After the end of whaling in monterey bay in the mid1900s, the gray whale population was all but extinct. Thanks to sub sea tours owner kevin winfield for calling out us local photographers and nature enthusiasts. There are many 2 3 hour whale watching cruises and tours available in morro bay. Thirty five years ago a couple came to me and asked, can you make a whale. What the whale has been is an asset to morro bay and in fact the whole of san luis obispo county has benefited from the whale being a destination for tourist being attracted to the world famous whale. May 7, 2016even before saturdays whale watching trip left the harbor in half moon bay, two california sea lions were happily splashing around near the boat and one raised a big flipper out of the water, waving as our trip began. However it is certainly possible to see whales from the shore if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. To learn more about plan morro bay, get involved, or provide public. Jervis bay is one of the most popular spots, with spectacular headlands, and the jervis bay marine park is a haven for migrating whales and a home for dolphins. This was a whale watching trip my family took out of morro bay, ca. The orcas, or killer whales, that frequent monterey bay are known as transients. Just south of downtown san luis obispo there is a small port town called avila beach.
Sub sea tours conducts very fine whale watching cruises out of morro bay. Sub sea tours is a family owned business since the turn of the millennium. Humpback whale watching may through october, watch the humpback whales feed and frolic near morro bay on the central coast. Toothed whales feed on fish, squid, other whales and larger marine mammals. It is surrounded by apple orchards, natural hot springs, rugged coastline and humpback whales swimming in the bay. I started it from the little cayucos creek road instead of th st. Nov 27, 2016 this was a whale watching trip my family took out of morro bay, ca. About sub sea tours and kayaks sub sea tours bay cruise offering above water and below water viewing. Collision with whale stuns california fishermen one fisherman dead san luis tribune september 4, 2002 posted on 09042002 1. The reason is large areas of krill, a small schooling shrimp that the blue whales love to eat, have moved in front of morro bay and the jumbo whales have followed them. View information about our availability and location for charter fishing, whale watching, and cruises. Our highlyrated gray whale watching trips depart from pillar point harbor in half moon bay. Plan morro bay is the citys update of its general plan local coastal program, as required by california state law. Offers weekly boat trips out of porto bodega harbor febuary, march and april.
Monterey bay whale watch latest marine mammal sightings. They were starting a new restaurant in morro bay on the embarcadero and they had the idea of having a whale sculpture in front of the restaurant they were naming the whales tail. Gray whale watching half moon bay, california oceanic. 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. 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. Visitors can enjoy a plethora of year round activities including oceanside golf, kayaking, sailing, hiking, fishing, surfing, biking, bird watching, kite flying, shopping, fine dining and miles of unspoiled. Looking for the best places to go whale watching in california. Over the past several decades of protection, it has recovered back to historic levels.
Apr 16, 2018 after the end of whaling in monterey bay in the mid1900s, the gray whale population was all but extinct. Spring kicks off whalewatching season in morro bay, which lasts through summer into fall. Unusual sightings of other marine animals such as leatherback sea turtles and basking sharks are also listed, in addition to unusual seabirds such as albatross and brown boobies. Whale watching from june to september, when humpbacks whales feed off the coast of morro bay, sub sea tours 699 embarcadero blvd. Grays inn waterfront hotel in morro bay ocean view motel. Id been hearing great reports all summer including blue whales and breaching humpback whales. Our first whale watching tour from friday harbor is scheduled for saturday, march 4th and we cant wait to get back on the water. Morro bay has an active sea otter population yearround.
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. The whale was created for the whales tail restaurant in morro bay. Nearby whale activity has been recently captured in images and video. 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. The monterey bay makes a broad, sweeping arc along the pacific coast. Zillow has 26 homes for sale in morro bay ca matching ocean view. As many as whale watch operators run trips in antongil bay, operating out of. Orca, killer whale, breaching morro bay, ca may 8, 2014 orcinus orca.
