Whale-Watching in Monterey Bay

Thousands of gray whales pass close by the Monterey Coast on their annual migration between the Bering Sea and Baja California. The gigantic creatures are sometimes visible through binoculars from shore, but a whale-watching cruise is the best way to get a close look at these magnificent mammals. The migration south takes place from December through March; January is prime viewing time. The whales migrate north from March through June. In addition, some 2,000 blue whales and 600 humpbacks pass the coast and are easily spotted in late summer and early fall.

Monterey Bay Whale Watch (84 Fisherman's Wharf. 831/375-4658. www.montereybaywhalewatch.com), which operates out of the Monterey Bay Whale Watch Center at Fisherman's Wharf, gives three-to-five-hour tours led by marine biologists. Monterey Whale Watching (96 Fisherman's Wharf #1. 831/372-2203 or 800/979-3370) provides three tours a day on a 150-passenger high-speed cruiser and a large 75-foot boat.