Here is a top ten whale watch guide from a dedicated whale nerd.

I'll follow up with stories on how to get to each of these places, who is the best person to guide you to the whales, where to stay and so on in the next few months.

1. Orcas in Peninsula Valdez (February, March, April)
There are only a few places on earth where orcas launch themselves onto the sand to snatch seal pups from the beach and Peninsula Valdez is the best of them. Peninsula Valdez has rightly been called the Serengeti of the marine mammal world for its abundance of seaborne charismatic megafauna.

2. Gray Whales in Baja (January, February, March)
Gray whales always struck me as nothing more than the wildebeests of the marine mammal world. Orca food, nothing more. But that is because I had only seen them in transit between Alaska, where they eat and Baja, where they give birth and mate. One visit to San Ignacio Lagoon changed my perception of gray whales forever. Here you will get eyeball to enormous brown eyeball with a gray whale as it lets you pet it and covers you in its breath.

3. Humpbacks in Maui (December, January, February)
Humpbacks are the flashiest of the marine mammals and when they are in their winter mating grounds, they are especially show offy. As you sit on your lanai, you will see them breaching and blowing continuously. Go snorkeling and you’re likely to hear their eery, wonderful song.

4. Blue Whales in the Channel Islands (May, June, July, August, September)
The Channel Islands are as rich as the Galapagos when you get underwater. The thousands of blue whales have tuned into this, coming for the massive krill balls every summer. Humpbacks get in on the action during this time as well. This is one of the only places I have been whale watching where you are guaranteed to see whales on your tour.

5. Orcas at San Juan Island (June, July, August, September)
Go to here during the summer to worship at the church of the whale. Lime Kiln Point State Park is the best place to view orcas from land in the United States, maybe in the world. The whole island is whale themed. The museum at Friday Harbor is one of the best whale museums I’ve ever been to.

6. Right Whales in Patagonia (September, October, November)
We’re back to Peninsula Valdez again, but this time in the Patagonian spring. Right whales, the dorkiest of the whales, congregate in the bay by Puerto Pyramides, sticking their tails in the air and using them as sails to cross the bay, head down. They belly flop more than most whales when they breach, they are not very hydrodynamic and they are very curious.

7. Sperm whales in the Azores (April - October)
Sperm whales are different to observe than most other whales because they dive deep, stay down for up to 45 minutes and may come up miles away. But when they come up, they’re pretty pooped, and you’ll have a chance to get a good look as they catch their breath. The best way to see them is to dive down with them, so if you’re scuba certified, the Azores is the place to be. Great bait balls around these parts, too.

8. Humpbacks and finbacks in Cape Cod (May – October)
If you are on the east coast, this is a great location to see humpback whales. Finback whales are spotted several times a week, as well on whale watching boats. Finback whales are the second largest animal to ever live on earth, second only to the blue whale. Yep, they are even larger than the brontosaurus at an average of 60 feet long. While you are in the area, be sure to visit the fascinating Whaling Museum in New Bedford.

9. Southern Right Whales in Hermanus, South Africa (June to September)
Another one of the world’s best land based whale watching spots, again, with those goofy Southern Right Whales. If whale watching isn’t enough to get your heart pounding, here’s the place to go cage diving with great white sharks, as well.

10. Sperm Whales in Kaikoura, New Zealand (Year Round)
This is the best place in the world to see giant sperm whales. New Zealand has all sorts of other whales, too. Depending on the season you may also see humpback whales, pilot whales, blue whales, orcas and southern right whales.