Big Bay Whale Days Makes 2nd Annual Splash on San Diego’s Waterfront

Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

San Diego is celebrating the migration of thousands of California gray whales with the second annual Big Bay Whale Days throughout the month of January.

Following the longest migration route of any mammal on Earth, gray whales make their way along San Diego's coastline every year from late December to early April. Their journey of nearly 13,000 miles roundtrip takes them from the Bering Sea, past the San Diego coast, to the protected warm waters off Baja California, Sonora and Sinoloa.

Big Bay Whale Days Makes Splash in San Diego from Port of San Diego on Vimeo.

"I did a lot of traveling," said Rebecca Milkey, Big Bay Whale Days organizer and Marketing Director for Hornblower Cruises and Events, "And in New Zealand, Maui, Monterey and Santa Barbara, they all celebrate the migration of the gray whale with a festival. And I thought, 'San Diego has a three-month migration – we're probably one of the luckiest cities in the southbound migration. San Diego needs to celebrate this with a whale festival.'"

The highlight of Big Bay Whale Days will occur January 23 at a free waterfront festival along the Embarcadero. The corner of Broadway and North Harbor Drive will be lined with vendors and exhibitors from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On the day of the festival, tour providers will feature free cruises for children with the purchase of adult tickets, free admissions for children with adult purchases aboard the USS Midway Museum, discount admissions to the Maritime Museum of San Diego and money-saving coupons to Seaport Village stores and Anthony's Fish Grotto along the Embarcadero. Whale-watching enthusiasts can also pick up cruise coupons, information and register to win prizes.

Kids can also "walk through" a giant, inflatable gray whale, among other interactive activities with free music and entertainment throughout the day.

Visitors traveling down the coast just for San Diego's Big Bay Whale Days are encouraged to "go green" and ride the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner (PDF) to this year's celebration. Kids ride at half-price and seniors get 15 percent off their fare.

And anyone showing their receipt from a whale watching cruise or proof of a reservation, can get a discounted room rate at the Holiday Inn on the Bay for $79 per night.

To catch a sight of the California grays on a whale-watching excursion, reservations can be made with one of these tour providers throughout the entire month:

• Hornblower Cruises & Events - Join San Diego Natural History Museum whale naturalist volunteers for a 3.5-hour whale watching expedition. Museum whalers are trained by museum staff and marine scientists to provide naturalist interpretation on the Hornblower Whale Watch cruises.

• Maritime Museum of San Diego - This whale watching experience will be presented with an educational and historical perspective on a replica of the 139-foot yacht America that won the historic Royal Yacht Squadron's "100 Guinea Cup" race around the Isle of Wight. The trophy came to be known as the America's Cup.

• San Diego Harbor Excursion - Scripps Institute of Oceanography naturalists will be on these twice-daily cruises to point out California gray whales migrating to Mexico's breeding grounds. Naturalists will have gray whale biofacts to show-and-tell during the cruise and facts about other sightings that may include seals, sea lions, dolphins, migrating birds and more.

• H&M Landing - Several trip options are available for viewers to choose the length that best fits their schedule. All trips include informative narration on whales, their migration and the other marine life and sights you will see on your cruise.

• Orion Sailing  - Commissioned in 1934, Orion was a racing force for more than a decade winning the coveted Bermuda and Fire Island races. Today, Orion hosts whale watching excursions in classic style. Meet the gentle giants aboard this classic 64-foot wooden sailing yawl.

• Point Loma Sportfishing - Point Loma Sportfishing operates two- to five-hour trips daily during the season to view the gray whale migration. For the more adventurous, extended nature expeditions depart San Diego to explore the seldom-visited offshore islands and sea coasts of Baja California.

• Sail San Diego - Sailing twice daily, Sail San Diego specializes in small and personal 3.5-hour whale-watching trips. Have a conversation with naturalists about the grey whales and migration while under sail. Many changes have been made to improve our eco-friendly standards. Beer, wine, snacks and much more included.

• Yacht America - As the whale watching season approaches get ready to board the magnificent 139ft schooner "America" for an amazing "Picnic on the Ocean" with the whales and dolphins.

For more information, visit theBigBay.com.

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