Top 10 Expert-Recommended Whale Watching Destinations Worldwide

You don’t hear the impending arrival of a whale at first; you feel it. There’s a shift in the atmosphere, a sudden silence, and then a blow with a breath so heavy that it cuts through the air with force and weight. Some rise in groups, with their flukes flicking in rhythm. Others put on a solo show and surface just long enough to remind us of how tiny we are.

There are places in the world where these kinds of encounters aren’t rare. These are cold-water channels where blues and fins glide beneath the surface, shallow bays where humpbacks come to calve and breach, and deep coastal drop-offs where orcas sweep in like the silent predators they are. We’ve dug through some of the most trusted travel sources and tour operators to find the world’s best whale-watching hotspots. So, from Alaska’s fjords to Kaikōura’s underwater trench, here are the top destinations where whale sightings become more than just stories.

The U.S. coastline stretches from the Arctic to the tropics and is prime territory for wild whale-watching encounters. Alaska easily tops the list for dramatic adventures with giants, as humpbacks show up in force with supporting performances from orcas around Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park, especially between June and July. The seemingly non-stop action is set against towering glaciers and dramatic mountain ranges.

Further south, there are the delights of Monterey Bay in California. Humpbacks, grays, and blues all pass through at various times of the year, with summer being your best chance to get a good look at these lumbering leviathans. Santa Cruz is another big jump-off point for whale-watching, but Dana Point and San Diego are strong picks for the gray whale run, which typically takes place from around December through April. 

And don’t think the East Coast is forgotten. Stellwagen Bank off Cape Cod delivers reliable humpback, fin, and minke sightings all summer long, and you can also access the site from Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport. Then, there is Hawaii, which pulls in hulking humpbacks by the thousands every winter. The waters off Maui are even known as Whale Soup, with the Auʻau Channel a playground for mothers and calves from November through March. You can witness the action right from the shore at places like Kaʻanapali Beach or Makena or hop on a tour out of Maʻalaea Harbor. Over on Kauai, Pineapple Dump Pier is another wonderful whale-watching spot, especially in winter when they cruise past this rugged stretch of historic coastline.

Whale watching doesn’t get much better than in Baja California, Mexico. Along both coasts of the peninsula, you’ll find awe-inspiring encounters with grays, humpbacks, blues, fins, sperms, and the occasional orca. It’s all dependent on where and when you go, but nothing compares to the gray whale experience at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve. Laguna San Ignacio is the place within the reserve where playful gray whales swim right up to tourist boats, as mothers lift their calves to the surface, gently rub against hulls, and stare serenely into the eyes of tourists.

It’s such an emotional experience that the marine conservationists at Oceanic Society chose the lagoon as their top pick for experiencing gray whales, noting that they “regularly approach whale watchers, seemingly inviting human touch.” It’s the only place in the world where gray whales consistently initiate contact with people. According to the BBC, they’re not chased or lured, and whale-watching is tightly regulated. Only 16 boats are allowed out at a time, and all motors must be cut when the colossal creatures approach, and that quiet, respectful energy is seemingly returned tenfold by the animals.

Beyond San Ignacio, you can head to Loreto in the Sea of Cortez, dubbed “the world’s aquarium” by Jacques Cousteau for its biodiversity. Blue whales, humpbacks, and fins are drawn there by rich feeding grounds and calm waters during the winter season. Then there’s Puerto Vallarta, where Banderas Bay shelters humpback mothers and calves from December to March. Alternatively, you can try Cabo San Lucas, where both gray and humpback whales breach near the iconic rock arches, and orcas offer up the occasional surprise cameo.

Scotland may be a small country, but there’s a lot more to this place than fantastic whisky tours and loch-dwelling monsters. Among the country’s many other draws are exhilarating seasonal whale sightings, particularly in the Hebrides and the waters between the pristine little paradise of Mull, Skye, and the Small Isles. Minke whales are the most spotted species, especially in the summer months, and juveniles are known to get close, often circling boats or surfacing with little warning. Humpbacks also make the occasional appearance, particularly around the Firth of Forth and the Hebridean coast. There are also fin whales and the occasional sperm, though these sightings are rare.

Orcas get some love in Scotland, too, and rightly so. They come for the seals around Shetland and Orkney in the summer, and they not only stir up the seas — they also get the locals and tourists buzzing onshore. Tessa O’Hara, a writer for ethical travel website Responsible Travel, described a shore encounter as “so close that we could hear their blow every time they surfaced. It was just the most thrilling wildlife encounter I’ve experienced in my life.” However, seeing one is never guaranteed, but when it happens, it’s unforgettable. The windswept cliffs, the distant blows, and the silence before the break all build up to a moment that hits hard when it comes. But then, it’s just another wild moment in Scotland.