Salty dog sailing adventures in morro bay salty dog sailing. Read more half moon bay gray whale watch sightings. Along the highway 1 discovery route, whale trail signs can be found at the following spots. Home types of trips all trips whale watching sub sea tour. May through november private charters year round this trip focuses mostly on the humpback whale. Back all trips whale watching sub sea tour rentals cocktail cruise private charter ash scattering covid19 back see photos daily blog cart 0. Gray whale watching gray whales migrate through the area as early as november until march. Our family company was the first to offer zodiac whale watching and harbor tours on the central coast of california since 2009. Whale watching season in the san juan islands is just. Whale watching in morro bay san luis obispo county. The whale was created for the whales tail restaurant in. They tend to stick close to shore making for excellent, and safe, viewing.
Gray whale watching half moon bay, california oceanic society. Whale watching with san pedro special the opportunity to see whales is truly breathtaking. Bay, and off morro bay and south one whale to the southern southern california. Boat tours, fishing and whale watching in morro bay san.
Whalewatching is typically done on a whalewatching boat trip bottom photo at right. Whale watching is typically done on a whale watching boat trip. The update project includes an update to the zoning code also. Some wellknown species of baleen whales include the blue whale and the humpback whale. You can go whale watching anywhere along its shores. This type of orca roams the california coastal waters far and wide in search of other marine mammals seals, dolphins and whales to prey upon. It is the southernmost point of open ocean not only of the ross sea, but worldwide.
There are two broad whale watching seasons for our area the gray whale season from december to april and the summerfall season for the other whales. Whale watching on monterey bay makes a great day trip for kids. We are also on the feedingmigration route and there are great whale whatching outlets inlcuding subsea tours. We were excited to at least see one whale, tammy said. The bay of whales was a natural ice harbor, or iceport, indenting the front of ross ice shelf just north of roosevelt island, antarctica. Less common, but no less visible, the blue whale and humpback whale arrive in april when the water warms each year. Monterey bay whale watch is one of the bigger whale watching tour operators in monterey. Whalewatching is typically done on a whalewatching boat trip. The boat left morro bay harbor in the morning and they enjoyed sunny skies and calm seas. The best places to whale watch in the bay area sfgate.
From the shoalhaven heads in the north to bawley point in the south, there are splendid locations for whale watching. A pod of killer whales was spotted on thursday, may 8, 2014, off the coast of morro bay, where they attacked and killed a juvenile gray whale. The local herd comes to monterey bay and the central coast for seasonal feeding. Bodega bay whale watching information on whale watching. Wildlife viewing and stewardship tips cavalier oceanfront resort. We did a whale watch out of morro bay once during migration season and didnt see even one. No matter when you go, youre likely to see one or more whale species, which may be migrating through the area or feeding in the bay.
Sub sea tours bay cruise offering above water and below water viewing. Some wellknown species of toothed whales include sperm whales and orca whales. As a young child kevin was totally imprinted on the ocean, fishing, spear fishing and surfing. Morro bay landing offers the best whale watching experience on the beautiful central coast all year long. 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. On each trip you may have the chance to see whales, seals and sea lions, dolphins and porpoises, and seabirds. Monterey bay whale watch sponsored a fundraising whalewatching boat trip for the monterey bay chapter of the american cetacean society acsmb on sunday, august 21, 2005. There are two broad whalewatching seasons for our area the gray whale season from december to april and the summerfall season for the other whales. Apr 23, 2016 the best places to whale watch in the bay area. Take a whale watching tour in morro bay to see california gray whales, humpback whales, blue whales and. Kevin winfield the owneroperator of the mv dos osos said today, i saw lots of blue and humpback whales, they were spouting in every direction, dozens. Morro bay is brimming with wildlife waiting to say hello. April is our best month to spot orcas in the bay as they hunt for gray whale calves on their northward migration.
In the thirty five years that morro bay has enjoyed the whale as a tourist atraction there has not been a liability problem. Monterey bay whale watch sponsored a fundraising whale watching boat trip for the monterey bay chapter of the american cetacean society acsmb on sunday, august 21, 2005. They were greeted by dolphins who flashed through the water off the bow. 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. Blue whale habitat and prey in the california channel. Collision with whale stuns california fishermen one. Visitors to morro bay, tammy and phil from the central valley, elected to go on a whale watching trip. Virgs landing in morro bay virgs landing 1169 market. 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. 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.
