Palos Verdes 2019 Whale Watching Has Begun!
Point Vicente Interpretive Center has started counting whales for the 2018/2019 Whale Watching season. This famous landmark gives Palos Verdes homes owners a local center where they can go and watch these massive mammals off our coastline. This season officially started December 1, 2018, and according to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, as of today, there have been 158 gray whales counted going south, 7 whales going north, and 15 calf pairs going southbound. Most of the whales are traveling south to Baja and the concern in the last several months has been that they are swimming in the large container ship paths.
To see these magnificent creatures, there are several different local options to choose from. Point Vicente Interpretive Center located at 31501 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes, welcomes visitors to this premier whale watching site for viewing (bring binoculars). For more information, call 310-377-5370.
If you want to get a closer look at the whales, there are two companies that have whale watching tours for a fee. San Pedro Spirit Cruises is in the process of refurbishing their boat, and will begin their tour season mid February. During their tour season, they offer tours on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Once they open, they recommend that you contact them the day before to make sure that there are no weather problems. The cost for the tour is $25 for adults, and $15 for children 5 to 12 years of age. San Pedro Spirit Cruises is located at 77 Berth, San Pedro. For more information and to make future reservations, go to www.spiritmarine.com or call (310) 548-8080.
Redondo Beach Whale Watch has begun their tours and will run them through April. Tour times on Saturday & Sunday are 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The cost is $35 for adults, and children 5 to 12 are $25. Reservations are required for weekend tours. Redondo Beach Whale Watch is located at 140 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach. For more information, go to www.rbwhales.com or call (310) 372-2111 for reservations.
To read my last article on Whale Watching click here.
Photo courtesy of Redondo Beach Whale Watch
