• Forget SeaWorld: if you want to see Shamu, head over to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, which hosts about 200 orcas—or killer whales—from late June until winter. The largest member of the dolphin family, these regal creatures can reach up to thirty feet in length and weigh about nine tons. Stubbs Island Whale Watching offers three-hour, $75 expeditions through Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Archipelago on vessels equipped with underwater microphones that allow passengers to eavesdrop on the latest orca gossip. Approximately 90 percent of outings find orcas, but if yours is ill-fated, the bountiful dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, seals, and minke, gray, and humpback whales will surely compensate. Bird watchers might even glimpse a bald eagle.
• Every year, some eighteen thousand gray whales swim in a conga line from the icy, nutrient-rich waters of northern Alaska to the warm breeding lagoons of Baja California, Mexico and back—11,000 miles in all. Dozens of chartered cruises and flights are available along the route, but it is also possible, and perhaps even preferable, to watch the whales migrate while picnicking on the seashore. An organization called Whale Watching Spoken Here stations volunteers at thirty sites along the Oregon Coast during peak whale-watching weeks to help spot the whales. The National Park Service also offers free services at Point Reyes Peninsula in California. Jutting ten miles into the Pacific Ocean, the peninsula’s headlands allow views of whales as close as a few hundred yards away. Late April to early May is the best time to see mothers with their calves. Bring a warm jacket and a good pair of binoculars (7x35, 7x42, or 8x40 are best).
• Beluga whales—known fondly to their fans as marshmallowheads—can also be viewed from ashore in Cunningham Inlet on Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada. From mid-July to August, they swim right up to the mouth of the Cunningham River to molt and nurse their young in the warm river water. Nearby lodging—along with adventures like sea kayaking and polar bear watching—is available at Arctic Watch Lodge.