For decades, whale watching has been a seasonal ritual along the Sonoma Coast, drawing locals to wind-swept bluffs, binoculars in hand. Now the pastime has earned national notice: Travel + Leisure has declared Sonoma County the best place in the country to see whales.
In an article published Feb. 3, the magazine said there is “no better place” in the United States for whale watching than the stretch of coastline from Bodega Bay to Gualala — and no better time than now.
Each year, gray whales cover a roughly 12,000-mile round trip between winter breeding lagoons in Baja California and summer feeding grounds in the Arctic’s Bering Sea. The migration carries them past California twice, offering coastal viewers two opportunities to spot the spouts and flukes of the giants as they pass.
“Whale watching in Sonoma County is a rewarding experience across multiple seasons,” captain Mike Harbarth of Sonoma Coast Adventures, a Bodega Bay-based tour company, told the magazine.
Late summer and early fall reliably bring southbound whales close to shore, but that period coincides with peak tourism. Instead, the magazine pointed to the January-to-May migration as a kind of “secret season,” when northbound mothers and newborn calves often travel near land, sometimes visible from the bluffs.
Among the most popular vantage points is Bodega Head, a steep, rocky peninsula offering panoramic views of the Pacific. According to Sonoma County Tourism, it is the county’s premier land-based whale-watching site.
The headland is also home to the Whale Watch public education program, run by California State Parks in partnership with the nonprofit Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. On weekends from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., January through May, volunteers scan the horizon, point out migrating whales and answer questions from visitors.
“This program continues to thrive in its 40th year because of the dedication of the volunteers who share their extensive knowledge and love of gray whales with people visiting the coast,” Lisa Baiter, program director for Stewards, said in an email.
Volunteers are part of the state’s Volunteers in Parks Program, with Stewards providing operational and training support, Baiter explained. Those interested in joining or supporting the program can find information through the nonprofit’s website: stewardscr.org/volunteer-opportunities.
Travel + Leisure also recommended Gualala Point Regional Park, the bluffs at Stillwater Cove and the public access trails at The Sea Ranch as prime lookout spots.
For a closer view, several charter operators depart from Bodega Bay, including Bodega Bay Sport Fishing Center, Fish On Charters and North Bay Charters, offering tours that bring passengers eye-level with the migration offshore.
For many along the coast, though, the most enduring image remains a simple one: a line of watchers on a bluff, waiting for the telltale burst of mist on the horizon.
Click here to find out where to go whale watching on the Sonoma Coast.