Whale watching: where to see whales, month by month

Many large whales migrate: they feed in cold polar water in summer and swim to warm, shallow water in winter to give birth. That gives most whale-watching places a short, reliable season, and it means the Northern and Southern Hemispheres take turns. If you time it right, seeing whales on a good trip is close to certain.

Month by month

• December to April: humpbacks in Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean, gray whales in Baja's lagoons, blue whales off southern Sri Lanka.
• May to September: feeding season in the north. Iceland, Alaska, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, New England and the Pacific Northwest.
• June to November: humpbacks along Australia's east coast and in Tonga, southern right whales off South Africa and Argentina.
• November to January: orcas and humpbacks follow the herring into the fjords of northern Norway.

Winter in the north: the breeding grounds

Maui is one of the best places in the world to see humpbacks. Thousands come to Hawaii from Alaska each winter, from December to April, most of all from January to March. The channel between Maui, Lanai and Molokai is shallow and sheltered, and you can often see them from the shore. The other islands, such as Oahu and the Big Island, have them too.

In Mexico, the lagoons of Baja California Sur, San Ignacio and Magdalena Bay, are where gray whales give birth from January to March, and mothers sometimes bring their calves right up to the small boats. Humpbacks gather off Los Cabos in the same months.

In the Caribbean, humpbacks come to Samaná Bay in the Dominican Republic from January to March, a day trip from Punta Cana. In Japan, they reach the Kerama Islands off Okinawa from January to March.

Off Mirissa on the south coast of Sri Lanka, blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, are seen from December to April.

Summer in the north: the feeding grounds

• Iceland: Húsavík in the north is known as Europe's whale-watching capital. June to August is best, for humpbacks and minke whales.
• Anchorage and Denali, Alaska: boat trips from Seward into Kenai Fjords run from May to September, with humpbacks and orcas.
• Québec City: Tadoussac, a few hours downriver, is the base for the St. Lawrence. Belugas live there all year, and the big whales come from June to October, including blue whales late in the summer.
• Vancouver and Seattle: orcas and humpbacks in the Salish Sea, mostly from May to October.
• New England: Stellwagen Bank, off Boston and Cape Cod, has humpbacks from April to October.

The Southern Hemisphere

• Australia's east coast: humpbacks pass from June to November. In the Whitsundays they give birth in the warm water from July to September.
• Tonga: one of the few places where licensed boats let you swim with humpbacks, from July to October.
• South Africa: southern right whales come close to the cliffs at Hermanus, about two hours from Cape Town, from June to November. September and October are the best months, and you can watch from the shore.
• Argentina: Península Valdés in Patagonia is famous for southern right whales from June to December.

Northern Norway in winter

From November to January, the herring move into the fjords near Tromsø, and orcas and humpbacks follow them. The days are short or the sun does not rise at all, so trips run in the few hours of twilight, and on the same trip you might see the aurora at night.

Tips

• Choose an operator that follows the local code for distance and speed. A good guide knows where the whales are without chasing them.
• Smaller boats get closer to the water; bigger boats are steadier if you get seasick.
• Mornings are often calmer. Bring a warm layer, even in the tropics.