips operate at 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends. Weekday departure times are 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Adults can board the 150-passenger boats for $9; kids 15 and under, $6.50. Call 832-8304.

Long Beach: Catalina Cruises takes some of its ferry boats off their regular runs to Catalina Island to host up to 525 passengers on whale trips. They are the largest craft used for viewing whales, and their 25-foot-high top decks offer excellent vantage points for seeing the grand gray mammals. The outings last three hours and begin from the Catalina Landing, 320 Golden Shore, near downtown Long Beach.

Departures are 11:30 a.m. today; weekends Jan. 17 through March 29, at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Trips also are scheduled on various weekdays at 10 a.m. from Jan. 16 through March 27. Adults pay $9; senior citizens and ages 12-17, $8, and children 2 through 11, $7. Call Catalina Cruises 775-6111, 514-3838 or (714) 527-7111.

Also from Long Beach Harbor, Queen’s Wharf Sportfishing sets sail for whales at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. The 80- to 120-passenger vessels depart from Berth 55 off Pico Avenue. Fares are $8 for adults, $6.50 for children 4 to 15. Phone 432-8993.

From the pier at Belmont Shores off Ocean Boulevard at Termino Avenue, the 140-passenger Billy V of Belmont Pier Sportfishing makes a daily three-hour whale-watch outing. It departs at 11 a.m. Friday and weekends and 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Saturday and Sunday trips cost $8, kids 12 and under $6; weekday fares are $6 and $4.50. Call 434-6781.

Redondo Beach: The 145-passenger Voyager embarks daily on whale excursions from the Redondo Sportfishing pier at King Harbor. You can sail at 9:30 a.m. weekends, 10 a.m. weekdays and 1:30 p.m. every day. Weekend fares are $8 for adults, $6 for ages 11 and younger. On weekdays all tickets cost $6. A pass for a free trip is issued if you fail to see a whale. Phone 372-2111.

Oxnard: Cisco Sportfishing vessels head from Channel Islands Harbor across the Santa Barbara Channel to Anacapa Island for whale watching. Boats leave the pier at 4151 S. Victoria Ave. weekends at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday there’s a departure at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $15, children 11 and under $7.50. Whale rain checks are offered. Phone toll-free (800) 322-3474 or (805) 985-8511.

Ventura: Also venturing into Santa Barbara Channel to look for the leviathans are Island Packers’ boats that sail from Ventura Harbor Friday and weekends at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Adult fares for the four-hour trips are $15, kids 12 and under $7.50.

Or join an all-day excursion from Ventura Harbor to visit Anacapa Island with whale watching along the way. The motor vessel gets underway daily at 9 a.m. from the Island Packers piers near the end of Spinnaker Drive. Adults pay $28, kids $14.

An exciting alternative is to board Island Packers’ 80-foot schooner, the Shearwater, for a daylong sailing trip to Anacapa. Departures are 8:30 a.m. Fridays and weekends. A naturalist accompanies the 18 passengers and lunch is included in the $60 per-person fee. Also, a 92-foot schooner will make a monthly all-day outing to Santa Cruz Island for $48. Call (805) 642-1393 or (805) 642-3370.

Santa Barbara: From the second week in February into April, when the gray whales are on their return journey to Alaska, Sea Landing’s Condor, Gene or Slingshot sets sail from Santa Barbara’s boat harbor. Board the boat at 9 a.m., noon or 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and weekends (also other weekdays by demand). Adult fare is $15, kids 12 and under $8. Phone (805) 963-3564.

Newport Beach: Whale watchers can put to sea from Newport Harbor. At Newport Landing on the Balboa peninsula next to the ferry pier, the 77-passenger Southern Cal departs daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Adults pay $8 ($7 weekdays), children under 12, $5. Call (714) 675-0550.

Nearby at the Balboa Pavilion the 100-passenger Western Pride operated by Davey’s Locker sails at 1 p.m. daily. On weekends the 149-passenger Freelance also goes whale watching at 9 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m. Whale checks are issued. Adults pay $10, kids 12 and under $6. Everyone 15 and under receives a free ticket for sportfishing. Call (714) 673-1434.

