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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

Sat 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

Sat 21 Sep

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)

Al O

Mar 2014

Captain Dave's provided a fun morning of whale/dolphin watching out if Dana Point Harbor. Grab a bite to eat before you leave as their is no food on board. While we predominantly saw dolphins on our trip we did spot one fun whale which the crew did a good job of keeping track of. Our boat had an underwater viewing port available if the dolphins swam close to the boat. A definite hit for kids if you have them along. The crew was courteous, helpful and knowledgeable which added to the enjoyment of the trip. All in all it was a enjoyable excursion and would recommend it if you find yourself near Dana Point.

Response from Host

Mar 2014

Hello Al, Thank you so much for leaving us a review. I'm very happy that you had fun on your dolphin and whale watching safari. Is there anything we can do in the future to earn a 5-star review from you?

511Cincitravel

Nov 2013

I have been on whale watching trips before but nothing like this. Easy parking in beautiful Dana Point, great boat that's smaller than your average whale watching boat, and therefore you can see a lot more and get yo be closer to the water. Nobody on our boat was sea sick. The crew was upbeat, and not in a fake way, which I appreciate, because I know that they do this day in day out. They were very courteous and knowledgeable. They were kind to the kids and mingled with the passengers. Whales are a bit rare right now, so we didn't see one. But we saw mega pods of dolphins. It was incredible. Their boat allows for passengers to go down into pods and look out into the ocean from an underwater view. It was my kids' highlight. And the weather could not have been more perfect. This trip will remain one of our favorite family adventures.

Response from Host

Nov 2013

Hi, Thank you very much for leaving us a review! I'm thrilled you enjoyed the dolphins and were able to see them in our Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods. Even though our crew get to see whales and dolphins on a daily basis, the animals continue to amaze and excite us. And we love being able to share that excitement with our passengers. Thank you for allowing us to share a dolphin and whale watching experience with you! I hope we'll see you again soon. And hopefully we'll have awesome whales to show you next time!

CrisPopenoe

Aug 2013

I just had a few days in Laguna and seeing the dolphins and whales was at the top of my activity list. Capt. Dave's had uniformly excellent reviews, and I'd geard that Dana Point was the best start-off point. The reviews were spot on - this 'dolphin safari' is definitely the one to choose. I tool the 11:30 sailing, a 2.5 hour excursion. We were given the option of heading out 10 miles or so to where they'd seen blue whales the day before, or having more time to spend with the dolphins. the concensus was that people wanted both, so that's what we did. First up were the common dolphins, which kind of looked like Flipper. There was a big pod of them, including lots of moms swimming alongside their youngsters. It was very cool to see them surface for air in concert with each other. Some were babies, the others 3-6 months old. It was a large pod, and we spent 30-40 minutes with them. The boat had 2 'viewing pods' which meant that we were able under the water line, while inside the boat, and view the dolphins underwater swimming along with us. A real treat was seeing a blue whale and her calf. It turned out that they'd come closer in, so we were able to spend more time watching them surface. Amazing blue color. The naturalist gave us a fair amount of information and was happy to answer any questions - but he also didn't feel the need to be talking nonstop and relaying lots of useless information. I liked that. He did push selling photos and other stuff, but didn't hustle us. I recommend it highly. You won't be disappointed.

Response from Host

Aug 2013

Wow, I'm so excited you were able to see both blue whales and dolphins! Sometimes we have to settle for one of the other but we love it when we can share as many different animals as possible. Thank you for leaving feedback and please let us know if there is anything else we can do to make the safari even better.