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Where to Whale Watch

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Where to Whale Watch

The nice thing about snowbirds is that they're so predictable. Whether it's Grandma in Grand Rapids or a gray whale in Alaska, you know that when the temperatures drop, they'll head south. In January, that means Indiana license plates in Miami and gray whales along Baja, Mexico. See? The miracle of migration makes planning easy. Here are a few best bets if you're looking for ships that make it easier to see the big guys on their Pacific travels.

Winter and Spring

At this time of year, much of the action is along the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortez, as gray whales move down into protected waters from up Arctic way. Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean cruise lines all sail along the peninsula out of California, and any of their trips has a good chance of some Thar-She-Blows ops during these months. For closer looks, these smaller companies take special note of whales and other wildlife:

* Lindblad Expeditions, 800-397-3348, http://www.expeditions.com/. "California: Among the Great Whales" offers eight-day itineraries, with almost 20 departures between January and March on twin expedition ships, each sleeping 62 passengers in 31 cabins. Ships sail out of La Paz, Mexico, with an included charter flight from Los Angeles. The trips feature Zodiac whale- and wildlife-viewing sorties into the sheltered lagoons and islands of the Sea of Cortez. Prices start at $3,999 per person double.

* Cruise West, 888-851-8133, http://www.cruisewest.com/. "Whales and Wildlife" is a similar eight-day program on a slightly bigger ship; the Spirit of Endeavor accommodates 102, with 10 departures between December and March. Starts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and hops between Sea of Cortez ports including Loreto and La Paz. Prices start at $2,499 per person double.

Summer and Fall

When the water warms up, the whales head back up to their summer feeding grounds. That's also high cruising season in Alaska. Lindblad and Cruise West (see above) both offer small-ship summer cruises in Alaska with an intense wildlife focus. (Lindblad runs eight-day trips between Seattle and Juneau beginning at $4,840 per person double and 12-day versions starting at $5,390. Both companies offer specials on some early summer trips. Cruise West runs nine different Alaska small-ship cruises, from three nights to 22 nights, starting at $1,149.)

For bigger ships, almost all include naturalists and shipboard programs to aid your viewing and small-boat excursions for dedicated whale-watching outings. Two of the majors dominate in Alaska: Holland America and Princess.

* Holland America (877-724-5425, http://www.hollandamerica.com/) offers multiple sailings of four different seven-day Alaska itineraries, starting at $849 per person double. (Some early-season trips start in the $700 range.)

*· Princess Cruises (800-774-6237, http://www.princess.com/) runs multiple sailings on seven-, 10- and 11-day itineraries linking Vancouver, B.C., San Francisco, Seattle and Alaska starting at $749 per person double. (Four-day trips later in the season start at $399 per person double.)

Information

For more on wildlife, specialty and small-ship cruising: Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance,425-867-0399, http://www.nichecruise.com/.

-- Steve Hendrix

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