Along the Whale Trail you'll be looking over the waters of one of our nation's most spectacular marine protected areas, offering some of the best wildlife viewing in the world-including 34 species of marine mammals! Search for the heart-shaped blows of gray whales, tall dorsal fins of orcas, or feeding humpback and blue whales. Look for seals and sea lions on offshore rocks and sea otters wrapped up in kelp. You can see amazing marine life at the Whale Trail's shore-based sites at any time of year.
Be a wildlife steward. Give animals the space they need to eat, rest and socialize. Keep your distance and please do not touch, feed or chase wildlife. Enjoy and help protect this diverse and fragile marine environment.
The Whale Trail is located at Cavalier Resort and is supported by VisitSanSimeon, California State Parks and Highway1DiscoveryRoute.
The Whale Trail is a series of sites where the public may view orcas, other cetaceans and marine mammals from shore. Learn more in this video.
Our mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales and our marine environment by establishing a network of viewing sites along the whales’ trails along the Salish Sea and the Pacific Coast.
Our goals are as follows:
- Increase awareness that our marine waters are home to orcas and other species
- Connect visitors to orcas, other marine wildlife and their habitat
- Inspire stewardship and build community
- Promote land-based whale watching
Listen to the interview about the Whale Trail here.
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