The verdict
Best places to dive with grey whales
Eschrichtius robustus
The most reliable place to dive with grey whales is Catalina Island, from February to March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: 3 of 10 at peak | February: 6 of 10 at peak | March: 5 of 10 at peak | April: 2 of 10 at peak | May: 1 of 10 at peak | June: 0 of 10 at peak | July: 0 of 10 at peak | August: 0 of 10 at peak | September: 0 of 10 at peak | October: 0 of 10 at peak | November: 0 of 10 at peak | December: 0 of 10 at peak |
Most sites at peak Some at peak Possible only Not common
Based on 3,583 OBIS records of grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) within 60 km of 10 dive destinations.
Top destinations to dive with grey whales
Ranked on how reliably they turn up, then on how long the record runs.
| # | Destination | Country / area | Season | Reliability | Evidence | Dive type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalina Island | USA | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 23 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 2 | Alaska | USA | Apr | Near-guaranteed | 21 of 30 years | Day boat |
| 3 | La Jolla / San Diego | USA | Jan–Feb | Near-guaranteed | 22 of 32 years | Shore, Day boat |
| 4 | Puget Sound | USA | Mar–May | Likely | 14 of 26 years | Shore |
| 5 | Cabo San Lucas | Mexico Pacific | Feb | Likely | 10 of 29 years | Day boat |
| 6 | Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Mexico Pacific | Mar | Likely | 10 of 32 years | Day boat |
| 7 | Channel Islands | USA | Jan, Mar | Likely | 10 of 32 years | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 8 | Monterey | USA | Jan–Feb | Likely | 10 of 32 years | Shore |
| 9 | Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Mexico Pacific | Feb–Mar | Hit-or-miss | 6 of 30 yearsfew records | Liveaboard, Day boat |
| 10 | Cabo Pulmo | Mexico Pacific | Feb | Hit-or-miss | 3 of 27 yearsfew records | Day boat |
When to dive with grey whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Island | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Alaska | Jan: Not common | Feb: Not common | Mar: Possible | Apr: Peak season | May: Possible | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Puget Sound | Jan: Possible | Feb: Not common | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Peak season | May: Peak season | Jun: Possible | Jul: Possible | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Cabo San Lucas | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Loreto / Sea of Cortez North | Jan: Possible | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Channel Islands | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Possible | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Possible | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Not common |
| Monterey | Jan: Peak season | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Sea of Cortez / La Paz | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Peak season | Apr: Possible | May: Not common | Jun: Possible | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
| Cabo Pulmo | Jan: Possible | Feb: Peak season | Mar: Possible | Apr: Not common | May: Not common | Jun: Not common | Jul: Not common | Aug: Not common | Sep: Not common | Oct: Not common | Nov: Not common | Dec: Possible |
Peak season Possible Not common
Grey whale month by month
- January
- Season starts at La Jolla / San Diego. Also good at Channel Islands and Monterey.
- February
- Season starts at Catalina Island. Also good at La Jolla / San Diego, Cabo San Lucas and 3 more.
- March
- Season starts at Puget Sound. Also good at Catalina Island, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and 2 more.
- April
- The one peak month at Alaska. Also good at Puget Sound.
- May
- Last peak month at Puget Sound.
- June
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Alaska.
- July
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Puget Sound.
- Aug–Nov
- Not a month for grey whales.
- December
- Off-peak everywhere. Your best chance is Catalina Island.
What to expect in the water
Water temperature and the suit to pack at the top sites, in the months grey whales are there.
| Destination | Season | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Island | Feb–Mar | 15 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Alaska | Apr | 7 °C | Drysuit |
| La Jolla / San Diego | Jan–Feb | 15 °C | 7 mm semi-dry |
| Puget Sound | Mar–May | 8–11 °C | Drysuit |
| Cabo San Lucas | Feb | 22 °C | 5 mm with hood and gloves |
What else you'll see with grey whales
Animals at their peak in the same places and months.
California sea lion
At Catalina Island, Alaska and 7 more
Humpback whale
At Cabo San Lucas, Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and 2 more
Sardine
At Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego
Ocean sunfish
At Catalina Island and La Jolla / San Diego
Blue whale
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and Monterey
Bottlenose dolphin
At Loreto / Sea of Cortez North and Channel Islands
Diving with grey whales: common questions
- Where is the best place to dive with grey whales?
- The most reliable place to dive with grey whales is Catalina Island, from February to March.
- When is the best time to dive with grey whales?
- February, when 6 of the 10 best-evidenced destinations are at their peak. It varies by place: Catalina Island peaks February to March; Alaska peaks April; La Jolla / San Diego peaks January to February.
- What wetsuit do you need to dive with grey whales?
- At Catalina Island from February to March, the water is 15 °C to 15 °C, so bring a 7 mm semi-dry.
- How many places can you dive with grey whales?
- besttimetodive.com has grey whales on record at 10 of the destinations it scores. Not an exhaustive list — these are the sites we hold verified data for.