Whale watching around San Francisco is a nearly year-round phenomenon thanks to staggered migration seasons, and gray whale migration is about to take off. Even from land, you’re likely to see them spouting, slapping their tails (known as “lobtailing”) or even breaching. We’ve put together a guide to San Francisco whale-watching tours and promising Bay Area viewing spots. Read on for everything you need to know.
When can you see whales in San Francisco?
“Whale season” is almost year-round on the California coast. We see a series of whale migrations every year, which generally go as follows:
- Gray whales: They make their sout.hern migration between December and January, followed by their northern migration from February to May
- Humpback whales: Peak season is from May to November, but you may see humpbacks as early as March.
- Killer whales: Peak season is in April-May, but you may also see them year-round, especially around the late summer and early fall.
- Blue whales: You may see blue whales in April and May off the coast of Southern California.
- Fin whales: They often migrate through California waters between June and October.
- Minke whales: Minke whales are most comon during the summer and fall, but you may see them year-round.
Scroll to the bottom of the article for more information about specific whale migrations.
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Where can you go whale watching in San Francisco?
SF Whale Tours
Take off from Pier 39 and enjoy views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge on your way out to the Pacific Ocean. SF Whale Tours offers numerous experiences starting in April, where you’ll have a good chance of seeing humpbacks, gray whales, harbor seals, porpoises, dolphins, and more. Learn more at their website.
Oceanic Society
This group takes trips out to the Farallon Islands for humpback season from April to November. Board their sixty-foot boat Salty Lady in the San Francisco Marina Yacht Harbor and get unparalleled views all day long. In 2025, Oceanic Society tours saw an average of 30.4 whales per trip, so you can bet on catching some great views. Each group also receives free photos from their on-board wildlife photographer, so you don’t have to worry if you missed a good shot. Learn more about the Oceanic Society’s tours here.
Angel Island Ferry
The Angel Island Ferry offers a wildlife tour through the SF Bay and just outside the Golden Gate Bridge once a month from June to October. While whales in the bay itself were previously considered a rare sighting, it’s been more and more common to spot them in recent years. The 1.5-hour adventure is a nice option if you want to commit to less time on board a boat and are content to see other types of wildlife too. You can learn more here.
What are some more Bay Area whale-watching spots?
The following nearby locations offer some great vantage points for whale watching from the shore. We’ve also included some whale watching tour companies where applicable.
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is one of the most dynamic spots for wildlife watching in the world, where visitors can spot all kinds of whales, sea otters, seals, jellies, and more among the famous kelp forests. Some good whale watching spots from land include Point Lobos and Garrapata State Park.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz’s position just above Monterey Bay makes it a key feeding point for migratory whales. Take a walk along West Cliff (Pleasure Point is a great spot) and you can watch the surfers while you’re at it.
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay has some local sportfishing companies that also offer whale-watching excursions:
Sonoma
Additional viewing points north of Point Reyes include Salt Point State Park, Fort Ross, and Bodega Head. Learn about Sonoma whale watching tours here.
Marin Headlands
The Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail has some of the best ocean views in the Bay. Keep an eye out for whales during your hike.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
This state park is home to one of the tallest lighthouses in the country, and it offers a great vantage point for whale watching from the shore. It’s surrounded by fascinating tidepools and has a hostel if you want to stay overnight.
Montara
The best vantage point for whale watching is near Point Montara Light Station, which is also a hostel.
Año Nuevo State Park
South of SF on the way to Santa Cruz, this beach is also a hotspot for elephant seals year-round.
Point Reyes
Point Reyes is one of the best whale viewing spots in NorCal, being that the peninsula extends further into whale territory than other spots on the coast. Stake out near Chimney Rock and the Point Reyes Lighthouse, or grab a shuttle between viewing areas. Don’t forget to spot the elephant seals at Drakes Beach!
Mendocino
If you’re willing to make the trip, Mendocino is also prime whale territory! Key spots include Mendocino Headlands State Park and Point Arena Lighthouse. They also have some great whale festivals.
What kinds of whales migrate along the California coast?
Gray whales
Over 15,000 gray whales migrate along the California coast during the winter. They make one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling up to 14,000 miles round-trip from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to the warm lagoons in Mexico. Gray whales can be seen in local waters in December and January during their southern migration, and between mid-February and early May on their northern migration.
After nearly going extinct, the North Pacific gray whale population recovered significantly for a time and was considered a grand conservation success. However, in 2019 gray whales began washing up on shore in startlingly high numbers, causing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare an Unusual Mortality Event which is ongoing.
Humpback whales
Humpback whales migrate from their winter calving and mating grounds off of Mexico to their summer and fall feeding grounds near central California. They often move around depending on the density of anchovies, sardines, and krill.
The Chronicle reported last year that humpback whale migration patterns have changed so much that local whale watching tours don’t even need to leave the Bay for a chance at spotting one. Whereas most whales used to be spotted outside of the Bay along the coast, higher ocean temps and whale populations have driven more whales into the SF Bay itself. We likely won’t see our first humpback in the Bay Area until April.
Orcas
Orcas, A.K.A. killer whales, do not follow such a predictable migration schedule as they tend to travel around depending on food availability. Every so often they appear in exciting numbers off the California coast, like last June near the Farallon Islands and Monterey Bay.