Each year the whales from Alaska pass through in the rich, deep waters of Monterey Bay from the Bering Sea to the Baja Peninsula for mating season. The best time to see the humpback, blue, the largest animal on Earth, and killer whales is May through December. The Fall season is the perfect time to encounter the humpbacks as they feed close to shore in the Monterey Submarine Canyon.
Whale Watching Tours
There is no better place in Northern California to catch a whale sighting than Monterey Bay, due to its cold one-mile-deep submarine canyon where they love to feed. Monterey Bay offers experienced whale watching tour companies with morning and afternoon trips. Monterey Bay Whale Watch on Cannery Row offers daily four-hour excursions with veteran marine biologist Nancy Black.
Spot Whales Right from the Shore
You can also spot the humpback and blue whales just off the shore without taking a boat at vantage points and trails along the Monterey coastline. And if you head south along the stunning Big Sur coast, look out your window and you can spot whale pods as you cruise high above the ocean on US 1. California's northern and central coasts are the best places for a whale watching experience hands down.
Monterey Bay Whale Watch Packages
Experience a whale watching adventure with Inns of Monterey, a collection of five boutique hotels in downtown and on historic Cannery Row. Book one of our Monterey Bay Whale Watching Packages and enjoy charming accommodations at the Monterey Bay Inn and Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa and two tickets for the Monterey Bay Whale Watch tour. Discover the natural beauty and majestic sea life of Monterey Bay steps away from your room or suite.