Dana Point Whale Watching Tours

Dana Point plays host to the one of the largest concentration of blue whales in the world, which makes this area prime for whale watching. Aboard a whale watching Dana Point trip, passengers can have the opportunity to take a close up peek of the planet’s largest mammal, the blue whale. Weighing up to 400,000 pounds and measuring longer than the staples center basketball court at a length of 110 feet, it’s no wonder why these beauties eat up nearly four tons of krill per day and have a heart the size of a Volkswagen beetle. When fully expanded, the blue whale can hold nearly 1,000 tons of food and water in their throat/mouth area, making them an exceptional sight to see during your whale watching Dana Point safari.

While aboard a whale watching Dana Point safari, visitors can be given the chance to spot a fin whale. Fin whales are the second largest baleen whale and mammal in the world, following their magnificent cousin, the blue whale.

Fast and sleek, fin whales reach lengths of up to 70 to 80 feet and weigh in at 80 tons. Fin whales, like blue whales, are rorquals that have throat grooves which expand when feeding. The throat grooves, or ventral pleats, give fin whales the advantage of taking in up to 3 tons of food per day. Their favorite prey includes krill and schooling fish.

Fin whales have a unique appearance with asymmetrical coloring under their lower jaw, light gray, v-shaped “chevrons” behind their head and tall, curved dorsal fins. Regardless of their large size, the fin whale is known as “the greyhound of the sea,” as it is able to swim in short bursts up to 23 miles per hour. Whale Watching Dana Point visitors can spot these gorgeous giants anytime throughout the year.

Often referred to as our barnacled bejeweled buddies, California gray whales are 40-50 foot lice covered, mud sucking, bottom feeders who are part of the baleen whale family. Feeding primarily on amphipods, a small crustacean found on the ocean floor, gray whales spend the summer months feeding in the cold waters of the Bering and Chukchi seas, near Alaska.

The gray whale takes part in one of the longest migrations of any animal, traveling nearly 12,000 miles round trip to the warm lagoons in Baja, California, to mate and give birth to their calves. This migration enables whale watching Dana Point passengers the opportunity to say hello as they pass through the waters off of Dana Point, California, during this annual migration during the months of November to May. The gray whale weighs up to 90,000 pounds making them one of the larger whales, but not as large as their baleen relatives, the blue whales.

Humpback whales are seen by Whale Watching Dana Point passengers all throughout the year in Dana Point, California. The Humpback whale is easily identifiable by its long pectoral flippers which play a part in making these beauties famous for their lively and energetic shows of breaching, lobtailing, and fluking. Humpback whales can weigh between 20 to 40 tons and average 40 to 50 feet in length.

Humpback whales are dark gray in color, with variable amounts of white on the ventral side of the pectoral flippers, belly, and tail flukes. Humpback whales are also recognizable by their knobbly heads. Each humpback whale is extremely unique and can be identified by the pattern of pigmentation on their flukes, as well as the shape of their tails. The waters along the coast of Southern California in Dana Point play host to these beauties, as they leave their winter feeding grounds in the arctic for warmer, much cozier waters off Mexico where they breed, give birth, and nurse their young.

Whale watching Dana Point visitors may have the amazing opportunity to catch a glimpse of a famous killer whale. Best known for their common name, the killer whale, orcas are technically not whales and are actually members of the dolphin family, having the distinction of being the largest dolphin in the world!

Orcas are instantly recognizable by their beautiful black and white coloring and tall dorsal fins which can stand as tall as 6 feet. Orcas stretch to lengths of 23 to 32 feet long, can weigh between 4 to 9 tons depending on gender, and swim at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour. Their incredible coloring, agility, and speed give them all the more advantage when hunting prey. And they have the distinction of being nature’s top predator, giving them their famous name, the killer whale. Using strategic and meticulous hunting strategies, killer whales eat up to 500 pounds of food per day. They are found in almost every ocean, making them a surprising and favorite visitor for passengers about a whale watching Dana Point adventure.

At 26 to 30 feet in length, Minke whales are one of the smaller baleen whales seen by whale watching Dana Point visitors. Minke whales have dark gray to black coloring on top, white coloring on the belly, and distinctive white bands around the middle of their pectoral flippers.

Similar to their relatives such as blue whales and fin whales, minke whales are also roquarls with 50 to 70 ventral pleats that expand like a balloon when feeding on krill and small schooling fish. Of all of the rorqual baleen whales, minke whales are the most abundant. Whale watching Dana Point passengers can spot these breathtaking mammals anytime throughout the year in Dana Point, California.

Whale watching Dana Point visitors may have the magnificent chance to see the sperm whale. The sperm whale is a unique looking toothed whale that spends the majority of its time in deep waters catching their favorite prey, giant squid. The sperm whale eats up to 2,000 pounds of food per day and stretches to a length of 49-52 feet.

