Baird's beaked whale — SoCal Whales

Stats

At a glance

LENGTH

Up to 36 ft

WEIGHT

Up to ~13 tons (26,000+ lbs)

LIFESPAN

Up to 54 yrs (females), up to 84 yrs (males)

DIET

Deep-sea fish (mackerel, sardines, saury), crustaceans, sea cucumbers, squid, octopus

RARITY

Very rare — offshore only

SEASON

Late spring to early autumn

Length/weight/lifespan/diet: NOAA Fisheries species page →

How to ID

What to look for

Big grey-brown, long dolphin-like beak, in tight surfacing groups. Slope water, never inshore.

BEHAVIORS TO WATCH FOR

Tight synchronised surfacing groupsLong deep dives over slope waterBeak breaks the surface first

When

Best months to see

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Last 30 days

Total seen

Days active

0/30

Last seen

Not seen

DAILY SIGHTING COUNTHOVER A BAR

TODAY

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Where to go (operators publish dated sighting reports)

Newport & Long Beach operators share daily trip counts — you can see what was spotted before you book. Other operators don't publish daily reports.

Newport Coastal Adventure

2,900 common dolphins · 1 minke whale

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Newport Whales

2,900 common dolphins · 1 minke whale

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Davey's Locker

2,900 common dolphins · 1 minke whale

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Harbor Breeze

LONG BEACH · No sightings reported yet today

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Dana Wharf

1 common dolphin

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San Diego Whale Watch

250 common dolphins

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