The largest animal to ever roam the earth, many people that live here don't even know that they show up along our coast. It's truly special to see one of these giants right off Orange County and we typically see them around May and June, sometimes into July. They pretty much dwarf any whale watching boat so when you see them for yourself, it really puts their size into perspective.

One of the larger species of dolphin found here, bottlenose dolphin can weigh up to around 1,000 lbs. We have 2 eco types of bottlenose here, inshore and offshore. Inshore bottlenose typically travel in very small pods of 2-5 very close to shore. Offshore bottlenose typically travel in pods of around 20-60 and will not go close to the beach. they can be very playful and are capable of launching themselves 20 feet into the air. Inshore bottlenose just cruise up and down the coast every day but offshore bottlenose are typically seen here when there is an abundance of squid, their favorite diet.

Common dolphin are the most commonly sighted cetacean off the Orange County Coast. This species can be seen here any day of the year although occasionally they can be difficult to find as they are always on the move. They are the smallest dolphin species seen here but form the largest pod numbers and are very playful.

The second largest animal on the planet, we tend to see fin whales more consistently in early winter although their sightings can happen any month of the year. Fin whale almost never show their fluke/tail so if you're looking for that iconic whale tail shot, these won't do it for you but they are great to watch. Nicknamed the greyhounds of the sea, they are the fastest baleen whales

"The great migration," 20,000+ gray whales travel along the California Coast every year. We can expect to see them from January until early May with March being the most concentrated. When we see gray whales, they are strictly migrating, only traveling south and north since there is no food here for them which is why they are considered our only whale migration. Other whale species also migrate but it's not as consistent or predictable. During their southbound journey they tend to be farther out from shore but during their northbound journey they tend to be closer to shore, often viewable from viewpoints along the coast. In early January they are not consistent yet but is when we see females with newborn calves as they are the first ones to head down to the lagoons off Baja. Those cow/calf pairs are the last ones to travel back north and we see them in April/May.

Probably the most iconic whale to watch, humpback whales are known for their massive breaches and being boat friendly which makes they great to watch when they're around. Typically considered out summer species, they show up randomly to feed on anchovies alongside common dolphin. It's actually possible to see them any month of the year here.

The smallest baleen whales that we see here, they can be difficult to find and track as they don't put up a spout and they almost never travel in a straight line. They can be found feeding on anchovies alongside common dolphin. Once in a while these whales become very boat friendly but for the most part, they can be difficult to watch and photograph. They can show up randomly any time of the year.

Pacific white-sided dolphin are our winter visitors as they prefer colder water, typically seen here around December through May. While not considered a migratory species, during the summer they go north to stay in their preferred water temperatures. In Central/Northern California, this species forms large pods but when they are in Southern California, they are typically seen in very small pods, most of the time very close to shore. They can be identified by their curved black and white dorsal fins and do not have beaks. You might also see them associating/traveling with common dolphin.

The most unique dolphin we see here, Risso's dolphin are always scarred up, most often from their main food source of squid which fight them back. These dolphin just have a few teeth in their lower jaw only and their skin is more prone to getting scarred. When they're born, they're actually all gray but turn more white as they get older due to the scarring. They are a large dolphin, weighing upwards of 1,000 lbs. They are one of the less seen species of dolphin here but can show up when there is an abundance of squid.