With heads larger than your favorite bowl of ice cream, the sperm whale sports a large head that is ranked as the largest noggin of any animal. The sperm whale weighs anywhere from 12 to 45 tons, depending on gender, and is dark grey in color with a large blowhole situated to the left side of their head.

Sperm whales communicate via sonar, using a series of amplified clicks and whistles to locate food and swim in those deep dark waters. Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari had the incredible opportunity to say hello to nearly sixty sperm whales during a whale watching Dana Point trip just several years ago in 2014.

False killer whales are mammals and members of the dolphin (Delphinidae) family, just like killer whales (orcas). Adult male false killer whales can reach lengths of up to 20 feet and weigh 3,000 pounds. Females are a few feet smaller. Newborn false killer whale calves are less than five feet in length and will nurse for about 1.5 to 2 years.

False killer whales are dark gray in color and often appear black. They have a conical shaped head, and like Risso’s dolphins, lack a beak. That’s not the only common trait false killer whales share with Risso’s dolphins. Like Risso’s, false killer whales prey on squid and fish. These deep-diving predators can dive for up to 18 minutes and chase prey down to depths of over 1,600 feet.

Whale watching Dana Point visitors may have a chance encounter with false killer whales anytime throughout the year. They’re a rare and special sighting because false killer whales usually prefer deep, tropical and subtropical waters.

There are two species of pilot whales: short-finned pilot whales and long-finned pilot whales. Of the two, Dana Point whale watching passengers could have a chance encounter with short-finned pilot whales anytime during the year. Short-finned pilot whales were once a frequent sighting off the U.S. West Coast. After a strong El Niño in the early 1980’s they all but disappeared. It is estimated that only 800 pilot whales are left in the area. In what may or may not be a coincidence, around the time pilot whales left, Risso’s dolphins began appearing.

Short-finned pilot whales can grow up to 24 feet in length and weigh over 6,000 pounds. They have a very rounded head with no discernible beak. They’re dark brown or black in color with a light gray saddle behind the dorsal fin. Females are pregnant for about 15 months and nurse for at least two years.

Short-finned pilot whales love squid, and will also happily feed on fish and octopus.

Bottlenose dolphins are one of the most well-known dolphin species that can be seen during your whale watching Dana Point trip. larger than common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins grow to lengths of 8 to 12 feet and can weigh anywhere been 300 to 1,400 pounds. Their coloring is light to very dark gray on top and light gray on the belly side. Bottlenose dolphins are very intelligent, playful, and social creatures, and often respond to the clapping and cheering of Dana Point whale watching passengers with acrobatic aerial performances. Bottlenose dolphins can be seen all year round during your dolphin and whale watching safari in Dana Point, California.

With more dolphins per square mile than anywhere else in the world, whale watching Dana Point visitors are likely to spot two of the five species of dolphins we see in Dana Point, California. Both short-beaked and long-beaked common dolphins are frequent visitors aboard Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari. In fact, a typical pod of common dolphins will number around 200 and we often see herds that number over 1,000. It is also not unusual for us to spot a mega-pod of dolphins, numbering no less than 10,000 dolphins strong!

Each dolphin weighs in at an average of 300 pounds, measures 6 to 9 feet in length, and sports up elaborate color patterns that range from yellow/tan to gray and black. Common dolphins tend to be extremely social animals and frequently come over to “bow-ride” with our whale watching boats while taking a peek at passengers up above and down below in our underwater viewing pods. Common dolphins eat small schooling fish such as sardines, mackerel, and anchovies, as well as squid.

During a Dana Point whale watching expedition, passengers may have the chance to see one of the most beautiful species of dolphin in the Dana Point area, the Pacific white-sided dolphin. Pacific white-sided dolphins, often referred to as lags, are a magnificent colored dolphin that are colored in shades of black, gray, and white. Pacific white-sided dolphins weigh between 300 – 400 pounds and are up to 8 feet in length, depending on their gender.

Gobbling up a diet of squid and small schooling fish such as anchovies and sardines, they dive for up to six minutes to catch their prey. Pacific white-sided dolphins are extremely playful and very friendly, often bow-riding with our whale watching vessels and interacting with other wildlife out at sea. Pacific white-sided dolphins can be viewed any time throughout the year in during a whale watching Dana Point trip, but they are more often seen in the winter months.

Whale watching Dana Point onlookers may also have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of one of Dana Point’s most unique visitors, the Risso’s dolphins. Risso’s dolphins are one of the larger dolphins we encounter and also one of the most infrequently seen.

Risso’s dolphins are extremely unique and unusual looking with a blunt, round head and no distinguishable beak. They are dark gray with a plethora of white scarring which becomes more predominant as they age. Risso’s dolphins can weigh up to 1,100 pounds and reach a length of up to 10 feet.

Risso’s favorite menu item is squid, which they often dive to depths of 1,000 feet and hold their breath for up to 30 minutes to catch. Although Risso’s dolphins are one of the most infrequently seen species aboard a whale watching Dana Point trip, their visits can take place any time throughout the year.