If you live in the South Bay, this is the time to get out and actually enjoy it. Spring brings the best weather, clearer skies, and some of the best experiences of the year are happening right now. Here are five worth adding to your list.
1. Spring Hikes
This is peak hiking season, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula is showing off.
Rolling green hills, ocean views in every direction, and wildflowers popping up everywhere. There are 50+ miles of trails up here, so whether you’re going for a light walk or a full hike, you’re covered.
2. Whale Watching Season
Yes, it’s actually whale watching season right now and it’s worth trying to spot one!
Head out with Redondo Beach Whale Watching to catch gray whales migrating along the coast, or keep it simple and watch from the Point Vicente Interpretive Center.
Redondo Beach Whale Watching
Point Vicente Interpretive Center
📍 31501 Palos Verdes Dr W
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
3. Tour an Oyster Hatchery
Most people don’t realize this exists here.
At Holdfast Aquaculture, you can visit a working oyster hatchery right in the South Bay. These are the only oysters raised in California hatched locally, grown in Morro Bay, then brought back down.
Pick up a dozen and you’ll get a behind-the-scenes tour while you’re there.
Holdfast Aquaculture
📍2206 Signal Place
San Pedro, CA 90731
4. The Grunion Run
A true South Bay tradition.
Each spring, grunion come up onto the sand to spawn, timed with the tides and full moon. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium hosts family-friendly nights where you can learn about them and then head down to the beach to watch it happen.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
📍 3720 Stephen M. White Drive
San Pedro, CA
5. Kayak with Leopard Sharks
This one’s hard to beat.
A natural leopard shark nursery forms along the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and you can paddle right through it on a guided tour with Palos Verdes Ocean Sports.
Clear water, calm conditions, and dozens of harmless sharks cruising beneath you—it’s one of the most unique things you can do here.
Palos Verdes Ocean Sports
📍 Terranea Beach Cove
100 Terranea Way
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Spring doesn’t last long, and neither do some of these experiences. Consider this your sign to get out and take advantage of it.