There are a number of great whale-spotting destinations in Portugal, but if you want your whale-watching odds dialed up to the max, go straight to the Azores. It’s not just the best place in Portugal for spotting whales; with more than 25 different species recorded in its waters, it’s one of the best places on Earth and easily the best place in Europe. Sperm whales are the mainstay — they live here year-round and often show up close to shore. But it’s the spring migration that really gets things buzzing. From April to June, blue, fin, and sei whales all move through the deep channels off islands like Pico, Faial, and São Miguel for some of the most reliable sightings of the world’s largest animals.

Regulations are tight, and for good reason. Only licensed operators can run tours, and swimming with these behemoths is a strict no-no. Many excursions are led by marine biologists, and spotters (known as vigias) are stationed in the hills to guide boats to the action, much like they did in the old whaling days. Thankfully, the outcome is more favorable for the whales than it was back then. 

Beyond the Azores, whale watching also takes place from the mainland, particularly Setúbal and the Algarve. However, these trips tend to focus more on dolphins, with the occasional fin or minke whale making dramatic appearances in the right season. Madeira has reliable sightings of Bryde’s whales and short-finned pilots between spring and autumn. But for the full big-species experience with high success rates and serious biodiversity, the Azores is the place to go.

South Africa’s coastline hosts at least 37 species of whales and dolphins, including southern rights, humpbacks, Bryde’s, minkes, sperms, orcas, long- and short-finned pilot whales, and pygmy killers. It’s one of the world’s most rewarding places to watch these giants in the wild from land or sea. The encounters are powerful, and it’s the southern coast just east of Cape Town that puts on the main performance. The breathtaking “Whale Coast,” as it’s known, dramatically stretches for 125 miles and draws migrating southern right and humpback whales from June to November. The International Whaling Commission explains that “during this period, both species are frequently seen with calves, as they use South African waters for calving and rearing their young.”

At the center of it all is Hermanus, with its deep waters near the shoreline bringing the action close. It’s often called the whale-watching capital of the world and is one of the few places where you can stand on a cliff path and observe these gentle giants gracefully breaching just offshore. You might even hear the world’s only official Whale Crier blowing his kelp horn to alert the town of a sighting. If you want to get closer, boat tours run often, with strict regulations in place to protect the animals. 

Further along the coast, the De Hoop Nature Reserve doesn’t allow boats during breeding season, but quiet cliffside viewing is possible. Other options are Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, which give you the chance to spot Bryde’s whales and dolphins all year round. On the east coast, St. Lucia in KwaZulu-Natal offers boat tours during the sardine run. Humpbacks breach so close to the shore during this time that you can enjoy the spectacle while having a picnic on the beach.

Anyone who visits Antarctica for whale watching deserves a medal. The journey from Ushuaia in Argentina is long, the sea can be brutal, and there isn’t a dock or hotel in sight. Most visitors arrive by expedition cruise from the southernmost point of South America, sailing through the infamous Drake Passage with its powerful currents, gale-force winds, and massive swells. Some skip the rough seas in favor of a flight to King George Island, cutting out two days of rough seafaring but significantly adding to the already high costs.

But once you set foot in Antarctica, it’s like landing on another planet. A frozen world of mountains smothered in ice and snow and a low-hanging sun that casts a strange, silvery glow. Penguins squabble by steel-gray fjords, and slabs of sea ice drift by lounging leopard seals. Then, when the sea ice breaks and the krill-rich waters burst with life, the whales arrive. Humpbacks breach in feeding frenzies, minkes dart through narrow channels, and orcas glide past with a slow, deliberate calm. Blue, fin, sei, sperm, and southern right whales make appearances, too — though they are more elusive. Wilhelmina Bay and the Lemaire Channel are the go-to hotspots, with action so steady that researchers call the former “Whale-mina Bay.”

In Antarctica, whale watching often happens from a Zodiac — a small, inflatable boat that skims low across the water. As you drift through ice-strewn bays, they bring you eye-level with these majestic beasts, sometimes just meters away. The silence of this frozen continent is then broken by the blow of surfacing whales, and their colossal size is revealed in the most exhilarating way. It’s harsh, it’s remote, but whale watching in Antarctica is nothing short of staggering.

