Dana Point Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Eco-Safari in Dana Point booking from $100.00

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

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Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

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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)

Conrad49

Aug 2014

For our anniversary we decided to stay near home this year and spend the day doing some fun things. We hadn't been on a whale watching trip for a long time and decided on Captain Dave's after reading all the great reviews. The traffic was horrible getting to Dana Point from our home. Luckily we knew the back roads. When we got there, there was no place to park (being a Saturday and everyone wanted to be at the beach). My husband dropped me off so I could check in. I told the person at check in that we couldn't find a place to park. She gave us a parking key for a free private parking lot. Be sure to ask about the parking pass/key. At departure time, there was one more family to come. We waited for them because they were stuck in the same traffic. It was a beautiful overcast day and the ocean was calm. Perfect for seeing whales. We were on the smallest boat and it was just fine. We were not disappointed about the whales. We saw 2 Blue Whales. It was amazing to see the largest mammal on the earth so close. Captain Dave and his assistant (can't remember his name) did a great job of finding and staying with the whales. They were very informative about the whales and I learned a lot. But, our bad luck followed us and there weren't any dolphins, not even one. I really wanted to see dolphins jumping all around our boat. It seems that they disappeared that entire day all up and down the southern California coast. They must of heard that we were coming. By the next week they were back in abundance (we saw them on KTLA Morning News on August 1st. A news crew were on Captain Dave's early morning trip.) That was our only disappointment and Captain Dave really didn't have any control over the dolphins. It was a fun way to celebrate our anniversary and we would do it again.

Response from Host

Aug 2014

Hi, Thank you for taking the time to write a review! I feel honored that you chose to join us to celebrate your anniversary. And congratulations on your 41 years together! I'm so glad you enjoyed getting a close up look at the largest known animal to have ever lived, the blue whale, aboard our original catamaran "DolphinSafari.com" with Captain Peter and First Mate Mark. Blue whales are truly magnificent, especially considering how few of them are left. I feel very blessed that I'm able to see them and share the experience with our amazing passengers. I wish we could have shown you dolphins. It's a rare trip that we don't see them! I hope you'll consider joining us again because the odds are definitely in your favor of seeing dolphins. Traffic and parking during the summer, especially on the weekends, can be difficult unfortunately. We try our best to help everyone arrive on time and find a place to park. I suggest planning to check in for our trips at least 30 to 45 minutes in advance. This allows ample time to locate parking, check in, use the restrooms, and relax before boarding the boat. If your lost or stuck in traffic please give us a call because we can often provide helpful information to get you to the boat on time. Thanks again for joining us. Is there anything we can do in the future that would earn a 5-star review from you? We love to hear your feedback!

walbe

Jul 2014

We visited on July 2. The boat was a large catamaran affair (plus they have a smaller catamaran that holds 20). Stable, comfortable and clean with knowledgeable friendly crew. Not over crowded (there were 39 on board for our 11:15 trip.) – was easy to view the dolphins. We saw another more conventional boat during our trip. Appeared very crowded at the rails, which were much higher above the water than the floor of the Manateu'a (sp?) that we were aboard. Plus front of boat had “webbing mats” where you could lay down and look right into the water 4’ away, plus plexglass in the pontoons, where you could crawl in and view creatures underwater. Very cool. Comfortable seating and easy to move around on board. Kids and adults seemed to really enjoy the experience. We knew that it was not gray whale season (Jan-Mar.) and the blue whales come in later in July and August. So we did not see whales. But we did see hundreds of bottle nose and common dolphin – a delight to watch leaping and scurrying around us on our 2 1/2 hour cruise. Capt. Dave's keeps a log on their website and on FB so you see what animals are coming around and when. This week (3rd week of July) they are seeing blue whales every day. But the dolphins we wonderful in and of themselves. Captain Dave's is a little less than an hour drive straight up I-5 from La Jolla area (where we were staying) and a little on the Pacific Coast Highway to reach the marina in beautiful Dana Point. Plus less than 5 minutes up the road was Mission San Juan Capistrano which we strolled through after our 11:15 boat trip and still made it back to the hotel before 4 (and rush hour.) The 2 1/2 hour cruise was enjoyable as were the yummy homemade brownies given to each guest at the end of the trip.) Would highly recommend.

Sailorsgirl

May 2014

I think we are just going to give up on whale watching cruises. We have tried to see whales up close in lots of different places. I had been following Captain Dave's cruises on the internet and it seemed like Dana Point and Captain Dave were our best chance to see marine animals up close. But, as it turns out, it was the wrong time of year for whales. Gray whales were heading north and it was too early or too late for other species. But we did come across a bait ball and lots and lots of common dolphins having a go at it. Did see one Minke Whale, one lonely bottlenose dolphin, and a Mola Mola (Sunfish) floating on the surface. There were seals on the rocks as we left the harbor and tons of stinky pelicans. That was about it. Not the fault of the crew, they can't show you what isn't there. We paid $59 for our cruise which was a little pricey considering there was not much to see. They should adjust their prices dependent upon the whale season and your chance of actually seeing some. After all, they do go out every day so they know what to expect at different times of the year. One of the crew members gave a talk about marine conservation, and they handed us a brownie as we got off the boat, a consolation prize of sorts I guess. From his online videos, I still think Captain Dave is your best chance of getting up close and personal with whales, if you time it just right.

Response from Host

Jun 2014

Hi. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I'm sorry to read that you were disappointed with your dolphin and whale watching safari. You saw a minke whales, dolphins, and a mola mola. And, of course, our harbor jetty regulars - the sea lions. A trip with a nice variety of animals like that is usually a lot of fun. I'm concerned that you felt there was "not much to see". Keeping in mind the unpredictable nature of wild animals and that sightings can vary from day to day and trip to trip, what suggestions would you have for us to improve the safari and offer more to see? We do not offer different prices depending on the whale season for two reasons. First, because we do not consider dolphins to be a lesser sighting than whales or other wildlife. Setting aside the fact that dolphins technically are whales, we consider dolphins to be a grand prize sighting! Dolphins are remarkable animals and most children on the boat prefer dolphins, as do many adults. Whales can be fickle. Sometimes they're shy. Other times gregarious. Whereas most of the time dolphins are fun and sociable, unless they're hunting, in which case who can blame them for not wanting a disruption to their meal. The common dolphin you saw on your safari do not do well in captivity. Realistically the only place you're going to see them is on a boat. I think that makes them a rather special encounter! The second reason we do not offer seasonal pricing is because we do see whales throughout the year. Some species are seen during certain months like gray whales (December through May) and blue whales (May through October). Year round whales that we see frequently include fin whales and minke whales. At various times we see humpback whales. Once in a while we see killer whales, sperm whales, and sei whales. And this year we've been blessed with two rare encounters: false killer whales in March and pilot whales this past weekend. In addition to whales we also see fish including mola mola like you saw and sharks. Even basking sharks! We never know what special animal we will see! I hope you enjoyed the brownie. They are not a consolation prize. Mrs. Capt. Dave's triple fudge brownies are given out on every single safari, regardless of the sightings. We have many returning guests who tell us they enjoy her brownies more than the whales! Thank you for joining us on a safari and I hope you'll consider going out with us again. As I mentioned previously every trip is different. We have a saying here at Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari: come for the whales, stay for the dolphins.

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Dana Point Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Eco-Safari

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