Interested in Long Beach whale watching tours? Learn more about the different tour operators offering whale watching tours at Long Beach and Harbor Beach during the season…
Whale watching is an exciting pastime in the Southern California region of Long Beach. Since the establishment of the beach district, it has become very popular for whale watching cruises. There are different cruises that include the Queen Mary and Long Beach harbor cruises. You can have the dolphin and sea life cruises as the dolphins normally move along with the whale population. This fabulous event can be enjoyed completely through the ship cruise. You can have an hour-long fully narrated tour. The other cruises include the Los Angeles harbor cruise and you can even have a memorial at sea.
History of the Port
In 1542, the present day area of the Port of Los Angeles was discovered by a Portuguese navigator. Since then this port has been fought over by many residents of the region. The breakwater stones were dumped in the sea in 1899 and then it was developed gradually into the Port of Los Angeles that we see today. There are more than 3000 vessels that touch this port today. This region has a massive population of whales. It is possible to see two different seasons that are spread throughout the year.
One season shows you the migratory patterns of the gray whale while the other focuses on the blue whale. There are often cruises run from this region where you can allow a child to go for free with an adult who is paid for. If you book early it is possible to get 50% of the second ticket for an adult depending on how early you book. Generally, the discounts are available on the day tours. Early birds will actually get the best prices. The first cruise starts at 9 AM and runs throughout the day. Excellent captains and marine biologists actually provided complete narratives. This gives you information on the characteristics and migration patterns of the different whales.
Highlights of the Whale Watching
For the whale watching cruises it is possible to go off the coast of the Pacific. You can find not only the blue whales and gray whales but other marine life in the Southern California coastline. These would include the harbor seals, bottlenose dolphins and the common dolphins. A great population of sea lions and porpoise are also spotted during the cruise, and you can spot marine birds flocking throughout the region. Other kinds of whales also come to this area. With more than 500 blue whales spotted as early as 2000 it is a sight to behold. The natural wonder can be enjoyed with family and friends.
Ships Designed for Whale Watching
There are ships and cruises that are designed specifically for whale watching. They provide maximum comfort and pleasure and the vessels are amazingly designed. The stable vessels cruise very smoothly to the different sightseeing locations. Most of the new cruise ships are fitted with stadium style seating in the bow region for the perfect view. This makes for a great experience in the safety of a cruise ship.
The Aquarium of the Pacific generally provides a biologist who gives the narrative. You can enjoy the cruises and take in the lounge areas, galley service for snacks and drink and the restrooms that are fully equipped.
The massive deck areas on the cruise ships allow for wonderful opportunities to photograph the largest mammals in the world. The cruises follow the migration season of the whales. The blue whales are seen in the Long Beach Pacific Coast area from June through September while the gray whales are seen from 15th of December all the way through April. If you pre-book your charter and groups you can get discounted rates. Most of the cruise ships run on Monday through Friday and there are special cruise departures on Saturday and Sunday for weekend tourists.
