A San Diego vacation is an exciting prospect, in part because of all the natural beauty on display. With so much to see and do, it can be difficult to decide on what activities to include in your itinerary during your trip. Here are some reasons why you should make a point of looking into private boat tours San Diego and booking one during your upcoming vacation.
Spot a Variety of Marine Life
While it is called a whale-watching trip, you also have the opportunity to see other forms of marine life. For example, seals and sea lions are a common sight on beaches, piers, and rocky outcroppings as they enjoy the sunshine. These animals are called pinnipeds because they have flippered tails instead of rear legs. They look very similar, but there are ways that you can tell them apart. Sea lions have larger flippers than seals and flaps around their ears. Seals are smaller with no ear flaps.
There are many types of whales that you can see in the ocean waters near San Diego. Some are present year-round, while others are only nearby during certain times of the year when their annual migration brings them closer to the Southern California coast. Here are some examples of the whales you may see and when they are more likely to be near San Diego:
- Blue whales: Mid-June to mid-September
- Gray whales: Mid-December to April:
- Fin, Minke, and humpback whales: Summer and fall
- Orcas: Fall
One way to tell different whales apart is by their dorsal fins, or lack thereof. Whales with dorsal fins include blue whales, fin whales, and Minke whales, which have curved dorsal fins; orcas, which have a very tall dorsal fin, and humpback whales, which have a small dorsal fin that looks like a little nub sticking up from their backs. The gray whale doesn’t have any dorsal fin, but if you take a whale-watching trip during their annual migration, you are likely to see their paddle-like tail flukes or their heart-shaped spouts as they come to the surface to breathe.
Dolphins and porpoises are smaller cousins of whales. These curious creatures sometimes swim alongside the front of a boat, a behavior called bow riding.
Catch Scenic Views
San Diego is known as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its ocean vistas can be really spectacular, especially when you are right on the water with no obstructions in the way. For example, a San Diego sunset cruise private allows you to witness firsthand the magnificent colors in the western sky as the sun seems to sink into the Pacific Ocean.
During your private boat tour, you also have the opportunity to see the city itself from a unique perspective, along with many other points of interest, such as Point Loma’s Sunset Cliffs and Torrey Pines State Park. Include a visit to these spots in your vacation itinerary along with your boat tour, and you have the opportunity to see them from multiple perspectives, a truly broadening experience.
Find out more about how to take a private boat tour for whale-watching off the San Diego coast as part of your upcoming vacation.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
