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We are still enjoying amazing sightings of Gray Whales during our cruises. Several times we’ve seen Gray Whales playing with dolphins, which is always fun to watch. We also encountered a large pod of Risso’s Dolphins — an uncommon species to see off our coast. Since the season started, we’ve spotted a total of 600 Whales (including 23 cow-calf pairs), 5 Humpback Whales, 2 Fin Whales, 1 Minke Whale (our first of the season), 1 Pygmy Sperm Whale and thousands of dolphins. View our sightings report at https://sandiegowhalewatching.com/.
February 19, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: 3 Gray Whales, 20 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
Another beautiful, calm day off of San Diego! We first spotted a pod of Pacific White-sided Dolphins. We then enjoyed fantastic looks at 3 southbound Gray Whales. We also encountered a group of California Sea Lions about a mile offshore.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 4 Gray Whales, 1000+ Common Dolphins
We first spotted 2 juvenile Gray Whales traveling south offshore at Nine Mile Bank. On our way, we encountered a large herd of Common Dolphins. As we headed back toward the Bay, we came across 2 adult Gray Whales that were also southbound. A perfect afternoon on the water!
February 20, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: No whales spotted
Although we spotted 3 to 4 spouts of whales, we were not able to get a close look.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 8 Gray Whales, 30+ Common Dolphins
We first spotted two separate single Gray Whales, then a pair of whales, and then a group of four whales. We also enjoyed watching a pod of Common Dolphins.
February 21, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: 1 Gray Whale, 1 Pacific White-sided Dolphin
It was a gray day starting out that finally cleared to a beautiful sunny day. A passenger spotted our first Gray Whale that stayed in the same area doing slight snorkeling. The whale’s behavior gave us a chance to observe its turquoise appearance as it hovered underwater and then bobbed up to breathe. We also had a Pacific White-sided Dolphin swim across our bow.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 1 Gray Whale, 150+ Common Dolphins, 50+ Pacific White-sided Dolphins
What an afternoon! Just outside San Diego Bay, we spotted a Gray Whale. Dolphins swam near the Adventure Hornblower and cavorted near the whale. What fun! It was hard to decide whether to watch the dolphins or the whale rolling and playing near some of the dolphins. For almost an hour the whale remained near the boat. Passengers from Germany, Taiwan, and all over the US joined on a delightful afternoon.
February 22, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: 2 Gray Whales, 50 Common Dolphins, 15 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
We spotted a juvenile Gray Whale that was traveling south and then an adult that was also southbound. We also spotted a mixed herd of Common Dolphins and Pacific White-sided Dolphins.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 2 Gray Whales, 15 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
The rain held off and the sun came out just in time for the afternoon Cruise. We spotted an adult and a juvenile Gray Whale along with some Pacific White-sided Dolphins. We had a class of students from USCD join us and the students enjoyed sketching the whales.
February 23, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: 1 Gray Whale, 500+ Common Dolphins
A beautiful, bright sunny day! We encountered a pod of Common Dolphins about 3 miles off the coast. The dolphins spread out on either side of the boat, giving great views and photo ops to the guests. Shortly after, we found a juvenile Gray Whale that was snorkeling just below the surface and riding with the sea swells.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 2 Gray Whales, 4 Bottlenose Dolphins
The afternoon was breezy with choppy seas. As we headed out of the bay, we had 4 Common Bottlenose Dolphins ride the bow of the Adventure Hornblower. We spotted a southbound Gray Whale couple miles out. We then spotted a juvenile Gray Whale that was traveling north. On our return into the bay, we watched 7 Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins that were part of the US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program.
February 24, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: 4 Gray Whales, 200+ Risso’s Dolphins, 200+ Common Dolphins
What a wonderful morning. We not only spotted Gray Whales; we also were thrilled to see a large pod of Risso’s Dolphin-an uncommon species to see in our coastal waters.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 1 Gray Whale, 500+ Common Dolphins
We observed a Gray Whale and also enjoyed watching a large herd of Common Dolphins.
February 25, 2020
Morning Cruise
Sightings: 25 Common Dolphins, 5 Bottlenose Dolphins
Heavy fog made it difficult to find whales this morning. We did see Bottlenose Dolphins in the bay and a small group of Common Dolphins along the coast.
Afternoon Cruise
Sightings: 1 Gray Whale, 200+ Common Dolphins, 5 Bottlenose Dolphins
The fog lifted, and we were able to watch a Gray Whale along with a fairly large herd of Common Dolphins.
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