What to Expect in March
March is the northbound half of the gray whale migration. The whales are leaving the lagoons of Baja California for the Arctic, and mothers now travel with their newborn calves.
A calf doesn’t have an adult’s stamina, so mothers swim at a slower pace and stay close to the coast. March and April are the best months for mom and calf sightings, and the crew still logs gray whales on most March days. Winter vs. spring whale watching has more on the trip north.
March at a Glance
- Gray whale mothers and calves heading north
- Gray whales still logged on most days
- Fin whales picking up toward their May peak
- Bottlenose dolphins logged most often in March
What the Crew Logs in March
From the crew’s sightings log since 2015. Compare every month.
- Most days Common Dolphins, Gray Whales
- Often Bottlenose Dolphins, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins
- Sometimes Fin Whales, Mola Mola, Humpback Whales
- Rarely Minke Whales, Mako Sharks, Swordfish, Risso’s Dolphins, Sperm Whales, Blue Whales, Elephant Seals, False Killer Whales, Thresher Sharks
From 246 days with trips in March since 2015. Most days is half or more of those days, often is one in five or more, sometimes is one in twenty or more.
March 2026: What the Crew Logged
28 days with trips.
- 150 Fin Whales
- 8 Gray Whales
- 4 Minke Whales
- 3 Humpback Whales
- 2 Sperm Whales
Dolphins
- 13,485 Common Dolphins
- 585 Bottlenose Dolphins
We also saw
- 2 Swordfish
- 1 Mako Shark
Counts add up across trips, so an animal seen on two trips is counted twice. Dolphin numbers are the crew’s estimates.
Fin Whales and More in March
Fin whales start showing up more in March, and May is their busiest month in our log. Bottlenose dolphins are logged more often in March than in any other month. Mola mola, the ocean sunfish, start to appear too.
Read about fin whales and humpback whales off Oceanside.
Before You Go
Dress in warm layers: it’s always 10 to 15 degrees cooler on the ocean than in the harbor. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen if you plan to stay outside.
Whales travel around the clock, so there’s no best time of day to see them. The water tends to be calmer in the morning, though. Cruises last two hours from Oceanside Harbor, and trips often sell out, so book ahead.
More planning help: what to wear, how to avoid seasickness and what the cruise costs.
March Questions
Can you see gray whale calves in March?
Yes. March and April are the best months for mom and calf sightings, as mothers head north and stay close to the coast. Sightings are never guaranteed, and the log above shows how often each species turns up in March.
Is March still gray whale season?
Yes. Gray whale season runs from November 28 through the end of April, and the crew still logs gray whales on most March days.
What else can you see in March?
Fin whales start showing up more. Common dolphins are logged on most days and bottlenose dolphins often, and you may see mola mola, the ocean sunfish.
Whale watching season, month by month · More winter months: December, January, February
Whale Watching in March
Look for gray whale mothers and calves close to the coast on a two-hour cruise from Oceanside Harbor.