Cetacean Centers : Season for Viewing Whales to Open Soon

The actual migration of more than 10,000 whales from the Bering Sea to the Baja California coast may be a few weeks away, but interest in sighting these graceful giants is already building.

For whale watchers--or their landlubber counterparts--anxious to learn more about these marine mammals before the season begins on Dec. 26, several Southland museums and parks are offering programs about cetaceans and marine life in general.

Listed below are 10 places to learn more about whales:

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta Del Sol Road, Santa Barbara, (805) 682-4711. Blue whales are among the world’s larger mammals. A complete blue whale skeleton, 72 feet long by 15 feet high, is on display in the front courtyard. Inside the museum are pictures of various species of whales, as well as whaling artifacts. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekdays, admission is by donation; weekends and holidays, the cost is $3, $2 for seniors 65 and over and children 13-17, and $1 for children 12 and under.

Channel Islands National Park Visitors Center, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, (805) 644-8262. A 25-minute film, shown hourly, describes the park and the National Marine Sanctuary that extends 6 nautical miles around five of the Channel Islands. Pictures, posters and charts within the Visitors Center depict whales, including blue whales and other local marine life. Books and pictures are for sale in the bookstore. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. There is no admission charge.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Exposition Park, Los Angeles, (213) 744-3466. The Discovery Center on the first floor displays a finback whale skeleton, whale-bone fossils and examples of baleen, which is part of the jaw structure in some whale species. In March, the center will have “A Whale of a Time,” offering participatory learning activities for children about marine mammals, plus a whale-watching trip. The center is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $3, $1.50 for seniors 62 and over and for students 13 and over with ID, and 75 cents for children 5 to 12. Ages 4 and under are admitted free. Parking is $1.

Cabrillo Marine Museum, 3720 Stephen White Drive, San Pedro, (213) 548-7563. The courtyard features various fossils in a “whale graveyard.” Inside is the Whale Room with model displays and a film. From January to March, the museum sponsors whale-watching trips. (Contact whale-watch coordinator Anne Whonic for details.) Museums hours are Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge. Parking is $4.

American Cetacean Society, Point Fermin Park, 807 Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro, (213) 548-6279. There is an on-site research library open to the public. Brochures and other information on whales and other types of cetaceans are available. Both the society office and library are open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, call to to confirm hours; schedule is flexible.

Museum of Natural History and Science, 2627 Vista Del Oro, Newport Beach, (714) 640-7120. Various whale items are among this museum’s holdings. In the paleontology section are whale fossils that were unearthed in Orange County. General admission is $2 per person, $1 for ages 6-18; ages 5 and under admitted free. Docent tours, which must be reserved in advance, are $1 per person. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays noon to 5 p.m.

Orange County Marine Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, (714) 496-2274. You can see a reconstructed gray whale skeleton here, view information about whales in the oceanographic exhibits and take courses like “Whale Migration Behavior and Habits.” Call for course times and costs. During the annual Festival of Whales at Dana Point Harbor (three weekends in February), the institute participates with whale-watching cruises. Hours are daily 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is by donation.

Sea World, 1720 S. Shores Road, San Diego, (619) 226-3901. This is the well-known home of Shamu and other whales that perform feats with their trainers. Sea World, now in its 25th year, has recently spent $2.5 million on expansion and refurbishment. The new Shamu Stadium, seating capacity 3,500, is five times the size of the former whale-pool complex and has a slide-out area that brings the whales closer to the audience. Educational graphics, including photos and other information about whales, are also posted inside the arena. The previous Shamu Stadium is now the site of “New Friends,” a show in which dolphins, pilot whales, Pacific black whales and California sea lions perform together. Courses on whales are offered by Sea World’s education department. Contact the department at (619) 226-3834 for times. Park hours are daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with hours extended during summers and holidays. General admission, which covers all shows and exhibits, is $19.95, seniors 55 and over and children 3-11 pay $14.95, and there is no charge for children 2 and under. Parking is free.

San Diego Natural History Museum, at the east end of El Prado, Balboa Park, (619) 232-3821. The first floor of the museum is devoted entirely to sea life, shore life and whales. Exhibits include whale fossils, a chart of the reproductive life of a whale and plaster displays. Hours are daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. General admission is $4, children 6 to 18 pay $1, and ages 5 and under admitted free.

Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, (619) 557-5450. Commemorating the sighting of the coast of California by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, this monument at the tip of Point Loma commands a panoramic view of San Diego Bay. The whale-watching station here has a glassed-in observatory from which you can scan the ocean for whale spouts. It also has whale life exhibits and a taped description of whale behavior. A film on whales is shown in the auditorium. Park rangers give talks on whales and other topics, and guided walks are included throughout the day. The monument is open daily from 9 a.m. to sunset. Cost is $1 per person or $3 per carload; no charge for seniors 62 and over or for children 15 and under.