Aquarium of the Pacific and Harbor Breeze Cruises

This summer we were invited to go on an incredible adventure whale watching tour with Harbor Breeze Cruises. We set off into the open ocean to look for blue whales to mark the start of blue whale watching season. The blue whale is the largest animal to ever have lived on Earth! It is massive in size and visits the waters off California each year to feed.

Harbor Cruises in collaboration with the Aquarium of the Pacific aims to educate the public about the conservation of our ocean and the issues surrounding these endangered whale species. These whale watching cruises give guests a chance to witness the largest animals on Earth in their natural habitat. While also helping Aquarium staff members conduct the whale photo ID program.

Harbor Breeze cruises has been providing public whale watching for over 20 years in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Their specialized catamarans are double decked sightseeing vessels. They have both interior and outdoor seating, snack bar, restrooms and plenty of outside stadium viewing room. It is one of the most modern fleets of whale watching vessels in Southern California.

Once we set out into open ocean, it wasn’t long before we had come across researchers out IDing whales. They stopped and explained their process to us and told us the different whales they had seen. Soon after we spotted our first blow! The boat was able to get as close as possible all while a professional from the Aquarium of the Pacific provided narration about the kind of whale we were looking at (blue whale) and timed each whale dive. It was just incredible to be able to witness the fluke of such a majestic animal come out, up and out of the water. Something we will truly never forget.

After our cruise, just a few steps away, is the newly renovated Aquarium of the Pacific. The Aquarium of the Pacific invited us to explore the 12,000 aquatic animals they house including the brand new Pacific Visions wing! With 100 different exhibits, it made for an exciting day filled with wonder and acquired knowledge on sustainability and conservation of our oceans. The combination of Harbor Breeze Cruise with the Aquarium of the Pacific visit, made for an incredible day in Long Beach that I cannot recommend enough!

If you’d like to plan your visit, Harbor Breeze Cruises offers trips departing daily. There are whales out there year round! You can visit their website here to book your cruise ahead of time. They also offer a nice discount if you book online! After your cruise I recommend visiting The Aquarium of the Pacific. The new Pacific Visions Wing is a sight to behold. Don’t miss the multisensory show in the immersive Honda Pacific Visions Theatre! It is really unlike anything you have ever seen! The Aquarium is offering Discounted Late Nights this summer through September 1^st 2019. From 5 to 9 pm you can enter for only 19.95 with all exhibits open until 9 pm! For more information you can visit their site here or give them a call! (562)590-3100

Living on the west coast with the ocean as our backdrop, I think it’s important to educate ourselves about the environment we’re living with and how we affect it. There is so much to learn, see and touch on a Harbor Breeze Cruise followed by a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I hope you’ll take a day and go on this marine life adventure!