| Every year, between the months of December and | | | | to the public every second Saturday from 10am until |
| May, volunteers from the Los Angeles branch of The | | | | 3pm. Admission is free. |
| American Cetacean Society gather daily at the Point | | | | The whale watching spot is on a nice stone plateau. |
| Vicente Interpretive Center on the Palos Verdes | | | | Powerful telescopes and binoculars line the edge of |
| Peninsula to participate in a census of whales passing | | | | this area. Friendly members of The American |
| through the Catalina Channel. Since this is one of our | | | | Cetacean Society are always eager to share a story, |
| favorite walking trails in all of LA we often stop by, | | | | talk to you about whales, their numbers, invite you to |
| say hello to the participants, ask them questions and | | | | observe the Pacific Ocean and answer any questions. |
| analyze the data that is presented. Not that we know | | | | I have only once seen whales from here. That was |
| how many whales appeared or should have appeared | | | | around ten years ago. This is just to note that seeing a |
| be but it is always interesting to note that just a few | | | | whale is not a guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that |
| miles off the coast of one of world's largest metropolis | | | | you will have a good time here, learn something, spend |
| areas, whales swim by, almost unnoticed, on their | | | | some time outside enjoying the Pacific breezes, take a |
| yearly migration. | | | | walk and enjoy nature. It does not get better than that. |
| What prompted me for this article is a Los Angeles | | | | Wikipedia defines Cetacea(n) like this: |
| Times story that ran on January 15th 2008. They | | | | The order Cetacea ( L. cetus, whale) includes whales, |
| mention multiple spots along the California coast where | | | | dolphins and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in |
| whales can be viewed. The Palos Verdes option is | | | | biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, |
| very accessible for LA residents. There is plenty of | | | | "large sea animal," was more general. It comes from |
| available parking at the center. Other activities in this | | | | Greek ketos ("sea monster"). Cetology is the branch |
| area abound. You can take a walk along a coastal trail | | | | of marine science associated with the study of |
| that runs for a few miles right above the cliffs. Visiting | | | | cetaceans. |
| the Interpretive Center is most fun. Here you can learn | | | | Cetaceans are the mammals most fully adapted to |
| about the habitat, history, animals, marine life and | | | | aquatic life. Their body is fusiform (spindle-shaped). The |
| natural preservation. One thing that amazes me is that | | | | forelimbs are modified into flippers. The tiny hindlimbs |
| in a nearby cove (Portuguese Bend), there was an | | | | are vestigial; they do not attach to the backbone and |
| actual whaling station in the mid 1800s. A multipurpose | | | | are hidden within the body. The tail has horizontal |
| room exists at the Center and many use it for ocean | | | | flukes. Cetaceans are nearly hairless, and are insulated |
| front weddings and other gatherings. The nearby | | | | by a thick layer of blubber. As a group, Cetaceans are |
| lighthouse is managed by the Coast Guard and is open | | | | noted for their high intelligence. |