SPOTTING WHALES MORE A FLUKE THAT A SURE THING.

Byline: Zeke Wigglesworth Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

As whale-watching goes, the score for me is Whales 2, Wigglesworth nada.

I haven't seen much of them at all. They, on the other hand, have seen me twice. Once balanced on a pitching deck in the Farallons, with ill passengers hurling all about and the nearest beasts three or four leagues away. At the end of the day, there was nothing but the dim memory of a remote wet snort tossed into the air by a reclusive gray whale.

And another time, beer- and sandwich-laden, a multihull charging through the comfy waters of the Maui Channel, with humpbacks far, far away in another universe, there was again nothing left at the end of the day but the tiny binoculared image of a huge fluked animal leaping for joy in the setting sun.

One of the problems is the rules about whales these days. It's no longer possible to go chase them. Boats are not allow to get closer than 100 yards to the beasts, since the noise and the vibrations of the boat changes their breathing patterns and sends them underwater - and if they stay underwater too long, they die.

So whale watching in the 1990s is a matter of getting close but not too close and maybe, just maybe, the whale will come over to see what all the excitement is about. Most whale watchers off the California coast and Hawaii have to be content with seeing a spout or two.

We are entering the time of the annual migration of almost 20,000 California gray whales, which leave the krill-laden pantries of the Arctic to meander past our shores on their way to the warm and sleepy delivery rooms in the Sea of Cortez. The season lasts from late December through mid-April.

Lurking with intent are all sorts of whale people, those who make a few bucks now and then from watching, following or talking about our watery cousins.

The fascination humans have for their larger and probably smarter mammalian relatives in the watery Pacific grows annually, and surprisingly, there seems to be evidence that whales are beginning to notice humans, as well. The fact that we don't routinely slaughter thousands every year might have something to do with that.

The normal migration route for California grays is fairly close to shore past the Farallon Islands, Half Moon Bay, Monterey Bay, then down the Southern California coastline and Baja. They travel around 70 to 80 miles per day, swimming around 5 mph. The whole route, from Alaska to Mexico, is more than 12,000 miles, one of the longest animal migrations on earth.

California grays can reach up to 50 feet long and weigh up to 45 tons. Grays are fairly easy to spot because they don't have a dorsal fin.

The state and area convention and visitors bureaus have a few suggestions for would-be whale watchers, pointing out that there are opportunities to spot them from land as well as water.

Los Angeles area: There's an interpretive center at Point Vicente, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes, where whale watchers can scan the waters for the beasts. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the parking lot is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A small museum tells the story of Palos Verdes Peninsula and includes a film on whales. Cost is $2 adults, $1 seniors and children 4-13. Information: [phone].

Ventura County: One of the best spots in the county to spot whales from land is the pullout at Mugu Rock, west of Highway 1 and just south of the U.S. Navy firing range. Information: Ventura County Visitors and Convention Bureau, [phone].

Santa Barbara: Just west of Santa Barbara Harbor is Shoreline Park, which has a bluff-side viewing area for whale-watching. The whales and their babies come in close to the bluff on their migration north, usually around April. In addition, there are several pullouts north of Santa Barbara along Highway 101 that offer good vantage points, as do state beaches such as El Capitan and Refugio.

Cabrillo National Monument at Point Loma, San Diego: There's a glassed-in observatory here for landlubbers who want to spy whales, and there are also whale exhibits. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Cost is $4 per car to get into the area. Information: [phone].

San Luis Obispo County: Montana de Oro State Park, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Cayucos, San Simeon State Beach, Moonstone Beach Drive.

Point Reyes National Seashore: The state rates this spot north of San Francisco as one of the best viewing locations on the coast, especially from the Point Reyes lighthouse area. The lighthouse is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Special one-hour seminars on whale-watching are offered from the lighthouse December through March. Parking is limited and weekends can be crowded. For details on the talks, call [phone].

Del Norte County: Castle Rock, near Crescent City.

Humboldt County: Clam Beach, 12 miles north of Eureka; also Redwood National Park in Orick.

Mendocino County: Laguna Point at MacKerricher State Park; Mendocino Headlands.

Santa Cruz County: Pigeon Point, Greyhound Rock and Davenport coastline.

Sonoma County: Stillwater Cove County Park and Bodega Head.

California state beaches offer a number of programs and locations for viewing migrating whales. For details on programs offered, call [phone].

There are also a handful of festivals celebrating the whale. Here are some of them:

Monterey Peninsula Whalefest, Jan. 17-March 16, features whale-themed art shows, natural history exhibits, children's programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Library. Information: [phone].

Cabrillo National Whale-Watching Weekend, Jan. 18-19. Speakers and presentations are included in the weekend festivities at the enclosed whale-watching station at the end of Point Loma in San Diego. Information: [phone].

Dana Point Festival of the Whales, Feb. 15-16 and March 1-2. After an opening ceremony at La Plaza Park, there will be a display of tallships at the Dana Point harbor. The Orange County Marine Institute will sponsor the ``Whaling & Art of the Sailor'' exhibition and the last weekend will finish with a surfing contest. Information: [phone].

On Location

Dozens of cruise and sportfishing companies offer whale-watching cruises out of Southern California harbors from late December, when the gray whales begin their southward migration, through mid-April, when they head north again, their new calves swimming alongside.

Here are some with nearby departure points:

Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard

Cisco Sport Fishing - Cruises Wednesday through Sunday; $20 adults, $14 children 11 and younger, $15 children age 12-16, $15 seniors 55 and older (Wednesday through Friday only). [phone].

Ventura Harbor, Ventura

Island Packers - Cruises daily; $21 adults, $14 children under 12, $19 seniors 55 and older. [phone].

Long Beach

Belmont Pier Sport Fishing - Cruises daily; $8 adults, $6.50 children under 12 weekdays, $12 adults, $7.50 children weekends. [phone].

Catalina Cruises - Cruises daily; $15 adults, $11 children age 3-11, $12 seniors 55 and older. [phone].

Long Beach Sport Fishing - Cruises weekdays; $12 adults, $9 children 11 and younger. [phone].

Star Party Cruises - Cruises daily; $13 adults, $12 seniors 55 and older, $10 children under 12. [phone].

Shoreline Village Cruises - Cruises weekends; $15 adults, $8 children under 12. [phone].

Marina del Rey

Charter Connections - Cruises weekends and holidays; $22 adults, $16 seniors 55 and older, $12 children age 4-12, $5 children 3 and younger. [phone].

Paradise Bound - Charter service does daily cruises; $25 per person per hour with a six-person, two-hour minimum. [phone].

San Pedro

Spirit Cruises - Cruises weekends and holidays; $15 adults, $8 children under 12. [phone].

Santa Barbara

Sailing Center - Cruises daily starting in mid-February; $24 adults, $22 seniors 60 and over; $14 children under 12. Tallship cruises Feb. 19-March 23; $28 adults, $15 children. [phone].

Sea Landing - Cruises daily; $65 adults, $35 children under 12 for all-day cruises; $24 adults, $14 for children for half-day cruises. [phone].

Captain Don's Tours - Cruises daily starting in February; $24 adults, $14 children under 12. [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) Seeing a whale breech up close is a whale watcher's dream.

(2) Whale watchers are sometimes lucky to see even the tail of the elusive gray whale.

Box: On Location (See Text)