There is no whale watching fleet in Huntington Beach itself. The nearest year round operation is Dana Wharf, about forty five minutes down the coast at Dana Point Harbor, which has been sailing whale watching trips since 1971 as the first whale watching company in Orange County.

Making a day of it

Huntington to Dana Point is roughly twenty eight miles. The 405 to the 5 is quickest. Pacific Coast Highway takes longer and is the more interesting road, running through Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and Laguna on the way down.

Dana Point Harbor is right off the 5 freeway and Pacific Coast Highway, and Golden Lantern dead ends into the Dana Wharf lot. Public parking exists elsewhere around the harbor but has a four hour limit, which is worth checking against the length of your booking, particularly for the longer trips.

Most people pair the trip with lunch at the harbor. Allow half an hour before your sailing time, since boarding closes ahead of departure.

Which whales, which months

The animals off this coast change over halfway through the year, so the month you pick matters more than anything else.

December to April

Gray whales pass on their migration to and from the breeding lagoons of Baja, traveling close inshore. This is the most predictable stretch of the year, and the northbound run in late winter often brings mothers with calves.

May to October

Warmer water and a krill bloom bring the big rorquals. Blue whales run roughly 80 to 100 feet. Fin whales are here through the summer, with humpbacks and minke whales alongside them.

All year

Common and bottlenose dolphins live off this coast rather than passing through, and pods here can number in the hundreds.

Trips from Dana Point

The two hour Whale and Dolphin Watching Tour is the standard option. For a longer day, and it is already a longer day if you are coming from Huntington, the Epic 4 Hour Adventure and the 8 Hour Ultimate Whale Watch reach well offshore where the summer baleen whales tend to be. There are private charters for groups, and a pelagic birding trip for anyone who wants the seabirds as much as the whales.

Half Price Tuesdays apply to whale watching, which is worth building the drive around.

Practicalities

It is colder on the water than on shore, and colder still once the boat has speed, so bring more layers than the walk from the parking lot suggests. Flat shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen. If you get seasick, take something before you board.

Dana Point, the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World®

Dana Point holds the Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World® trademark, and Dana Wharf is a proud partner of the World Cetacean Alliance. Read more about it.

Book a trip

Trips run daily, year round, from Dana Point Harbor. Use code WW20 for 20% off.