San Diego Whale Watching Tour

Overview

Our trips depart from Mission Bay, which requires only a short 10 minute journey access to the open ocean where whales and dolphins can be seen! The search for whales and other animals begins as soon as you depart the dock and our marine biologists are on the microphone explaining exactly what to expect and what you are seeing from the get go!

City: San Diego

Tue 19 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $65.00

Make a reservation

Tue 19 Nov

Starting at $65.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Marine biologists are on the microphone explaining exactly what to expect.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms

What To Expect

Ocean Beach

The tour will take you to the ocean without stopping

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (820)

kim m

Apr 2014

The tour was great. The weather was not so great. The water was super rough and people were getting sick a lot. We took the sea sickness medication and did not have a problem. We saw tons of dolphins and found 2 whales. I bought the tickets off of groupon and got a great deal. The staff was great and they were very upfront about how rough it was going to be and offered to allow people to reschedule.

Lisa G

Apr 2014

My family and I recently went on the whale watching tour. The crew was very nice and accommodating. The boat rocks like crazy when it stops and I got seasick. The crew sat me down, gave me ginger ale and checked on me throughout the trip, which was very nice. The reason I only gave this 3 stars is because most of the trip is spent cruising around in the boat. We saw one whale which we circled around for 30 minutes, but we had to stay 100 yards away so it was hard to see. We also saw a large population of dolphins for about 20 minutes, but that was it. Just be aware that you may not see anything and that out of the 3 hours you are just cruising on the boat for about two of them. I guess I was expecting to see lots more, so my family was a little disappointed. The Privateer is a nice boat, nothing fancy. It gets very cold on the water so dress warm. We were freezing, but the crew gave us a blanket which helped. The guide Erin, was very knowledgeable and even came around to see if anyone had questions. All in all a decent experience.

worldtraveller2801

Apr 2014

Based on the positive reviews of the San Diego Whale Watch, we decided to take a tour with them. We weren't disappointed. I called the SD Whale Watch and reserved a spot for us. I was a bit nervous since they didn't provide us with a confirmation number or take my credit card information. However, all was good when we arrived. Our name was on the reservation list and we paid without a problem. We went on a Tuesday and only paid $22/person for the 3 hour tour. Parking was free. The tour left on time. They provided us with safety information before the boat left the harbor. On the way out of the harbor, we saw sea lions and lots of birds. The water was really calm the day we went. There were hardly any waves and I didn't see anyone getting sick on the boat. We saw a few hundred dolphins in 2 separate groups. Some of the dolphins were really close to the boat. It was very exciting to see them jumping out of the water. There was a naturalist on board that told us about the dolphins and whales. We saw a pod of 3 gray whales. The boat stayed the required distance from the whales. We watched them for quite a while before moving on. On our way back to the harbor we saw 2 more gray whales. I was very pleased when I saw the staff scooping up balloons out of the ocean. Balloons can be deadly for marine and bird life. This shows me that this company is environmentally responsible and cares about the marine life. Overall it was a fun trip. It really amazing to see dolphins and whales in the wild. After disembarking from the boat, they gave us discount coupons for a future trip. I will be making good use out of these tickets when we have more out of town family visiting.