Best Time to See Beluga Whales in the US
April, August and September is the best time to see beluga whales in the United States. This is a national picture built from 271 verified iNaturalist observations across 3 states, showing when and where beluga whales are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
271 verified observations of beluga whales in the US, recorded across 11 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When beluga whales are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
76 records (28% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1 | 0.4% |
| February | 0 | 0% |
| March | 2 | 0.7% |
| Aprilpeak | 76 | 28% |
| May | 12 | 4.4% |
| June | 30 | 11.1% |
| July | 20 | 7.4% |
| Augustpeak | 72 | 26.6% |
| Septemberpeak | 43 | 15.9% |
| October | 11 | 4.1% |
| November | 2 | 0.7% |
| December | 2 | 0.7% |
Beluga Whales you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Beluga | 271 |
Across the country, beluga whales sightings peak in April, when 76 of the 271 annual observations are logged, about 28% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, August and September.
The best states to see beluga whales by recorded sightings are Alaska (266), Washington (4) and Maine (1). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The beluga whales you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Beluga, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see beluga whales
- beluga whales in Alaska266 sightings, peak April
- beluga whales in Washington4 sightings, peak October
- beluga whales in Maine1 sightings, peak June
Most-recorded beluga whales species nationwide
- Beluga271 records
Go see them · Alaska
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see beluga whales in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, August and September, based on 271 verified observations across 3 states.
Which states are best for seeing beluga whales?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Alaska, Washington and Maine. Alaska leads with 266 verified observations.
How many beluga whales sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 271 verified beluga whales observations are logged on iNaturalist across 3 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of beluga whales live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Beluga, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.