The San Diego Natural History Museum and H&M Landing are teaming up to present a second season of nature trips at sea, where passengers can expect to see blue whales, pods of dolphins, sea lions, sea birds and more. Ship’s passengers will have an opportunity to learn about all they see through commentary and interpretation by the Museum’s highly trained volunteers known as the “Museum Whalers.” There were once an estimated 300,000 of these 100-foot blue whales roaming the oceans, but their numbers have been reduced to less than 15,000 worldwide. The species is making a comeback and San Diegans can experience them up close off the coast. Operating from two boats — the 105-foot Bright & Morning Star and the 85-foot Ocean Odyssey — the Museum offers two trips a week: Thursday and Sunday, beginning June 2 and continuing through October. Boats board at H&M Landing, 2803 Emerson St. in Pt. Loma. Trips run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tickets are $75 for museum members and military and $80 for non-members and can be purchased through the museum’s website at www.sdnhm.org, H&M Landing’s website at www.hmlanding.com or by calling (619) 222-1144. The whales off the California coast are Northern Hemisphere blue whales who spend the summers in nutrient rich waters off the coast of California. They winter in the warmer waters of the Gulf of California and near Costa Rica. They travel to where the krill is found, usually off the coast of California. The weather patterns El Nino and La Nina influence the availability of krill. Northern Hemisphere blue whales are slightly smaller than their Antarctic counterparts. They can grow up to 80 feet long.