Cabrillo NM & Point Loma
San Diego · near San Diego (Point Loma) · San Diego
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Mar for gray whales; tidepools at winter low tides
- Open year round
- Yes
What is here
- Wildlife
- whales · tidepools · birds
- Species
- Gray whales, dolphins, tidepool life (anemones, crabs, octopus), seabirds
- Amenities
- Glassed gray-whale overlook · Protected rocky tidepools · Historic lighthouse & views · Visitor center & exhibits
- Best for
- Gray whales & tidepools in one stop
- Features
- Winter gray whale overlook · Rich protected tidepools · Panoramic point setting · Whale-watch exhibits
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Park entrance fee & set hours · Slippery tidepool rocks & tides · Whales often distant — bring optics · Wind & sun on the point
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- shore
- Effort
- easy
- Habitat
- coast
- Sighting
- 4
- Viewing notes
- A commanding point at San Diego's tip — a glassed whale overlook for the winter gray migration and one of Southern California's best protected rocky tidepools below
- Intl tip
- At San Diego's tip, Cabrillo National Monument pairs a glassed-in winter whale overlook with some of Southern California's best protected tidepools. Scan the Dec–Mar gray whale migration past the harbor mouth (bring a scope; whales are often offshore), plus dolphins; then explore low-tide pools of anemones, crabs, sea hares, and octopus below. Historic lighthouse and big views too. Family-friendly, but there's an entrance fee and set hours, slippery tide-dependent rocks, and a windy point. Aim for a winter low tide.
The guide
Cabrillo National Monument, crowning the tip of the Point Loma peninsula at the mouth of San Diego Bay, combines a superb winte…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Cabrillo NM & Point Loma — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.67, -117.24