Whale Tales and Glitter No. 6: Whale watching: the why, what, where, and how of seeing whales in the wild

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^{Photo ID: A quiet moment on the water. Snow caped mountains with watch over gray water and dark hills. A humpback whale’s dorsal fin can be seen just above the water while its blow disperses behind them. Photo by C. Pennington, Alaska 2016}

I’ve talked to many folks who love the idea of whale watching and want to try it but they don’t know where to go, who to go with, or how to get started. Given that I love going whale watching… I have a few ideas. So here is: Kate’s why, where, when, and how of whale watching.

^{Photo ID: the author and her husband, both pink-cheeked from the wind, pose for a post-whale watch photo. Scott, on the right wears a black and red jacket, Kate on the right is in a blue windbreaker, we are standing at the back of the boat with thick fog and clouds behind us rolling toward dark tree-lined slopes leading to gray-green water. Photo by C. Pennington, Alaska 2016}

Why go whale watching? Pt 1 

The easy answer is to see whales. Star Trek VI’s space faring whales aside, large whales don’t fit inside tanks and the smaller ones don’t do well locked up. If we want to see whales we have to go to them. And seeing whales in person is like very few other experiences I can think of. For those of us who spend a lot of time in doors and/or out and about in cities, making time to see whales in the wild, means getting out of the house and at the very least, on a walk along a coast line, or on a boat out beyond the noise of everyday ‘human’ life. Many studies show that being outside / in nature is proven to reduce stress, give people an improved sense of of calm, and deeper connection to the world around us . Looking for whales from the shore or a boat gives us all of that while also taking the time to look beyond ourselves and pay attention to the moment. Whales turn up when they want to. Being present for those moments is the best way to experience them.

^{Photo ID: Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. Looking up at the famous orange/red bridge, seen at an angle from lower left up toward top tight. One tower is visible while most of the support cables are hidden by gray fog. Photo by C. Pennington, August 2017 The Farallon Islands National Wildlife refuge}

Where and When to go whale watching: 

While there are whales in every ocean on Earth, they aren’t in the same place at the same time so part of the trick with whale watching is to know which whales will be where and when. I’m based in on the west coast of North America, which is blessed with a enormous number of marine mammals and marine life all year round. But the west coast is is also vast, with some places being better for whale watching than others. The main place I go to see whales is Monterey Bay in Monterey, CA. Humpbacks, Grays, and Orcas are the most commonly seen whales in Monterey Bay, along with sea otters an array of sea lions, and loads of dolphins and porpoises. Gray whales feed in Monterey Bay from November to March, while Humpbacks feed from late March through November. The Orcas that visit Monterey don’t have a set schedule, so it’s always a treat when they make an appearance. Knowing when when these whales are likely to stop by Monterey Bay gives me parameters for when to schedule my trips.

Here’s a short list of suggestions for where to find some of the most commonly watched whales:
• Humpbacks: NOAA and Expeditions on Line 

• Blue whales: The World's Best Places to See Blue Whales 

• Gray Whales: Complete Guide to Gray Whale Watching 

• Orca: 10 Top Spots for Viewing Orcas in their Natural Habitats 

• North Atlantic Right Whales: Migration: Where do the Right Whales Go?

• Southern Right Whales: Where can I see southern right whales?

Other tips: 

• Whales are either migratory or residents of an area. Once you know which type you’ll be watching then you want to look at what months the migratory whales usually arrive and when they leave. It’s not that you won’t see whales at the begging or end of their seasons, but whales will get to the party at different times and stay for different lengths of time with a buffet of anchovies in the middle.

• Research the best methods and locations for seeing the whales in a given area. Some places have really good viewing from the shore, others have the best view on a boat in the middle of a bay or even an hour or two from shore. Sometimes it’s both.

• Knowing what the whales eat will inform where they are likely to be. For example: Gray whales feed by nosing into the silt near shore, making them good options for shoreline viewing. Orcas, on the other hand, with the exception of the Residents in Southern Alaska / British Columbia, are long distance travelers who follow their prey of either other marine mammals or certain types of fish. This means most of the time they aren’t going to be easy to spot from the shore, but every now and then you’ll get lucky.



