WHALE OF A TIME

Call me Ishmael, but it’s that time of the year again for Pacific gray whales to migrate south. And anyone with an obsession about seeing one of these cetaceans has plenty of opportunities up and down the California coast. The leviathans are sometimes viewable from the shore, but if you want to get up close, whale-watching boat trips are happening almost every day between now and mid-April. The length of the tours and other attractions vary:

Island Packers, Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands Harbor. $19-$28. (805) 642-1393; www.islandpackers.com . . . Condor Cruises, Santa Barbara Harbor. $50-$94. (805) 882-0088; condorcruises.com . . . Davey’s Locker, Newport Harbor. $20-$25. (949) 673-1434; www.daveyslocker.com . . . Harbor Breeze, Long Beach Harbor. (562) 432-4900; harbor-cruises.com . . . Dana Wharf Whale Watching, from Dana Point Harbor. $19-$29. (800) 979-3370.