Afisha Life Homepage
Dana Point
Explore
Walking Tours
Dana Point Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Eco-Safari

Dana Point Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Eco-Safari

Overview

Gather the family, kids, and friends to join Orange County's highest rated whale watching activity, featuring exclusive Underwater Viewing Pods. For over 20 years we have provided the most unique and eco-friendly dolphin and whale watching trips to view magnificent Blue Whales, Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales, and occasionally Orcas (Killer Whales), Pilot Whales, False Killer Whales, and more. Five species of wild dolphins are also seen throughout the year, including mega-pods with up to 10,000 dolphins! Plus sea lions, marine birds, and even sharks. You'll depart from Dana Point, home to one of the most diverse marine eco-systems in the world. Aboard our uncrowded high-tech catamaran you will enjoy up close and personal dolphin and whale watching with expert narration, complimentary triple fudge brownies, and more.

City: Dana Point

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

New York City Tours

Unique Activities (21) Transfers & Transportation (103) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (113) Entry Tickets (47) Sporting Events (1) Good for Small Groups (6) Seasonal & Holiday Tours (41) Walking Tours (697) Outdoor Activities (20) Limitied Availability Tours (6) LGBT Friendly Tours (4) Family-friendly Activities (7) Solo Travelers' Tours (147) Food & Drinks (27) Travelers recommend (73) Good for Groups (8) Top Activities (18) Guided Audio Tours (3) Art, Culture & History (135) Attractions to explore (38)

What's Included

Licensed Captain and professional crew

U.S. Coast Guard inspected and certified vessel

Cetacean Declaration - Join us again for free within one calendar year if you don't see any dolphins or whales

Live commentary on board

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Entry into the Underwater Viewing Pods requires the use of ladder-like steps. Persons with a disability or limited mobility may have difficulty.
Trip times may vary by date.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (376)

sbe74

Nov 2015

My wife and I did a dolphin and whale watch tour last week. The boat is clean and big enough for about 30 of us on board with plenty of room. The crew is informative and very safety conscious. We sailed out from Dana Point and quickly saw a sea lion snacking on a fish, but the whales and dolphins seemed to be hiding. The captain sailed around for quite a while, never giving up hope of seeing dolphins and whales. About 2 hrs into the sail, we found a small pod of dolphins. The boat has a underwater viewing window that the guests can climb into and watch the dolphins as they swim alongside the boat. That was awesome. After we made the turn and started back to the marina, we all felt that the sea lion and the dolphin were all that we were going to see. We saw 2 humpback whales that swam right up alongside of the boat, and slowly drifted under it. One performed a bit in the ocean, showing off its pectorals fins and doing a breach out of the water. Overall, amazing wildlife was seen up close from the boat. Great job to the crew.

Response from Host

Jan 2016

Hi, Thanks for letting us know about your dolphin and whale watching tour. Every trip of ours is different, and amazing sightings can occur at any point during the safari. I’m so happy you enjoyed viewing the sea lions and watching the beautiful wild dolphins through our Underwater Viewing Pods. Humpback Whales are well-known for breaching, lobtailing, and fluking, so I’m glad to read that you also had time to experience their spectacular surfacing behaviors! Thank you for joining us, and I hope we’ll see you again soon.

cbMoline

Jun 2015

We took this excurstion four years ago in November and saw many dolphins but no whales. But this June a couple of weeks ago we went again and saw a Mother Blue Whale and two calves. It was awesome and to see even in shallow water of 100 feet deep her dive that brought her fluke up, twice while we were there was great. This organization does a great watch trip for these beautiful dolphins who 'raced' with us as we cruised along with them. There were thousands of these beautiful animals. Then mama Blue whale was great as well. This organization is wonderful with how they do their trips. They don't crowd the whale like another boat of two did, and nothing like an idiot did on jet-ski. Mama should have risen up and tossed him to protect her babies. Capt Dave does and excellent job and is very conscious to work on the protection of this wildlife and being involved in saving them. We'll look to take this watch trip again in the future when in the Dana Point area of San Diego, etc.

Rich C

Mar 2015

Captain Dave's was highly recommended and my wife and I were excited to see their daily log of whale and dolphin sitings. Reservations and checking in were hassle free and very organized. We were able to get great views of the many dolphins that came swimming in front of the boat. it was my first time whale watching and I must admit was hoping for something a bit more spectacular but there is no guarantee to the experience you will have. During our trip we had the chance to see a rare Fin Whale and her calf but from a distance. Still very exciting. We did catch a glimpse of a couple of gray whales but nothing too close. The underwater pods only allow a few people at a time and the only thing you really get to see are dolphins. They are more enjoyable to view from the deck of the ship. The tour advertises equipment so you can hear the dolphins and whales but it was never used during our tour. It is the most expensive of the whale and dolphin watching tours in the area so I'm not sure a better adventure could be had a cheaper rate but no matter what tour you choose it is hit and miss. I am told that if you choose a tour definitely go out of Dana Point. I would try it again with hopes of seeing more whales.