Whales

I'm planning on going out to see the grey whales Sunday 1/5/2. I've never gone out to do that in my E-26. I've only gone out in the charter boats in the past (1/2 day fishing boats that are used for whale watching this time of year). Can anyone tell me what channel to monitor on my VHF to find out the best place to be in order to see them. Its been several years since I've been out to see them, but as I recall they seem to like the kelp beds. If that is the case then I'll have to just see them from afar. I am not going to venture into the kelp.
I'll be passing Point Loma, San Diego toward open ocean at about 2 or 3pm.
Jim

I was wondering the same thing about whales up here in MDR. I've seen them off of Palos Verdes a few years ago, but haven't heard many people talk in the marina about them. Lots of Dolphins lately, though.

Look on these sites:

http://www.socalsail.com/

http://www.sailorschoice.com/

Up in the Ventura area we need to go out to the islands to get a really good look. Here that is 14 miles out and if we go around the back side it even gets better. I think that might be because of the shipping lanes in the channel though. Good luck!!

again

We did go out or at least we tried to go out. It was absolutely dead calm all day. We motored from our slip to Point Loma which is about 2 1/2 hours within San Diego Bay. We didn't leave until after church and so we didn't get to open water until almost dark. All the whales were asleep. So we tied up at the Bali Hai restaurant pier and had a nice dinner instead.
We are going out to see if we can see any whales again this Sunday and are going to church on Saturday night so we can leave earlier Sunday.
I checked the "Notice to Mariners" and there is a blerp in there about Scripss Institute doing some whale research and I can't recall the Long/Lat but they say they are going to be monitoring VHF channels 10 and 16. So I thought we would slip past the kelp beds of Point Loma and turn north for a little while maybe head toward Mission Bay and see what we could see. Our Plan is to get back into San Diego Bay before dark.

Jim of the Doldrums

Jim,
My son and I are going out on Sat. to see if we can spot some whales. Last Sunday I went out on a E-35 looking but we only got out about 4 or 5 miles and a front was moving in so we headed back. Very nice boat by the way. I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks

Thanks Brent,
My little E-26 is fun to take out but I have yet to leave the site of land I feel like a cork when we come around Point Loma and the ocean swells start rolling us around. Michelle (my beautiful wife) discovered that she can't stay in the swell too long before sea sickness begins to take its toll. Our son (who is a Lt. in the Coast Guard) also gets sea sick and he bought her one of those wrist watch looking things that supposed to be better than dramamine. He said that several of the men in his group use them and they work.
Michelle put it on the last time we went out and was given a real shock. Seems the thing actually sends a small electrical shock to your wrist every few seconds. Kind of like a difibulator for your wrist.
I guess it works like the old joke of the guy who has a head ache so some one stomps on his foot to make him for get about the pain in his head. This thing shocks your wrist to make you forget that your equalibrium is making you nauseous.
Jim of the Doldrums

WHALE OF A TALE!

We finally made it out into blue water on Sunday 1/19/03. We left Chula Vista Marina in San Diego South Bay at about 1100 and motored out the channel into the anchorage area. We got stopped twice by the Coast Gaurd just north of the Seetwater Channel. Those guys are the best of the best. They just wanted to remind us of the saftey zone that has been established around all U.S. naval vessels, and wanted to know if we knew any of the latest football scores, we didn't know and they sent us on our way. Just as we cleared the bay bridge the wind finally showed up and we sailed the rest of the way out past Point Loma. We went off shore about 5 or 6 miles and then the wind stopped and everything went quiet and calm. There were charter whale watch boats all around us. We listened to the radio and we were relaxing and watching, and watching, and watching. Nada! Nothing! Zilch! We didn't see anything except other boats doing the same thing we were.
I talked to several people who went out on Saturday 12/18/03 and they all said they either saw lots of whales or lots of dolphins and sometimes both.
A front started moving in about 1530 so we started back in. On the way back we remembered that 7 different large Navy ships had left yesterday fully loaded and headed for the Persian Gulf and we decided that all the ship activity probably drove the whales out past the Coronados.
We did get a fairly decent picture of a Sub. I think its a 600 class, but I'm not too sure, anyway it passed us a couple of times so I'm sure it was moving around under the area quiet a bit and probably scared off most of the marine mammals in the area.
As we cleared Ballast Point it started to get dark (what a beautiful sunset) and as we made the corner of the Bay around the North end of Coronado Naval Station we realized that the city has been all decked out for the Super Bowl and the entire waterfront on the east side of the bay is beautiful with carnavals and Megatron big screens that can be seen from the water. It looks like Disneyland at night. If your into night sailing and your in the San Diego area you really should check it out its really cool!
It was a beautiful day and we had a great and relaxing time.
Jim of Doldrums

Whales off Santa Monica Pier

We were out January 12, 2003 and saw a whale right off Santa Monica Pier. We spent almost an hour watching it come and go. It was the second time I have seen a whale in Santa Monica Bay. Sometimes whales show up when you least expect them. Keep looking -- it's worth it.

YEP!

Jeanne,
Yep you are correct about that. Last week I went out fishing with a freind on a 3/4 day charter boat. We went out to the Coronado Isands which are about 15 miles out and due south of Point Loma. They are in Mexican territory. We didn't even think about looking for whales.
Wouldn't you know it we saw at least a dozen of them and probably 20 or 30 dolphins, plus we caught a whole bunch of fish!

I am going out to Catalina this weekend on a charter boat and then whale watching on a small Zodiac. I do know that on the outside of the islands you can see Orcas and sometimes even a Humpback. I'll ask a lot of questions and post the answers next week. I have used these guys a couple of times now and they know a bunch. A couple of really good guys, Catalina Ocean Rafting.

Brent, be sure and get some photos to post too!
Jim of the Doldrums

Boy, do I envy you!

We just had about 6" of snow, and I was trying to forget that San Diego weather. I can remember seeing whales from our house (with binoculars) as a boy in '53 or '54 when we lived up high on the west side of Point Loma. My dad was navigator on an aircraft carrier in the Korean War and I used to watch the sun set on the ocean and wonder if he was watching it rise at the same time. It must be an incredible feeling to see a whale from your own boat - I've seen dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay, but nothing bigger than that. Say, if you guys know of anyone with an Ericson 23 in that area, please refer them to me - I'm compiling a registry of those boats. Thanks! Bob Boe

Did not see a thing! Great day on the water though. My son slept for two hours. I also had the Capt. show me some secret anchorages in the Leeward and Windward sides of the island, those Zodiacs are amazing boats. We were in a 24 foot with a 300 horsepower turbo diesel.

Bob, the boat in the next slip over in my marina is an E23. I know he loves his boat. I'll talk to him this weekend.