Long Beach Whale Watching

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Long Beach Whale Watching

Representative photo · Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr

🎃 Seasonal · Long Beach

3 hours · $$$ · Reservation required

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 1.0
1–3 yrs
★ 2.0
3–5 yrs
★ 3.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 40 min drive
    From Arcadia · Parking: Aquarium of the Pacific garage or Shoreline Village lot, about $8–15
  • 🎒
    Carrier recommended
    Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
  • 🌳
    Some shade
    Great on sunny days · Good on cool days · Wind-OK · Fine on cold days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 3 hours
    Best seasons: Winter · Spring

From December to April, gray whales pass off Long Beach on their migration south and back north; a two- to three-hour boat trip from Rainbow Harbor next to the aquarium almost always finds pods of dolphins and sea lions, and with luck a whale spouting right beside the boat, a morning kids 5 and up remember for life.

💡 Tips
Tickets with Harbor Breeze and other operators are about $45 for adults, $30 for kids; book online ahead, and some guarantee a whale sighting or your next trip is free. It is cold, windy and rocky at sea, so wear heavy jackets and take motion sickness medicine beforehand; not recommended under 2. Summer is blue whale season.

What this place offers

✓whale watching
✓gray whales
✓dolphins
✓boat trip
✓seasickness meds
✓binoculars
✓restrooms

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Long Beach

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

☁️
Sat 10/17
Overcast · 71–91°F · 2% rain
☁️
Sun 10/18
Overcast · 74–84°F · 0% rain

Location

Long Beach, California

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