^{Photo ID: A mother and calf Humpback whales arch their backs, showing the tip of their dorsal fins. The calf, on the left and in front of mom, is light gray and very smooth. Mom is dark gray with some dips and bumps on her back. The water around them is gray-green merging with the gray sky at a barely perceptible line. Photo by C. Pennington, 2018 Monterey Bay, CA}

What to wear / bring on a whale watching trip: 

What should you wear on a whale watching boat? Layers, all the layers. Its better to have options and not needed them because even if you are in Hawaii on the most beautiful day. Out on the water the wind will pick up, changing the temperature one way or another. Expect it to be colder on the boat than on land, and expect it to be even colder once the boat is moving. For Monterey Bay my go to kit is: jeans, knee-high socks, long sleeve shirt (turtle neck for really cold days), button-down flannel shirt, a wind breaker and gloves.

Other things to consider bringing: 

• Sturdy, rubber soled shoes. You need shoes that can keep your feet warm-ish and dry-ish, as well as keep you well connected to the boat as you and it moves.

• Head gear and sunglasses because there will be sun out there, even if it’s hiding behind the clouds. Baseball caps are great if you have something to lock them into place when the wind picks up, if not then something that ties under your chin is great.

• Sunscreen- yes even on gray or overcast day. Ideally use ‘Reef Safe’ sunscreen, even if you’re not around a reef. These kinds use the active ingredients: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for their UVA and UVB protection. The non-safe ones are chemicals that have been connected to coral reef deterioration when it washes off us. While its most important near reefs, Reef Safe is a good idea no matter where you are because we still don’t know all the ways the chemicals can harm us or the ocean.

• Water and snacks. Most boats will have a supply of liquids and snacks you can purchase. If you prefer bringing your own, then think about what you like to munch on, add water, and test it out. No matter what you bring you are likely to be hungry once you get back on land.

• Camera(s). I use both my iPhone and DSL camera because I enjoy photography and I like that I can get different types of photos between the two. Most phone cameras are so good these days that you’ll get great photos and videos with them, so bring what works best for you.

• Protection for your phone or camera: If you’re bringing a cellphone on a boat I recommend getting a specialty case or pouch for it that has a lanyard attached. That way, if or when it slips out of a hand, it won’t go over board. There are simple pouches like this one from CaseMate that seal your phone inside and protect it if you get splashed. I wanted more access to my phone, along with a longer, more adjustable strap, and less plastic so I have a Crossbody strap that attaches to built-in anchors on my OtterBox case. Also be aware, most boats will not let you use a tri- or monopod for safety reasons.



^{Photo ID: A mother Sea Otter swims on her back. Her pup is wrapped in her arms, resting on her chest. A bit of light green sea grass is trailing from the mom’s arm as they float in green-gray water. Photo by C. Pennington, July 13, 2024, Elkhorn Sough, CA}

What I look for in a whale watching company: 

In April my husband and I went whale watching and I decided to go on three boats in three days. On the one hand, I it was an opportunity to compare how they operated and see what I liked in my whale watching companies, on the other hand, it was a chance to see see more whales, so win-win!

• Do they have a Naturalist on board? Naturalist can be marine biologists, marine researchers, or people otherwise trained in the ecosystems of the area you're in and are such a big plus that a lot of companies these days have them. They are there to answer questions about the whales and the area you’re visiting, where the boat will be going and give general safety tips and reminders. When the boat comes across a whale or other interesting critter, they are the ones who will explain where to look and what to expect.

• Do they work in cooperation with research groups? While most captains of whale watching boats communicate with each other while out on trips - sharing sightings and numbers of whales, and other details that can help the crews find whales for their guests to see, some of them also share information with research groups. Those that do will share photos of the whales and marine life they see, gather data about time of day, number of animals seen, and any data that might be helpful for researchers studying the whales and marine life of the specific area. I like working with folks who do this because I’ve found they tend to be more up to date about things happening in their marine environment and local research.

• What are they posting on social media and how do they talk about their work? I use this to get to know the company and crew little bit. Some companies will post notes about how many whales, and which kind they saw on their trips. Many will post photos of the whales they’ve seen and share information about the different species they regularly see. This helps me get a feel for the company and know which whales and other critters are usually seen in their area along with which ones are seasonal or residential, which helps me plan my trips.

• What do other visitors have to say about their experience? While reviews aren’t the perfect marker of what you’ll see on your trip, they can help get a feel for the company and how well their trips tend to go.

