TRUE OR FALSE? DANA POINT: “THE WHALE AND DOLPHIN WATCHING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD”
You’re visiting California and decide to go on a whale watching trip. As you peruse the web, you’ll find tour operators from San Diego to San Francisco… but one destination stands out to you: Dana Point. It’s difficult to miss the claim “Whale and Dolphin Watching Capital of the World” after all. There are countless places around the world to go whale watching, including premiere destinations like: Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, Canada, Antartica, Tonga, Dominica, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mexico (to name a few). The list is impressive but none of these places bear the title of being the “Capital” - so why does this prestigious title belong to Dana Point alone and is there good reason for it?
Whales and dolphins are found in every ocean on Earth, with an incredible 90+ species belonging to the cetacean family. These charismatic animals attract sightseers from all around the globe, with some people willing to travel thousands of miles and spend tens of thousands of dollars to say they’ve seen a whale. Of course, such grand commitments aren’t always necessary and whale watching can be an inexpensive, family friendly activity too. Most species of whales migrate annually between cold water feeding grounds and warm water breeding grounds, typically spending up to half of the year in each - this leads to the well-known observation that there is a “whale season” and a “not whale season”. An example would be two of the most popular destinations in the world for watching humpback whales: Alaska and Hawaii. In the summertime, Alaska attracts high numbers of humpback whales eager to exploit the bounty of schooling fish found within the state’s nutrient-rich waters. By winter, this same population of humpbacks now utilizes the warm, clear waters of the Hawaiian Islands to give birth to their calves and compete for mating opportunities. A trip to Alaska in the winter would yield little to no whales and a frigid experience… whereas a trip to Hawaii in the summer would undoubtedly leave you warmer, albeit still “whale-less”. Only a few places on Earth are lucky enough to enjoy year-round sightings of whales and dolphins and I’m grateful to live in one of these places: California - where it’s always “whale season”. Winter and spring provide opportunities to see migratory gray whales, while summer and fall enjoy sightings of feeding blue whales and humpback whales. Other species, like fin and minke whales, can be encountered year-round as well as an abundance of dolphins. It’s truly a wonderland for whale watchers that live here or make frequent visits to the state; since my beginnings in 2017, I have seen 20 species of cetaceans in California alone.
If you’re unfamiliar with the California coastline and its whale-watching “hotspots”, it begins just North of the U.S.-Mexican border with San Diego. As you continue North, you’ll pass by: Oceanside, Dana Point, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Oxnard, and Ventura harbors. The final and most Northerly port in Southern California for whale watching is Santa Barbara harbor. From start to finish, Southern California offers a generous 226 miles of coastline and outfits to choose from. As we expand into Central and Northern California, we include the famous Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options. So why, amongst all of these departure points, is Dana Point championed as the “Whale and Dolphin Watching Capital” - not only of California, but “of the World”?
The answer is painfully simple and altogether, not surprising: marketing.
The title “Whale and Dolphin Watching Capital of the World” became an official trademark in 2019; it was not elected by a diverse group of industry professionals from around the globe - rather, it was achieved in a year by a trademark attorney hired by two people financially-tied to whale watching boats in Dana Point. In order to secure this trademark, there had to be some validity in this claim proven by evidence. The points below are taken directly from the website that promotes this trademark:
“More dolphins per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Over 450,000 dolphins reside off Southern California.”
“Dana Point made the dolphin stampede famous.”
“Year-round whales regularly viewed include blue whales, fin whales, gray whales, humpback whales, and minke whales. A plethora of rare whales and dolphins including killer whales, sperm whales, false killer whales, Dall’s porpoise, and more.”
“Best small harbor with quick and easy access to the ocean.”
“Best year-round weather. Unlike many other locations, Dana Point usually has moderate weather and mild ocean conditions throughout the year.”
“Unlike other Southern California harbors, Dana Point has no towering buildings, oil rigs, or large ships.”
