San Diego Whale and Dolphin Watching Tour
4.8
30 Ratings
San Diego
Experience an unforgettable whale and dolphin watching tour in San Diego. Get up close to Blue & Grey whales, Fin whales, and Humpback whales as they feed on krill. Don't miss the chance to see the largest animals on earth!
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 1500 Quivira Way - Your adventure begins the moment you step on board our 22’ expedition boat, because this is no ordinary whale watching trip. Say goodbye to the crowds and hello to a smaller, more personalized experience, where everyone has a front row seat.
    We will head out to the ocean on this amazing whale and dolphin watching cruise, but it is much more than that! Discover ocean going birds, unusual fish, sea lions and seals.
    -Convenient departure from Mission Bay (closest to the ocean).
  • USCG Licensed Captain with the experience to find the best wildlife locations
  • Observe whales, dolphins, sea lions and more in their wild environment
What's Included
  • Waterproof windbreakers
  • Comfortable USCG approved life jackets
What's Not Included
  • Minimum Passenger Count is 3 guests or the equivalent number of tickets.
  • Snacks
Additional Information

Join us on our 22-foot Zodiac adventure boat and be surrounded by nature’s wonders. Our skippers are friendly, well-informed, and considerate. We set sail to seek Blue & Grey whales, Fin whales and Humpback whales who put up a spectacular display as they feast on krill and various small sea creatures. Blue whales, the largest animals to have ever existed on earth, can grow up to 100 feet and weigh as much as 150 tons! The somewhat smaller fin whale typically measures about 88 feet.

Beyond whales, large dolphin groups residing along the San Diego coastline can also be seen. You can witness Bottle nose, Pacific white sided, Risso’s and common dolphins all year round.

So hop on board, let’s set the sail for an exciting journey!

  • NO children under the age of 3 years old
Location
1500 Quivira Way
Quivira Way
We are the closest Whale and Dolphin Watching company in proximity to the ocean in San Diego. We meet in front of our office at least 15 mins before the scheduled tour begins.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(30 Ratings)
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Jt26895
May 28, 2024
The Whale Watching Tour in San Diego! - Amazing! If you want a personalized, small boat experience this is the place to go for San Diego whale watching! Captain CiCi is awesome, very knowledgeable and experienced, and is willing to "put in the work" to find the wildlife. This is an experience you won't get on a large "cattle boat" tour. While it's never guaranteed you will find the whales (or any wildlife for that matter), Captain Cici communicates with other captains and is willing to move around to sighting areas. On our trip we saw a lone blue, a group of 3 blues, a humpback that gave a great breaching show, several pods of common and bottlenose dolphin, and a bonus Mola Mola (Sunfish). This was by far the best and most productive whale watching trip we have been on. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H2792rzjudithh
Apr 29, 2024
up close experience seeing marine life - Jules was a great captain. Very knowledgeable and she enabled us to see 2 Fin whales, a sun fish, dolphins and sea lions. The only thing that I would suggest is that the website stated that we would be given wind breakers and waterproof pants to put over our clothing. We were not offered these items and the trip was VERY cold. That extra layer would have really helped. I left my own wind breaker in the car since I anticipated being given one.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traceyci2280bm
Apr 23, 2024
Great Trip! - The trip was amazing. We saw quite a few dolphins and either two or three whales. Ride in the boat was exciting but bumpy but we all managed to stay in the boat. I would recommend to any who likes a little adventure in their life to take the cruise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H8324nojohns
Apr 16, 2024
Whale/dolphin watching - We had a great time, saw lots of dolphins and some sea lions. We also got to see one whale, although, not for very long. our boat captain was Jeff and he did a great job driving the boat and trying as hard as he could to make sure we got to see what we wanted to see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Madtownchris
Mar 29, 2024
Great experience! - This was a great experience for our family. We had 5 people so booked the whole boat - it's not a large boat. We saw literally hundreds of dolphins which was very cool. They swam alongside our boat and seemed curious about what we were. Just when we thought we'd have to give up, we saw a whale spout and subsequently saw a fin whale. After that disappeared, we motored around a bit and saw two gray whales. We got some pictures but they don't really capture what you see. There's no guarantee you'll see whales but regardless I think this would be a fun experience. It can be a bit rough riding especially for those who tend toward seasickness. But that said, two of my very motion-sickness prone family members, felt better in this small boat than they normally do on a larger one. This trip is definitely something to consider if you're visiting San Diego.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Drew_v
Mar 17, 2024
CiCi was great! She was... - CiCi was great! She was very informative and did a great job of getting us close to the action when we spotted the whales!
Review provided by Viator
Chris
Mar 17, 2024
Great trip - Our captain CiCi was great we were able to see several groups of dolphins and one fin whale, great experience overall would do it again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melissa_o
Jun 6, 2024
Nice company not a good business model. Hard to find animals in a vast ocean - The front desk employe was friendly. It was just my daughter and I on the boat. The captain, Brian, was also very friendly. I felt safe the entire time despite the smaller sized boat. The waters were calm but there wasn't a single bit of animal life to be seen. Hardly any birds, no dolphins and no whales. some sea lions swimming but the water seemed empty. The ride was freezing as we went in June during the gloom. The people were nice, the weather was terrible, and not seeing much marine life if any was disappointing.
Review provided by Viator
Mikeytwistedm
Jun 9, 2024
Thought it was private, one whale - I thought I was getting a private tour for $450 because there was three person minimum. They added two more but I didn't want to complain and ruin their day. One whale was seen in 3 hours. No dolphins, a few sea lions. Brian was a good captain though and very friendly
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mike_k
Jun 9, 2024
Nice trip, wish there was more whales and private - I thought I was getting a private tour for $450 because there was three person minimum. They added two more but I didn't want to complain and ruin their day. One whale was seen in 3 hours. No dolphins, a few sea lions. Brian was a good captain though and friendly.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 5 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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