The original ifaw research vessel song of the whale spent several seasons, starting in. 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. You will never forget the looks on their faces as they see their first humpback whale, gray whale or blue whale breach the surface on their first california whale watching trip out of. Monterey bay whale watching with sanctuary cruises orcas. The tour takes a couple hours and you go a couple miles outside the morro bay harbor mouth. Experience the beauty of morro bay from the water aboard the second wind, a 34 performance cruising catamaran.
They feed on anchovies, sardines, and krill shrimp like crustaceans. These long range planning documents guide development and conservation policies within the city. Humpback whales in morro bay the central coast of california is a parttime home to the central coast humpback whale, which feeds in the nutrientrich waters of central california from may through october, before traveling south to mainland mexico to. Sub sea tours and kayaks morro bay 2020 all you need to. We saw a few whales which was cool for all my girls to see. 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. May 09, 2014 a pod of killer whales was spotted on thursday, may 8, 2014, off the coast of morro bay, where they attacked and killed a juvenile gray whale. Blue whales feed off morro bay bayfront inn, morro bay, ca. Navigation charts city of morro bay official website. Bodega charters offers two trips a day january through april. Home types of trips rentals recent sightings about us location contact book now. The boats out of montereymoss landing have a much higher success rate at finding whales at sea.
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. This whale watching nature cruise is a two hour excursion for. Actually, i live here in morro bay and have a sail boat and the whales are abundant and in huge clusters. San francisco day trips santa cruz whale watching by. A pod of killer whale orcas orcinus orca, in a feeding frenzy, numbering perhaps to 15. Killer whale season in the monterey bay the mercury news. Until then, we are working through the project list and getting everything ready to go. Virgs landing in morro bay virgs landing 1169 market ave. Behavior and ecology of killer whales at the aquarium of the pacific in long beach, ca. Sub sea tours and kayaks morro bay 2020 all you need. Whale watching sub sea tours and kayaks tripadvisor. 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. This is the trail to see amazing marine life at the whale trails shorebased sites at any time of year.
The primary attraction is the humpback whales which generally feed in the nutrientrich waters of the california central coast from about may to october. To make the monterey and santa cruz area even more appealing, the whale watching season is the longest in the state of california, lasting more or less all year. We are a nonprofit organization and have been leading whale watching trips in the bay area since 1972. Morro bay ca whale watching video captures orcas, humpbacks. Below is a monthbymonth account of whale migratory patterns. Whale watching in morro bay san luis obispo county visitors guide. Nov 08, 20 nearby whale activity has been recently captured in images and video. Sub sea tours located near marina square offers whale watching with two vessels, the dos osos catamaran and their newest boat the freedom. Summer whalewatching trips began to be offered out of santa barbara in 1993. The city of morro bay 595 harbor street morro bay, ca 93442 phone. Morro bay fishermen accustomed to the hazards of one of the most dangerous professions are still shaking their heads over the freak accident that killed jerry tibbs on sunday.
Find virgs landing in morro bay with address, phone number from yahoo us local. Whale watching with san pedro special morro bay sport. Whale watching can be a truly memorable and onceinalifetime experience. Keep in mind that the san pedro special is an open boat with an unobstructed views. Along the highway 1 discovery route, whale trail signs can be found at the. Here are our picks plus photos from a whale watching trip in monterey bay. The area is open from 6 am till 5 pm wed through sun during fishing season for fishing and hiking. Morro bay california is an incredible place to watch the central coast population of humpback whales in their summertime feeding grounds. Whale watching is typically done on a whale watching boat trip bottom photo at right. If i were doing a whale watch tour, i would book with sanctuary cruises out of moss landing. The ross sea extends much further southas far as the gould coast, some 200 miles 320 km citation needed from the south polebut most of that area is. Guests enjoy the ocean view, the full size decks over the water, the view, the full.
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