Where is the best place to see orcas in January?

It might come as a surprise that New Zealand ranks as one of the best places to see orcas in the wild. It has a year-round resident population of orcas, with about 150 to 200 orcas often seen traveling along New Zealand's coast. In Auckland, a pod of resident orcas can be seen from December to March.



People Also Ask

– Peak season is considered the summer months of mid-June through early September. During this time, we see whales (orcas, humpbacks and/or minke) on over 90% of our tours. There are whales here year round, but much less predictably so outside the summer months.

MORE DETAILS

Peak season is considered the summer months of mid-June through early September. During this time, we see whales (orcas, humpbacks, greys and/or minkes) on over 90% of our tours. There are whales here year round, but much less predictably outside of those summer months.

MORE DETAILS

With that being said, the whales live in the San Juan Islands year round. In fact, the San Juan Islands are the best place in the world to see wild orcas. You'll also find humpback whales, gray whales, and minke whales here. They are just much more predictable with their patterns and sightings in the summer.

MORE DETAILS

They advise boaters if they encounter an orca in the wild to stay 50 yards from it. This isn't the first siting of orcas near Florida this year. Boaters spotted a pod off the Florida Keys in the waters off Key Largo in July.

MORE DETAILS

The reality, however, is that they do exist in Hawaii, but they aren't a part of a resident population that is regularly spotted in the islands. There have been a handful of orca sightings off the Big Island of Hawaii as well as Maui and Lana'i, and a dead orca once washed ashore along the southern coastline of Lana'i.

MORE DETAILS

Neither is a really good base for whale watching--both are quite a distance from where the orcas tend to be found. victoria or the san juan islands make a better base for whale watching.

MORE DETAILS

You can see orcas in Seattle, Washington and the surrounding areas year round. But summer between May and September are the best times to kayak with orcas. That's because their food source, salmon, is most active around this time.

MORE DETAILS