Dana Wharf Whale Watching

Free Boat Ride With Santa

Join Dana Wharf Saturday Dec 7th & Sunday Dec 8th when Santa and his helpers listen to Christmas wishes during this 20-minute harbor cruise through Dana Point Harbor. Bring your camera and enjoy the tradition Dana Wharf has offered families for generations. A $5 donation to the El Camino Real Junior Women’s Club is suggested. No reservations required. FREE PARKING

Dana Point Whale Watching

If you’ve never had the opportunity to go whale watching now is the time to do it during your visit to Orange County. With miles of coastline directly in the migration path of 20,000 gray whales on their way to Baja California to give birth to their calves, Orange County is one of the best places in the world to see these giant mammals in their own environment.

Primetime for whale watching in Orange County is December through January for the southern migration and February through March for the northern migration. Gray Whales generally travel alone or in pods of two or three: at the peak of migration, a dozen or more may be seen together. They cruise slowly nearshore waters at a speed of two to six miles per hour.

Most whale watching tours are about three hours long and are narrated by captains who will help you spot the whales as they share interesting facts about them, sea life and the local geography. Whales are not the only form of marine life you will see on a whale-watching cruise. Dolphins and porpoises are the travel companions of gray whales. Be sure to bring your camera to capture this once in a lifetime experience.

Here are some of the best whale watching companies in Orange County!

Dana Wharf Whale and Dolphin Watching in Dana Point offers whale watching cruises lead by educated guides and naturalists. The information they share with you about the Gray Whale and its habits, habitat, and migratory patterns will leave you in awe. It truly is one of the most beautiful mammals on Earth!