Where to go whale watching on the Sonoma Coast

Twice each year, some 20,000 gray whales pass along the California coast as they swim south to breeding lagoons on the west coast of Baja California during winter months, then back to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic’s Bering Sea in spring. The round trip for these sea giants is roughly 12,000 miles and is considered one of the longest among mammals.

If you’d like to witness this epic journey, the peak months for whale watching are January through May. If the weather is good,...