How Do Whale Watchers Find Whales?

Hey there whale enthusiast! Before you get to the ‘seeing whale flukes’ part of whale watching, you must find them! While it isn’t always easy, when you know what signs to look for, you can raise your chances of seeing a cetacean in the wild no matter where you’re looking from. Cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins, and porpoises, can be found in various oceans and seas around the world. Seeing whales is slightly more tricky than finding dolphins, so we’ve got some helpful tips and tricks to make your whale watching endeavor a successful one!

Where are you watching from?

There are many places to watch whales. Any coastal area, bluff, or beach that allows a good long look at the sea or most activities on the ocean would allow for whale watching. When looking for whales it might be tempting to rely on luck and hope for the best, but some techniques can help make your search more successful.

Tips from Land

Watching from the shore might not seem like the winning way to see a whale, but it’s still worth a shot. If the idea of seeing whale flukes makes you so excited that you’re sticking your head out the window as a passenger driving down Pacific Coast Highway, we get it. When you’re watching from a moving car, likely all you’ll see is water spray and rocks instead of whale spouts, so we have some tips for other types of land-based whale watching. If you can’t get on a boat to see them, watching and spotting them from land is a valid option. Many whale scientists even use cliffside viewing to get counts of whales for a season, so it’s not unreasonable to think you might see the backs of whales and whale flukes diving into the deep right along with them.

Gray Whale Near The Beach (© Dolphin Safari)

While it’s possible to see whales from the shore, it’s much easier from a bluff, cliff, or overlook- somewhere up high with a good view of the ocean. Don’t make things harder for yourself if whale watching is the goal, but if you’re enjoying a day on the beach and still want to try, we encourage doing so. So how can you spot a whale from land? Don’t pull out the binoculars immediately. First, scan the water for any signs of whale activity. Choose a direction and move your eyes slowly over the horizon line, looking for signs of whales. This includes the presence of movement, like whale spouts, boats, and birds. If you do spot something that stands out from the waves, then you can grab your binoculars to get a better view, but giving yourself a wide field of view will help in your initial search.

Watching from Water

Whale watching on the water is one of the best ways to experience the joy of seeing these amazing animals in their natural environment. While there are many different kinds of whale watching tour operators, ones that respect marine life and are certified by the World Cetacean Alliance are the best ones to choose. Ecotourism operators like us here at Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari focuses on education and the experience of connecting to the wildlife without interrupting their natural behavior. You’re also able to see all kinds of incredible surface behaviors like breaching, mugging, spy-hopping, as well as seeing recognizable whale flukes and the sounds of whale spouts up close in a way you wouldn’t be able to from land. Of course, we have tips on how to whale watch like a pro, but it’s always best to start with the basics of finding them first.

Just like on land, you’ll want to scan the water for any signs of whale activity. Spotting whales is done by eyesight both on and off the water as sonar equipment can hurt a whale’s sensitive ears and seriously damage them and their quality of life. Whale watching tours have the advantage of vessel communication between other tour operators and boats in the area, as well as experience in finding whales, but if you’re out on your boat, a paddleboard, or kayak, you can still find evidence of whales that may lead to a sighting.

Whichever way you choose to watch them, always be respectful of their natural habitat and observe them from a safe distance to ensure their well-being. Regardless of where that is, it’s still important to remember that cetaceans are wild animals, and their behavior can be unpredictable. As beautiful as it is to see graceful whale flukes appear on the surface, it’s important to give the whales the space to choose where they would like to go.

What should you be looking for?

Once you’ve figured out the best spot for you to try to find whales, you can follow some easy tips to find out how.

1. Spouts

One of the first things to look for when trying to spot a cetacean is any indication of its presence on the surface of the water. Whale spouts are puffs of air and water whales produce when they exhale at the surface. When whales surface to breathe, the spout is visible like a cloud of steam that bursts high into the air. You might think a whale’s flukes are the most easily spotted, but a spout can reach up to 40 feet into the air. Depending on the shape and size of the spout, you can even tell what kind of whale it is that you’ve spotted. They each have different spouts!

2. Seabirds and splashes

We’ve mentioned looking for birds, and one of the most helpful signs to look for is the signs and sounds of other marine life. Cetaceans are often found in areas where food is abundant so looking for diving seabirds, large schools of fish, or rafts of sea lions can be indicators that whales and dolphins may be nearby, as they often feed on the same prey as the other marine animals in the area. Splashes, ripples, and gatherings of other animals mean it’s lunchtime!

