Gray Whale Season Drawing to Close

Palos Verdes residents who are looking to get a glimpse of a gray whale in the South Bay don't have much time left—gray-whale watching season is peaking as the massive sea mammals wrap up their journey to Alaska.

On Wednesday, the American Cetacean Society Los Angeles Chapter's Gray Whale Census tracked 74 northbound whales—the highest whale count this month—from its station at Point Vicente in Rancho Palos Verdes. Since then, volunteers have spotted between nine and 49 whales each day.

The Redondo Beach-based Voyager will wrap up its own twice-daily whale-watching cruises on April 14, while the Long Beach-based Harbor Breeze Cruises will continue twice-daily whale-watching cruises through April 30.

Of course, residents can always go whale-watching from the shore in places such as Point Vicente, nature turnouts in Rancho Palos Verdes or at Nelson's at Terranea Resort.

Averaging 10,000-14,000 miles roundtrip from the Bering and Chukchi seas to the lagoons in Baja California, the gray whale migration is one of the longest migrations known to man. The 30- to 40-ton baleen whales can grow up to 50 feet in length.

Despite the decreasing numbers of gray whales spotted, fin whales are still making appearances in the area.