Cabrillo’s 2026 Whale Watch Festival Draws Over 4,100 Visitors
Crowds gather at Cabrillo’s Whale Watch Overlook. Photo credit: Gary Severt
On January 11, more than 4,100 visitors gathered at Cabrillo National Monument for the 2026 Whale Watch Festival. With more exhibitors, more crafts, and even more gray whales (a welcome change from zero sightings in 2025), this year’s celebration was truly one for the books.
Throughout the day, Cabrillo’s dedicated VIPs (Volunteers-In-Parks) hosted hands-on crafts inside the Visitor Center, where attendees of all ages created their own marine animal prints to take home. At the Whale Watch Overlook, VIPs helped visitors spot migrating whales offshore, providing tips to identify spouts, flukes, and other tell-tale (pun intended!) whale signs across the horizon.
The festival showcased a diverse group of nonprofit exhibitors, including WILDCOAST, co-founded and led by CNMF Vice Board Chair, Serge Dedina, as well as longtime CNMF partner, the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Attendees learned about local marine conservation efforts, the ecosystems that make San Diego so special, and deepened their understanding of the ocean that surrounds our city. Festivalgoers also had the chance to step inside the park auditorium for presentations by local scientists and marine experts, including talks such as Bering Sea to Baja: Status of the Gray Whale Population and Why Study Acoustic Whale Communication?
Events like Cabrillo’s Whale Watch Festival are made possible by you! Your support, whether as a member or one-time donor, allows CNMF to sponsor this beloved annual event each year — creating a space for fellow nonprofits to share their work, for visitors to learn about San Diego’s national park, and for thousands of people leave inspired to protect and steward our marine environment.
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