As you may know, gray whales are swimming past us right now, migrating south to the tranquil lagoons in Baja California where they will mate and then return next year to give birth.

People often ask me how to go see the whales, because they know I’m a huge fan. Well, you can pay a tour company a few thousand dollars to take you down there. Or, you can just do it on your own.

Here are my best suggestions. Note that the whales can be found in the lagoons until early April, with the highest concentration in late January, early February. You can see them swimming past us into May.

VIEWING FROM THE SHORE

The simplest and cheapest way to view whales – if perhaps the least satisfying – is simply to bring your binoculars to a nice bluff-top ocean overlook. And you won’t get seasick. Volunteers had already counted 478 adults and 10 babies swimming south as of Jan. 4, so it looks like a good year to see them. Here are three excellent spots:

Dana Point Headlands and Strand Vista Park. Miles of easy and moderate scenic trails lead to excellent overlooks where whales can be sighted. It is believed that whales use Dana Point as a navigational landmark on their journeys north and south. There’s a nature center at 34558 Scenic Drive. Call 949-542-4755 or visit Danapoint.org

Point Fermin Park, San Pedro. This beautiful park juts out on a point making it a great place to look for whales. There’s a historic lighthouse here, too. The park is run by the city of Los Angeles. There’s a playground, bike path, walking trails and more. Location: 807 Paseo del Mar. Call 310-548-7705 or visit Laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/pointFerminPk.htm

Point Vicente, Palos Verdes Peninsula. It’s a bit of a drive from Orange County, but this beautiful park includes a 10,000-square-foot interpretive center, picnic area, historic lighthouse and, during the season, American Cetacean Society docents may be available. Location: 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes. Call 310-377-5370.

Going out on a boat from O.C.

Several private companies and nonprofits run whale-watching trips from our local ports, including Newport Harbor and Dana Point.

These are day trips with a decent chance of seeing whales. You generally go out for two to three hours. You can pay as little as $15 if you go on specially priced tours and watch for discounts. This listing is for information only – I have no specific recommendations, except that you take a Bonine tablet before you go, if you get the least bit seasick.

Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safaris from Dana Point. $59 adults, $39 kids. Call 949-488-2828 or visit Dolphinsafari.com. Sign up for their email list to be notified of discounts.

Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching from Dana Point. $45 adults, $25 kids. All Tuesday trips are half-price but reserve early. Also, note that the 8 a.m. trips on March 7, 8, 14 and 15 are only $15 each – but reserve now because they’ll sell out in a flash. That’s during the city’s annual whale festival. Call 888-224-0603 or visit DanaWharf.com. They’ll give you a rain check if you don’t see marine mammals on the trip.

Newport Landing from Newport Harbor. Adults $32-$36, kids $26-$30. Check for a discount coupon on their website. Call 949-675-0551 or visit NewportWhales.com

Ocean Institute in Dana Harbor

This nonprofit offers a scientific approach to whale watching with marine research equipment on board and naturalist instruction. During the whale festival in March, adults pay $22-$35, kids $19-$22 for a whale cruise, including admission to the institute facilities. They also offer several Dolphin Discovery cruises each month. Call 949-496-2274 or visit Ocean-Institute.org

Going to see the whales in Baja

I must confess that I’ve become addicted to visiting the whales in their Baja lagoons. You can find them in three breeding grounds along the Pacific Coast of Baja:

Scammons Lagoon (Ojo de Liebre), at Guerrero Negro. This is the closest and easiest to drive to from Orange County. Yes, you can drive your own reliable car down there, as it’s paved highway all the way. I’ve done it numerous times. You must buy Mexican auto insurance. Bring and read a good guidebook so you understand what driving in rural Baja is all about. It’s approximately a 15-hour drive from Orange County, which means you should leave around 2 a.m. to avoid having to drive through Baja’s remote main desert after dark, or split the trip into two days.

Once in Guerrero Negro, get a room and eat dinner in the delicious Malarrimo restaurant. They have cabanas if you can snag one. Then hire them to take you out the next day into the lagoon to see the whales. Arrange this the night before, as the trips tend to leave early in the morning. Note that this is a Mexican national park, and the boat captains are not allowed to chase or harass the whales. You will see many whales around you, though they probably will not come up to your boat.

San Ignacio. This second lagoon, farther south, has become famous as the site of friendly whales that will come up to your boat to say hi. I’ve been whale watching here five times, and four of them saw friendly whales. Again, you can drive the paved Baja Highway 1 all the way to San Ignacio, which is a cuter town than Guerrero Negro. It’s about a 16-hour drive on narrow roads. You can also take a first-class bus from Tijuana. Or you can fly into Loreto, rent a car and then drive four hours to San Ignacio, which I’ve done twice. It’s a very scenic drive past Bahia Concepcion, and Loreto’s a beautiful town to visit.

There are only a few lodgings in San Ignacio, so make sure you have one reserved before you arrive. Whale season is the high season here. The lagoon is a 90-minute journey on a washboard dirt road from town. I prefer to leave my car and hire a van to take us out to the lagoon, to avoid ruining my car’s shocks.

I typically hire a company called Ecoturismo Kuyima to take us whale watching; they will provide the van for an extra cost. Arrange this the day before your trip. They also have rustic huts available at the lagoon. Learn more here: Kuyima.com

There are other whale-watching companies available as well, just ask around town or watch for the signs.

The first person to ever make friendly whales known to the world was Pachico Mayoral, who started taking visitors out to see them a generation ago. Now his son, Jesus, is running a whale-watching company to keep the Mayoral family business going. Connect with him at PachicosEcotours.com. He offers day trips as well as packages that include lodging on the bay.

Instead of staying in town, you can also pitch a tent on the water’s edge at the lagoon, which allows you to hear the whales breathing all night. It’s a wonderful sound. However, it’s cold, windy and you basically have to crawl into your sleeping bag when it gets dark. I did that once, and now I’d rather stay in town. Check out the restored mission while you’re there, and note that you can hire guides to take you out to see rock paintings.

Magdalena Bay or Bahia Magdalena. I haven’t visited this bay, which is the farthest south of all the lagoons frequented by the gray whales, but people have told me excitedly of their friendly whale encounters here. This is a reasonable day trip from Los Cabos or La Paz, which offer international airports and plenty of accommodations. Personally, I prefer La Paz as a real Mexican city, whereas the Cabo region is overrun with condos and Americans. You won’t have trouble finding a day trip to the bay from here. Expect to pay around $100.

In La Paz, you can swim with the whale sharks in the winter. You can also drive Baja Highway 1 down here and stay in Puerto San Carlos, which has companies vying to take you out on the bay.

Tours from the U.S. Baja Ecotours offers a variety of guided trips to San Ignacio including chartered planes from San Diego and bus trips, The cheapest is a six-day bus ride from San Diego for $1,495 that includes transportation, whale watching and rustic camping accommodations. Learn more here: Bajaecotours.com, or call 619-819-2966.

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Got a travel tip on how to save money? Send it to me. If I use it, I’ll give you credit. Contact Marla Jo Fisher: mfisherocregister.com

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©2015 The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.)

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