I have been on several whale watching excursions in So Cal and have NEVER seen a Blue/Gray/Humpback whale. I have seen jellies, plenty of seals and dolphins, some flying fish but this time we caught sight of a Minke whale. We were about 1 hour into our journey and I barely got to see it, but it came right up to the bow and then under the boat to Starboard to Port. I am always hopeful that I will see more, but alas, I just had to settle for a sunny, relaxing boat ride in the Pacific! One thing that was new to me is that we stopped a few times to pick up trash in the ocean - I thought it was a nice example to set for children. The kids were trying to spot trash to pick up while we also searched for whales too, so they were always "busy".
There are restrooms, snacks, beverages and seasickness prevention measures available on the vessel.