Whale watching season is not one date range. It depends on where the whales are in their year: feeding in cold, food-rich water in summer, or breeding in warm, sheltered water in winter. This guide gives the whale watching season for every destination we cover, month by month and region by region, so you can match your travel dates to the place where the whales will actually be.
Every month on the calendar has a peak somewhere. Hawaii and Mexico peak from January to March, Alaska, Iceland and the Salish Sea from June to August, the Southern Hemisphere from July to October, and northern Norway in November and December. The tables below are built from the month-by-month ratings on our 49 destination guides, and each name links to the whale watching tours listed for that place.
When is whale watching season?
Whale watching season runs from December to April in the tropical breeding grounds and from May to October in the northern feeding grounds, with the Southern Hemisphere season falling between June and November. The split follows the humpback, the species most tours are built around. NOAA Fisheries notes that some humpbacks travel about 5,000 miles between summer feeding areas and winter calving areas, and that North Pacific humpbacks can swim the 3,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii in as few as 28 days.
- Winter breeding grounds (December to April): Maui whale watching tours and the rest of Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Samaná in the Dominican Republic.
- Summer feeding grounds (May to October): Juneau and Seward in Alaska, the Salish Sea around Seattle and Victoria, New England, Iceland and the St. Lawrence.
- Southern Hemisphere winter (June to November): Hervey Bay, Sydney, Hermanus and Península Valdés.
- Year-round: the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores, Kaikōura, Dominica and most of Southern California, where resident or passing whales keep the boats busy in every month.
Routes and corridors, the way each population moves between these places, are drawn on our whale migration map. This page sticks to the practical question: where to go in the month you can travel.
What is the best month to go whale watching?
The best single month for whale watching is August, when 25 of the destinations in the table below are at peak, followed by July and June. If you are flexible, February and March are the best winter months because Hawaii, Mexico and the California gray whale migration all peak at once. November and December are the thinnest months, and Tromsø in Arctic Norway is the one destination at full peak.
The table lists, for each month, the destinations rated at peak and a selection of those rated good. A peak rating means the main species is reliably present and tours run on a full schedule.
Whale watching season by region
Region by region, the season windows below come from the destination guides, with the peak months marked and the whales most tours are looking for. Prices are the lowest listed tour price on each destination page.
| Region | Season | Peak | Main whales | Tours from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii (Maui, Oahu, Big Island, Kauai) | December to April (Oahu into May) | January to March | Humpback | $80 |
| Alaska (Juneau, Seward) | May to September | June to August | Humpback, orca | $108 |
| Salish Sea (Seattle, Anacortes, Victoria, Vancouver) | April to October | May to August | Orca, humpback, gray, minke | $119 |
| California (Monterey, San Diego, Dana Point) | Year-round | Gray whales February to March, blue whales July to September | Gray, blue, humpback | $34 |
| Oregon Coast | Year-round | February to March | Gray (resident), humpback | $126 |
| New England (Boston, Cape Cod, Bar Harbor) | April to October | July to September | Humpback, fin, minke | $48 |
| Mexico (Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta) | November or mid-December to April | January to March | Humpback, gray | $45 |
| Caribbean (Samaná, Dominica) | Samaná January to March, Dominica year-round | February in Samaná, January to March in Dominica | Humpback, sperm | $65 |
| Iceland (Reykjavík, Húsavík) | Year-round from Reykjavík, March to December in Húsavík | June to August | Humpback, minke, blue | $95 |
| Norway (Tromsø, Andenes) | Tromsø October to February, Andenes summer | Tromsø November to December, Andenes June to August | Orca, humpback, sperm | $175 |
| Atlantic islands (Azores, Madeira, Tenerife) | Year-round | April to June in the Azores and Madeira, March to September in Tenerife | Sperm, pilot, fin, blue | €23 |
| Eastern Canada (Tadoussac) | May to October | August to September | Beluga, fin, minke, blue | $108 |
| Australia (Hervey Bay, Sydney, Brisbane) | May to November | June to October | Humpback | $45 |
| New Zealand (Kaikōura) | Year-round | May to June and September to October | Sperm, humpback, orca | $101 |
| South Africa (Hermanus) | July to November | August to October | Southern right | $76 |
| Argentina (Península Valdés) | June to December | August to October | Southern right, orca | $70 |
| Sri Lanka | South coast November to April, east coast June to September | January to March in Mirissa, July to August in Trincomalee | Blue, sperm | $20 |
| Costa Rica (Uvita) | Two seasons, July to October and January to April | August to September and February | Humpback | $86 |
Where can you go whale watching year-round?
You can go whale watching year-round in Tenerife, Madeira, the Azores, Kaikōura, Dominica and along the Southern California coast from Los Angeles to Newport Beach and Dana Point. None of these places drops below a good rating in any month on our guides, because the whales there are residents or the coast sits on a route used by different species at different times.
- Tenerife whale watching tours: resident short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins in the strait between Tenerife and La Gomera. Tours start at €23, and the no-chase whale and dolphin tour carries a 4.6 rating from 13,699 reviews.
- Kaikōura: giant sperm whales live in the Kaikōura Canyon all year. The Kaikōura whale watching cruise costs $101 and is rated 4.6 from 3,641 reviews.
- Dominica: the only Caribbean island with resident sperm whales year-round, with tours from $96.
- Monterey whale watching tours: gray whales in winter, humpbacks from spring to late autumn and blue whales from July to October. The Monterey Bay whale watching tour is rated 4.8 from 2,346 reviews.
When is the best time to see each whale species?
The best time depends on the species you want most. This table pairs each of the five whales people book tours for with its best months and the destination where those months are most reliable.
| Species | Best months | Most reliable place | Tour to look at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback (winter) | January to March | Maui | Guaranteed raft tour from Kihei, $100, 4.9 from 696 reviews |
| Humpback (summer) | June to August | Juneau | Whale watching cruises from $108 |
| Gray whale | December to April | San Diego and the Oregon Coast | San Diego cruises from $34 |
| Blue whale | July to October in California, January to March in Sri Lanka | Monterey Bay, Mirissa | Monterey Bay tour, $75 |
| Orca | November to December in Norway, May to August in the Salish Sea | Tromsø, Anacortes | Skjervøy RIB tour, $338, 4.8 from 1,278 reviews |
| Sperm whale | Year-round | Kaikōura, Azores | Kaikōura cruise, $101 |
For orcas, our orca watching guide compares the regions and tours in detail. To choose a destination first and a month second, see the best places for whale watching.
Once the month is set, TourWhaleWatching.com lists the tours in each destination with prices and ratings.
Whale watching season FAQ
What is the best month to go whale watching?
August is the best month overall, with 25 destinations at peak, including Alaska, Iceland, New England, the Salish Sea and Hervey Bay. For a winter trip, February is best, when Hawaii, Mexico and the California gray whale migration all peak together.
Is it whale watching season in California?
Yes, all year. Gray whales pass from December to April, humpbacks feed from spring to autumn and blue whales arrive from July to October. Tours from San Diego, Dana Point and Monterey run in every month.
When is whale watching season in Hawaii?
December to April, with the peak from January to March. Oahu sightings can continue into May. See Hawaii whale watching tours to compare the four islands.
Where can I see whales in November or December?
Tromsø in Arctic Norway is at peak in November and December for orcas and humpbacks. Hawaii, Mexico, Dominica, Sri Lanka and Southern California are all good by December.
Is there anywhere to see whales all year?
Yes. Tenerife, Madeira, the Azores, Kaikōura, Dominica and Southern California have whales in every month, mostly resident pilot whales, sperm whales and dolphins, or gray, humpback and blue whales passing in turn.