3. Footprints

You might not think a whale could leave a footprint without having feet, but they have one! It’s not always easy or possible to spot whales beneath the surface, so knowing what to look for can lead you in the right direction. The ‘footprint’ is a smooth, glassy circle created by water displacement and pressure of a whale’s flukes in motion underwater. It looks similar to a rock skipped across the water, only with these smooth circles. It’s easy to follow the path that should lead you right to the whale you’re hoping to see!

4. Fins and Flukes

Once you’ve seen several clues and are in an area you suspect might have whales, you can start to look for things like the curved backs, dorsal fins, and flukes of whales just as they surface or submerge. The color, shape, and size will help a potential identification of what kind of whale it is. During certain times of year, some whale species are less likely to appear so even though Dana Point is lucky to be able to see whales all year long, we don’t see every whale at the same time. This helps narrow down what whale it is you’re looking for.

How to use your other senses to find whales?

Despite what you might think, the best way to find whales is just to search for them. The ocean is vast and deep, but whales are still mammals that need to breathe. Using all your senses to help find cetaceans while whale watching might seem like a misnomer, but despite whale watching seeming like only an eyeball workout, using sound and smell can also help in your search. Whale spouts are surprisingly loud, and the sound can carry over a distance, so it’s a very helpful tool for finding the right area. Whale breath also has a distinct smell, so picking up some particles that smell different from regular sea spray means whales are nearby. Many surface behaviors will also point you in the right direction. The sounds and the spray from these actions can help to guide you toward them, but chances are if you’ve come across evidence of whale flukes, lobtailing, breaching, or pec-slapping, you’re close enough to see them too.

As long as you’re scanning the horizon for signs of whale activity and you know what to look for, you’ve got a good chance to see whales. Don’t know where exactly to start? One of the cool things about whale watching operators like us is the ability to prioritize a longer search. Private charters and personal scouting adventures can give you a longer time to look, increasing your odds of seeing whales, so if you’re looking for an adventurous whale watching experience, we have that covered!

Once spotted how do you find them again?

Hooray! You spotted a whale, but now what? Maybe you’ve seen a tiny glimpse of whale flukes, or the brief look at the whale you found wasn’t nearly enough. Worry not! You can still find the whale again in most cases. What you need is a little patience and a few tips.

Each whale breathes at different intervals, so knowing what kind of whale you saw can help immensely. If you have a marine mammal guidebook or pamphlet this can help you, but if you’re with us on a Dana Point whale watching trip, our onboard naturalists can give you a better idea of what it is you saw and as a bonus, they’ll also fill your brain with fun facts. Once you’ve identified your whale, you can get an idea of how long they’ll stay underwater before they surface again. Depending on the whale, you’ll be able to approximate when they’ll return by counting the minutes from the point you last saw the whale’s flukes. Our licensed drone operators can also help our whale watching tours spot the animals from the air. And if you’re  lucky, you might have the opportunity to see them from below the water using our eye-to-eye underwater viewing pods.

Many coastal areas offer organized whale watching tours, which can greatly increase your chances of seeing these animals. Additionally, there are certain hotspots around the world like Whale Heritage sites that are a draw to marine life of all kinds which helps immensely. We’re spoiled knowing Dana Point is the First Whale Heritage Area in the Americas certified by the World Cetacean Society, and yet, even with all the tricks we have up our sleeves, there are still some days we don’t end up seeing whales.

Unlike certain feeding or surface behaviors that might cause whales to surface frequently, activities like resting, deep diving, or migratory travel can make them harder to find. One of the coolest things about seeing a whale is the knowledge that they aren’t as easy to find as say, a seagull or other marine life. Whichever way you decide to whale watch, you’re sure to enjoy all the perks of seeing marine mammals in Dana Point, the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World®.

Our highly regarded captains and crew always make sure their experience at sea and extensive knowledge of marine life comes with friendliness and excitement. You can reserve a five-star trip with us, go on your own, or spot them from shore, but whatever kind of whale watching experience you have, you’ll know it’s a genuinely thrilling moment for everyone when you do spot one. Having the joy of witnessing those beautiful whale flukes sink below the waves is a profoundly moving moment, so we hope you all get to experience it.

Keeping an eye out for signs of cetaceans, doing your research on their habits and habitats, and being patient and observant are all important factors in increasing your chances of seeing these magnificent animals in the wild. Happy whale watching!

Until Next Time,

Jenn Ortiz