When is the best time to see sperm whales?
Sperm whales could be seen at any time during the year here in Dana Point, but because of their love for deep sea diving in offshore waters, their visits are very rare and extremely special.
Here at Captain Dave’s, we are so fascinated with these highly-developed specimens, that we breach at any opportunity to take a glimpse at their magnificent selves. Although they spend the majority of their time in deep-deep waters, we had the amazing opportunity to spend a little quality time with these whales just outside our harbor in Dana Point.
In 2014, a pod of over 60 sperm whales visited Dana Point, California. It was the first time our whale watching trips had seen sperm whales in decades, and these beauties were not shy! The whales were seen in roughly ten groups of about eight to twelve whales each, spread over two to three miles just three miles off of Dana Point Harbor.
The numbers in these groups brought passengers on board both awe and excitement, but groups like this are not uncommon for sperm whales, especially females. Most female sperm whales will form lasting bonds with other females of their family, and on average 12 females and their young will form a social unit. These dark grey giants didn’t wear their bow ties and bonnets that day, so we weren’t exactly certain the gender of each whale, but if facts check out, then it sounds like it was one stellar ladies day out!
These groups would surface for as much as 15 minutes at a time, occasionally approaching the boat to spy hop, roll, tail lob, fluke, and show off their fresh manicures. This behavior was nothing short of spectacular!