“Having the closest access (in Orange County) to the deep, offshore underwater coastal canyons just minutes from the harbor.”*
*Quote is taken from a press release announcing the declaration of the trademark.
While these are certainly valid reasons for wanting to whale watch in Dana Point, does it justify a trademark as ostentatious as “the Capital of the World”? I don’t think so. Much of the provided evidence regarding the large abundance of dolphins and the variety of whale species are true to Southern California as a whole - not Dana Point alone. Mild ocean conditions and close access to offshore canyons are shared traits with nearby Newport Beach, whose nearest drop-off is less than a mile from the harbor’s west jetty and only a quarter of a mile from the Newport Pier. Quick and easy access to the ocean from the harbor is also relative to a boat’s docking location: one Dana Point company travels only a quarter of a mile to exit the harbor, but a different company travels a full mile to exit the harbor. While it would be nice aesthetically to never encounter oil platforms and large ships, there are plenty of coastal areas free of such eyesores. For boats departing from Long Beach, arguably the most developed and ship-congested area in Southern California, the breathtaking stretch of tall, coastal cliffs along Palos Verdes is just a short ride away.
Not only do I think that Dana Point isn’t the “Whale and Dolphin Watching Capital of the World”, but I don’t think it’s even the best option in Southern California. I’ve worked all along the Southern California coast and there are, without a doubt, world-class wildlife-viewing opportunities here. However, the major disadvantage faced by the majority of Southern California is the inconsistency in whale sightings and the overall lower abundance when compared to the Central and Northern coast. For the waters between San Diego and Santa Monica Bay off of Los Angeles, it’s relatively common to go on a whale watching tour and return without seeing a whale. In fact, there have been times that I’ve gone weeks without seeing a whale on standard ~2.5 hour trips. While we may reference historical peaks for whale activity from previous years, every season has the potential to be very different from what we expect: for better and for worse. Whales rely on large quantities of food to sustain them and a shift in currents or temperatures can drastically change their habits. When it comes to San Diego, Oceanside, Dana Point, Newport Beach, Long Beach, and Redondo Beach your odds of success are roughly the same across these locations in a typical year. Some harbors will have better sightings one day, then the others may have better sightings the next. Dolphins can almost always be relied upon and for whales: it’s a good idea to be familiar with what’s in season during your visit and check daily sightings logs to meter your expectations. When it comes to the best place for whale watching in Southern California, I would nominate the Santa Barbara Channel. Unlike the rest of Southern California, the Santa Barbara Channel has whales consistently and abundantly throughout the entire year. In addition, dolphins are plentiful most of the year and sightings of killer whales are far more common in this region. To enhance the wildlife-viewing experience, the channel is framed by beautiful coastal mountains to the North and the iconic Channel Islands National Park to the South.
When presented with the question, “What could be considered the whale and dolphin watching capital of the world?”, cetacean enthusiasts in a popular Facebook group concluded that it is not possible to quantitively make such a claim. Given how whale watching is a global phenomenon and extremely personal to those who enjoy it, most will feel biased towards the region they whale watch in most. Each of us have preferences for geographic locations, different species, and different behaviors that all factor in our interpretation of what we find best. However, the acquisition of a trademark that claims Dana Point as the “Whale and Dolphin Watching Capital of the World” is nothing more than an attempt to take advantage of the unaware masses and direct traffic to their businesses. Whale watching companies are still companies after all, and operate with financial pursuits in mind. I’m not suggesting that Dana Point is a bad place to whale watch, it’s just not worthy of such an esteemed title. With so many tourists flocking to the Southern California area each year, whale watching companies have become increasingly competitive and manipulative. Advertisements feature videos and photos of whales far closer to the boats than they typically are and individual whales are counted as multiple to inflate sightings logs. When the general public is lured onto whale watching boats by tactics such as these, their expectations far exceed what they are likely to experience and the result is disappointment - often directed at the crew and the wildlife. To me, Dana Point should be trademarked, “A Place to Whale Watch in the World”.