Newport Landing Whale Watching

“Admiral, there be whales here!”

– Commander Montgomery Scott, also known as “Scotty,” in the motion picture Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

“Trekkies” watched in awe in the 1986 movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as Scotty captured two Humpback Whales from the open Pacific Ocean as part of the mission of the crew of the Federation Starship Enterprise to transport them to the 23rd century in an attempt to repopulate the species. In reality, in the mid-1980s, it was very possible that some of these amazing creatures might actually become extinct.

Fortunately, the opposite now seems to be occurring, and due to our fascination with these awesome mammals of the sea, whale-watching has become a booming business. Whale-watchers can take advantage of the species’ resurgence at Newport Landing Whale Watching in Newport Beach, and at a very reasonable price for a two-and-a-half hour excursion.

Possible sightings during your Newport Landing Whale Watching excursion include the giant Blue Whale – the largest and heaviest mammal on Earth. Once considered a rare sight off southern California, this has changed dramatically over the past five years, with hundreds, perhaps thousands of annual sightings. In fact, in 2009, more than 850 giant Blue Whales were viewed from May through August. These giants of the sea reach lengths of 100 feet or more, and the largest ever recorded weighed 190 metric tons.

Other species you might see on your trip include the Grey Whale, and a third species, the Finback Whale, which has also taken to the waters of southern California during the same months as the Blue Whale. Along with whales, giant pods (groups) of the Common and Bottlenose Dolphin are also very frequent, with pods numbering a thousand or more together quite likely.

These dolphins come within arms reach as they play along side the whale watching ship. Viewings are so good that there is a 96 percent viewing success rate. Moreover, if you’re one of the rare few for which nothing is viewed during your excursion, Newport Landing offers a free pass for a future whale watching cruise!

Newport Landing Whale Watching offers daily cruises for just $30 per adult and $25 for kids 12 and under, and seniors. Each cruise is two and a half hours in length. Newport Landing’s primary whale watching ship is 65 feet in length with a large upstairs sundeck, wrap-around outside seating, a snack bar with food and beverages, and indoor seating with large windows.

Their whale watching ship was specially designed for viewing marine life. Plenty of other amenities guarantee to make for a very comfortable and exciting trip. In addition, captains & crews have backgrounds in marine biology and are extraordinarily knowledgeable about marine creatures and their environment and ecosystems.

HelloMetro Tip: A longer Catalina Island whale watching tour is also offered (click here for details), and special discounts are available for schools and private groups. Call 949-675-0551 for details.

- by Jim Brown , Los Angeles Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)