^{Photo ID: Two Long Nose Common Dolphins with spilt coloration: dark on top and bottom, with a wide, white stripe along their sides, leap out of blue-green water, as they swim. Photo by C. Pennington 2024, Monterey Bay, CA}

Why go whale watching Pt 2:

The deeper answer of ‘why go whale watching’ is that we need whales. The large whales like Blues, Grays, and Humpbacks make vast migrations from cold waters, rich with food, to warm waters that lack many nutrients. They make those journeys because it’s better to give birth and start the lives of their very large babies in the warmth and relative safety of warm waters. Along the way, the whales transport nutrients, because what goes in a whale’s mouth must come out, and when it does the effluent feeds the tiny organisms: phytoplankton, that form the base of the world’s food chain, while also providing about half of all our oxygen. A world without whales would be a lot less comfortable for terrestrial mammals and the more we know about them, the better equipped we become to help them. As Senegalese forestry engineer Baba Dioum said: "In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

Spotlight: Professor Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi, Mother of marine conservation in the Caribbean 

^{Photo ID: Professor Bonnelly, an older woman with light brown skin and salt-n-pepper hair. She wears a white blazer, red blouse, a strand of pearls, and glasses. She is smiling at her desk, books and papers before her. Photographer unkown.}

Professor Idelisa Bonnelly might be one of the most important women in Humpback whale research. Between getting her own marine biology degrees in the United States, because her home country of the Dominican Republic had none, and fixing that problem by helping to establish the first biology program in her country, Professor Bonnelly spent her time studying the Humpback whales who migrated to the shallow waters around the Dominican. In 1986 that work lead her to she co-create the one of the first marine sanctuaries for Humpback whales. Known today as the Marine Mammals Sanctuary Bancos de La Plata and Navidad, the roughly 35, 469.20 km2 sanctuary provides a habitat for an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 humpback whales who migrate along the Western North Atlantic coast / Eastern US coast line. The area serves as a breeding and calving ground for this group of Humpback whales as well as a sanctuary for many other marine mammals including Sperm Whales, Manatees, Orcas, and a number of dolphin species.

Born in 1931 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, surrounded by vibrant blue waters full of life, Professor Bonnelly, like so many nascent marine biologists, wanted to know more. In her case, there were no marine biology programs in her home country so she had to go abroad to pursue her dreams. Landing in the United States, she studied at both Columbia University and New York University receiving her BS and MS in Marine Biology respectively. Professor Bonnelly went on to work at the New York Aquarium, monitoring the health of of number of marine mammals including penguins and walruses.

When she returned to the Dominican in 1962 she brought her knowledge of marine biology with her as a teacher at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. Her work with UASD lead to the creation of the Dominican Republic’s first biology degree program. She taught in the department into the 1980’s and then served as the division’s the coordinator of graduate studies.

Professor Bonnelly was the recipient of the Marie Curie Medal in 2009, and was named by the BBC as one of the 10 women leading science in Latin America of 2013.

Some of Professor Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi papers, archived on ResearchGate 

Where to find me in the [virtual] wild this month 

I will be attending Wiscon for the first time this year! Happening only on line, over U.S. Memorial Day Weekend, May 23 - 26, 2025, Wiscon has so many interesting panels I’m having trouble narrowing down my schedule. From June 5 - 8 2025 I will be virtually attending the 60th annual SFWA Nebula awards and conference . Between panels for both events I’ll be spending time in the virtual hangout spaces, come say hi if you’re around as well.

And Glitter!

The glitter this time comes in the form of a request that folks take action to help endangered species in the United States. The Trump administration is proposing changes to the Endangered Species Act that would remove habitat protections for endangered species. These changes will impact all endangered life on land, sea, and in the air. “The proposed rule would pave the way for timber, oil, mining and other extractive industries, as well as the government and individuals, to destroy habitat where endangered species live, even if the damage to habitat harms those species. In so doing, the proposal rejects a 1995 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld the harm definition’s application to habitat destruction. As then-Justice O’Connor said in that ruling, “the landowner who drains a pond on his property, killing endangered fish in the process,” would violate the harm prohibition. Yet the new Trump proposal would call such harmful actions legal.” - Earth Justice 4/16/25

Whether you love whales, elephants, red pandas, sea-stars, condors, a special forest, or an amazing beach, all areas of life will be impacted if these changes go through. I hope everyone will leave a comment in opposition of the rule change here: Link 

The deadline for submitting comments is May 19! Please make a comment and share this information far and wide.

Thank you all, and happy Whale Watching!

Kate