Best Time to See Whales in San Francisco, California is always during the whale migration season. March to May: Humpbacks, the largest of the species. May to September: Gray whales, the second largest. September to November: Blue whales, the third largest. December to March: The great blue whales (Bornean gray whale and the pilot whales).
When in the area, you will want to take a binoculars or digital camera and get ready for a truly hands on viewing of these massive creatures. You will see many humpback whales as they pass the coast each day. In winter they become much more active and come to the warmer Pacific Ocean. March to May you will see the whales from the Northern part of the San Francisco Bay. Whale watching from this location is likely not successful unless you have binoculars.
June through November are the most popular times of the year to watch whales in San Francisco. June is typically the best time to see whales off the west coast of the United States. June to October is usually the best time of year to watch whales in San Francisco. November to April is often the time of year that whales spend the longest time basking on the beaches of San Francisco.
December may be cold but it is the month that is considered to be the most active time of the year for whale watching tours in San Francisco. December will feature both Humpback and Gray whales as well as the smaller blue whales that come here in the winter. Gray whales are rarely seen off the shores of the bay area. White whales are more common in the winter and they are very noticeable during the mating season.
March is typically the best time of the year to see whales in San Francisco. March is the month when Humpbacks and Grey whales move to the warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean. These whales can sometimes reach 60 feet in length.
The months of April, May, and June are not the best time of year to see whales in San Francisco. The large humpback whales move to the warmer Pacific Ocean. Grey and Humpbacks are normally seen from December to March. In June the whales come back to the offshore waters for the summer. Kite whales can also be seen off the coast of san francisco throughout the summer.
