Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: Best Time to See Whales
Monterey Bay, located along the California coastline just south of San Francisco, is one of the world’s most famous whale watching locations. Thousands of people travel from all over the world to this amazing location, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s largest animals. The whales of Monterey Bay include blue whale, gray whale, fin whale, killer whale, and humpback whale, with thousands of animal sightings every year.
But, when indulging in a spot of Monterey Bay whale watching, when should you aim to visit? As with all places, there are changing seasons which impact the visibility of wildlife in the area. So when is the Monterey Bay whale watching season?
The Best Time to See Whales in Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a great location for whale watching year round, this is because there are numerous whale encounters to be had with different species, and they don’t all align at the same time. Humpback whales, for example, are more common during certain months than gray whales. Let’s look at the best time to see whales in Monterey Bay, broken down month-to-month, so you can pick the best Monterey Bay whale watching season to suit your travel goals:
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: January
What to see: Gray whales, humpback whale, killer whale, fin whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: February
What to see: Gray whales, humpback whales.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: March
What to see: Gray whales, humpback whales, killer whales.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: April
What to see: Killer whales, humpback whales, gray whales.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: May
What to see: Blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale, fin whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: June
What to see: Blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: July
What to see: Blue whale, humpback whales, fin whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: August
What to see: Blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: September
What to see: Blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: October
What to see: Blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale, fin whale
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: November
What to see: Gray whales, blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale, fin whale.
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season: December
What to see: Gray whales, blue whale, humpback whales, killer whale.
The Best Time to See Whales in Monterey Bay by Whale
It doesn’t matter what month you visit Monterey Bay, there is always whale activity. However, what if you want to encounter a specific species of whale that frequents Monterey Bay? Well, these are the best times to visit based on the whale:
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season for Humpback Whale -
April to November
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season for Killer Whale -
March to June
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season for Blue Whale -
June to October
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season for Gray Whale -
December to April
Monterey Bay Whale Watching Season for Fin Whale -
October to December
*This information is all based on reported whale sightings of 2019.
