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High Speed Zodiac Whale Watching Safari from Dana Point

High Speed Zodiac Whale Watching Safari from Dana Point

Overview

A fast and fun wildlife adventure awaits your family aboard our zodiac-style vessels (rigid inflatable boats). This cruise of up to 20 passengers gives you a thrilling 2-hour look at Southern California’s year-round whales and dolphins. With speeds of 30 knots or more, you’ll spend less time looking for animals and more time enjoying them! Your zodiac adventure will have you incredibly close to the ocean’s surface and within arm’s reach of wildlife. At the conclusion of your cruise, you'll receive one of Mrs. Capt. Dave's famously delicious Triple Fudge Brownies. (Some folks love the brownies more than the whales!)

We are a certified Responsible Whale Watching partner with the World Cetacean Alliance located in Dana Point, CA, the Dolphin and Whale Capital of the World®, and the first Whale Heritage Site in the Americas.

City: Dana Point

Sat 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $89.00

Make a reservation

Sat 21 Sep

Starting at $89.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

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

Licensed Captain and professional crew member

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Minimum age is 6 years
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
You may encounter occasional ocean spray
No over-sized bags or coolers please.
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 (154)

AmyS3698

Aug 2022

My husband, daughters and I went on a FastCat cruise yesterday afternoon, with Captain Matt, Naturalist Jess, and Trainee Matt was along for the ride, too. We were celebrating my 50th birthday, but we didn't announce it or make a big deal about it. We've sailed on Captain Dave vessels MANY times since we moved to SoCal in 2011 and they have never let us down! In past cruises, we've been lucky enough to see Blue Whales, Gray Whales, Mola Molas, and Common Dolphins, to name a few. Yesterday was the first time we got to see Bottlenose Dolphins, and boy did we ever see a LOT of them! Captain Matt made sure we spent plenty of time following them, observing them from a safe distance and allowing them to come close to us on their own terms, bow-riding and surfing our wake. What I love about Captain Dave's staff is that they are always responsible, respectful and knowledgeable about the wildlife we encounter. The best part? The Bottlenose pod that we got to spend time with was full of BABIES! Several moms swam close to us or underneath us with their little ones so we got to see them safely up close. How many people can say they got to celebrate their birthday with baby dolphins? And just to emphasize how truly responsible the crew is aboard Captain Dave's fleet, we stopped four times to clear mylar balloons out of the water. Jess said they'd already found five other balloons that day. I joked that they were out there for my birthday, but in reality, it's very sad that we abuse our beautiful ocean and endanger our wild neighbors with our trash, and I am grateful to our crew yesterday for doing their part to clean up these dangers when they come across them. Thank you Captain Matt, Jess and Matt for a lovely afternoon - for your kindness, your knowledge and for a darn fun time! We'll be back, for sure!

Response from Host

Aug 2022

Hi Amy, thanks so much for your review and for continuing to choose Capt. Dave’s for unforgettable marine wildlife safaris. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the up-close, breathtaking experience of spending time with the Bottlenose Dolphin families! And we appreciate your support of our commitment to protect our oceans. It was our pleasure to help make your birthday special, and we would love to see you for another trip soon!

Vlr1013

Aug 2022

Amazing experience from start to finish! The staff was polite and helpful. Captain Gary and Steve were great at finding the dolphins and providing interesting information! Would definitely go again!

Response from Host

Aug 2022

Hi Veronica, thanks so much for your review. I’m so glad you liked your high-speed dolphin and whale watching trip, as well as our crew’s informative narration. We appreciate the high rating and hope to see you here in lovely Dana Point again soon.

nikkiaT7688MF

Aug 2022

The highlight of our trip. Absolutely excellent in every way. Captain Jim was super professional, full of knowledge and understood our kids' needs. We have a son with additional needs and Captain Jim was excellent at ensuring that he had a wonderful time, along with our other 3 kids. We had a private charter, which meant that we were able to spend time watching the dolphins and get really close- we saw pods of common dolphins and bottle nosed dolphins, which all of our children were delighted with. We then got to see four blue whales, which was simply magical. Captain Jim is definitely in the perfect job for him! We had been recommended Captain Dave's and we have gone on to recommended it to so many others. Thank you for the fabulous morning!

Response from Host

Aug 2022

Hi Nikki, thank you for your 5-star review! I’m thrilled that you had a magical time on the private charter with Capt. Jim. I’m excited that you and your family got to see magnificent Blue Whales and wild dolphins up close! We appreciate that you recommend us to your friends, and we would love for you to join us again soon!