California whale migration season calendar

Gray Whales: Up Close

Gray whales are one of the most commonly-seen whales along the California coast. Their name is taken from the gray patches and white mottling on their dark skin.

An adult Pacific Gray Whale can be 45 feet long and weigh up to 33 tons. To help you visualize, that's a little longer than an average school bus and as heavy as a half dozen fully-grown African elephants.

Gray whales migrate 10,000 miles round trip every year, traveling between their winter calving lagoons in Mexico and summer feeding grounds in the Arctic.

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It's the longest migration of any animal on earth. The 2011 population of California gray whales was thought to number around 28,000, and they all pass the coast as they migrate.

When seen off the California coast, they aren't stopping to eat or socialize, they're on their equivalent of a road trip, not even stopping to sleep.

When to See Gray Whales in California

Gray whales start swimming south from Alaska in October, generally passing the coast off San Diego from Dec

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