Sri Lanka is one of the few places where you can wake up, walk to the harbor, and be eye-to-eye with a blue whale by breakfast. Its deep offshore waters draw marine giants in close, and the island’s compact size means you’re never far from a place to observe. You don’t need to chase migration windows, either. Sri Lanka has resident blue whales, and sightings are possible most of the year. 

The most popular launch point is Mirissa, on the south coast. It’s a laid-back beach town with a long curve of sand. Tour boats head out early in the morning, and rides can be choppy, but the payoff is high, with blue whales surfacing within sight of the boat. You might occasionally catch glimpses of Bryde’s and sperms, too, while pods of spinner dolphins can often be seen riding their wake. December to March is the best time to visit, with the clear mornings and calm waters giving tourists a 90% success rate of sightings.

From March to July, Trincomalee on the northeast coast takes over. Its harbor is one of the deepest in the world, and it only takes about 30 minutes to reach waters where blue and sperm whales feed and sometimes even mate. You may have to be a little more patient for sightings there. Some days, you’ll see them from the beach, while on other days, the sea is quiet and calm, like it’s holding its breath. Still, the experience lingers, and seeing these massive mammals disappear into the blue never feels routine, no matter how often you witness it happen.

From May to November, Australia’s waters become a moving stage for some of the world’s most spectacular whale migrations. Hervey Bay is one of the most talked-about spots. Humpbacks pause there to rest and play in the calm, protected waters behind Fraser Island (K’gari). In fact, Hervey Bay is the world’s first certified Whale Heritage Site, and the breaching is about as consistent as you’ll find. It’s one of the best places to be for swimming with whales, too, with Australia one of the few places on Earth where you can do it legally. The experience almost always involves humpbacks, whose curious behavior and impressive displays make them the species best suited for swim encounters. But they’re still wild animals, and their behavior can shift quickly, which is why it’s essential to follow trained guides at all times. However, for simply observing, the best months to visit are from mid-July to late October, with mid-September the time when newborn calves are at their most playful.

Down in Albany, Western Australia, what was once a whaling hub now offers some of the best shore-based viewing in the country. Humpbacks and southern rights cruise the bays from June to November, with blue whales occasionally turning up in May. On Tasmania’s Bruny Island, the scenery gets rugged, and the sightings get intimate. Humpbacks and southern rights frequent from May to July and again between September and November. But, for raw drama, you need to head west to Bremer Bay between January and April. Killer whales gather offshore there to hunt in its nutrient-rich waters. It’s a full-on predator playground and one of the few places on Earth where orcas are the star of the show.

Its rugged coast with nutrient-rich seas makes New Zealand one of the most reliable places in the world to spot whales. And you don’t need to time visits to coincide with migrations, either. New Zealand lies directly along the migratory routes of many great whale species, and its mix of subtropical and subantarctic waters draws them from every direction. In fact, renowned marine travel specialists Discover the World state that “New Zealand’s waters are rich with a diverse range of ocean life, and over half of the world’s whales, porpoises, and dolphin species can be found here.”

Kaikōura, on the east coast of the South Island, is the standout destination, and the deep underwater trench of the Kaikōura Canyon creates the ideal conditions for marine life to thrive. Sperm whales are visible there year-round, often not far from the shore. Humpbacks, southern rights, blues, orcas, and massive pods of pilot whales are also spottable, depending on the season. For peak feeding activity when the whales become more social with breaching, tail-slapping, and surfacing in numbers, visit between May and September. Daily tours have a 95% success rate, but for something even more spectacular, aerial trips offer wide-angle views of multiple species in motion. 

Up north, the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park near Auckland is another favorite, particularly for witnessing endangered Bryde’s whales, long-finned pilots, and orcas. Trips to the park’s deep channels and islands are easily arranged in the capital city. Sightings are common, and the stunning scenery complements the thrills, making the whole experience simply unforgettable.

We dug through some of the most trusted travel sources and tour operators to find out what they think are the world’s top whale-watching spots. We included places with consistent positive mentions from publications such as Lonely Planet, Wanderlust, and Travel + Leisure, as well as consulting responsible tour operators like Wildlife Worldwide, Original Travel, and Discover the World. However, we made two notable omissions from our final list: Norway and Iceland. These countries were not left out for a lack of sightings. They were left out because they both practice and profit from commercial whaling, which we feel is fundamentally at odds with the spirit of whale watching.