You also can look for gray whales aboard the 300-passenger Catalina Holiday on its Friday and weekend runs from Newport Harbor to Catalina Island. The vessel departs at 9 a.m. and begins its return from Avalon at 4:30 p.m. The round trip is $19.50, children $10. Monday through Thursday the same boat makes local whale-watch cruises at 10 a.m. Adults pay $8; children 12 and under, $5. Call (714) 673-5245.

Dana Point: Dana Wharf Sportfishing boats depart every day from Dana Point Harbor at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. with whale watchers. During Dana Point’s annual Festival of Whales Feb. 14-16, Feb. 21-22, Feb. 28-March 1 and March 7-8, viewing vessels will extend weekend departures to hourly from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fares are $8 for adults, $5 for senior citizens (weekdays only) and $5 for kids. Phone (714) 496-5794.

On Saturdays through March 7, early morning whale trips from Dana Point are sponsored by the Orange County Marine Institute. The group meets at 7:15 a.m for a talk about gray whales by a marine biologist before the boat departs. Adults pay $9.50, children $6.50. Call (714) 496-2274 or (714) 831-3850.

Oceanside: The 25- to 125-passenger boats of Helgren’s Sportfishing leave Oceanside Harbor daily for whale excursions. Departures are 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays. Adults pay $8; senior citizens and youths 13-16, $7; children 12 and under, $5. Call (619) 722-2133. Smaller whale-watch boats also can be chartered.

San Diego: You’ll find several embarkation points in San Diego’s harbor and Mission Bay for gray whale outings.

From Municipal Pier at Emerson and Scott streets, between Harbor and Shelter islands, H&M; Landing’s sportfishing boats depart at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. every day. Fares are $10 for adults, $8 for juniors 13-17, and $6 for children. Call (619) 222-1144.

The Avanti of Fisherman’s Landing sets sail from a neighboring pier at 9 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m. weekends, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays. Fares are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $8 for children 12 and under. Phone (619) 222-0391.

Also from Municipal Pier, Point Loma Sportfishing’s Sundown cruises in search of whales on weekends at noon and 2:30 p.m. and weekdays at 1 p.m. Adults pay $8.50, $6.50 for juniors 13-17, and $5.50 for children. Call (619) 223-1627.

H&M; Landing also runs all-day trips to the Coronado Islands to view whales and other sea life. Boats leave Municipal Pier Thursday through Sunday at 9 a.m. for the eight-hour outings. The offshore island trip costs $28 for adults, $22 for juniors 13-17, and $18 for kids 12 and under. In addition, H&M; Landing operates 7- to 11-day nature trips to the whale lagoons in Baja; fares include all meals aboard the boat and begin at $890 per person. Call (619) 222-1144.

From downtown San Diego a two-masted schooner called the Invader departs its pier next to Pier B on the Embarcadero at 1066 N. Harbor Drive for daily whale cruises at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The 3 1/2-hour outings cost $15. Senior citizens and children 12 and under pay $12.50 on weekends, $10 on weekdays. You can board the 150-passenger boat without reservations; another trip is awarded if you fail to see whales. Call Invader Cruises, (619) 298-8066.

From San Diego’s Mission Bay whale watchers depart on Islandia Sportfishing vessels at 1551 W. Mission Bay Drive. Sailing times are 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. The excursions cost $8 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and children 12 and under. A naturalist narrates a six-hour adventure to the Coronado Islands that departs daily at 9 a.m. aboard the 50-passenger Fortune. Adults pay $21; children 12 and under, $12. Brunch is available at extra cost. Phone (619) 222-1164.

Also in Mission Bay, Seaforth Sportfishing at 1717 Quivira Road goes in search of whales from Quivira Basin. Sailing times are 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekends, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets to board the 118-to 150-passenger boats cost $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, and $5 for kids 12 and under. On weekends at 9:30 a.m. there’s an all-day outing to the Coronado Islands aboard the 90-passenger Polaris Deluxe. Take your own lunch or buy it aboard. Fares are $22 for adults, $18 for children. Call (619) 224-3383.