>When is the best time to see whale activity along the Mendocino coast?
It depends on the type of whales. I guess you are interested in gray
whales as they are the most 'coastwise' of the whales.
Gray whales are transient in the area near shore beginning in
December with a peak in the last week of December and first week of
January for the southern migration. Gray whales are common near
Mendocino moving south as late as February when the first northern
migrators appear. The northern migration continues into April with
some seen as late as June. In the northern migration of grays, solo
whales and mating groups are seen in March. Cow/calf pairs can be
seen close to shore in April and May.
Humpbacks and Blues feed just south of Mendocino in the summer
months. Blues in particular roam from southern California into
Washington and are common in northern California from Monterey Bay to
Crescent City in July, August, and September. However, these big
buck-a-roos tend to be further off shore where the continental
shelf/slope facilitates upwelling.
Cheers,
Pieter Folkens
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