My son and I took the half day whale watch from Monterey in the morning at 9 am. The captain and deckhand were so personable, informative, enthusiastic and safety conscious.
The weather was dry, partly cloudy and very windy at the start, but the winds did pick up while we were out on the bay. We saw SO many dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, humpback whales and birds. The captain is in contact with other boats, so he is flexible as to where to go for each tour so you get to see as many animals as possible. The staff knows a lot of info about all of the animals and the Monterey Bay, and they are enthusiastic to spot and share the info with the passengers.
The boat is on the small side which we liked - it wasn't crowded. We had 32 people, and I believe 42 is capacity. Being a smaller boat, I HIGHLY recommend taking an anti nausea medicine 30-60 min before the trip. We took some dramamine and were glad we did! It's also wise to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, water and/or snacks & layers of clothing.
We thought the $48 ticket price was a good value.
Thank you, Captain Isaiah and Alfredo! We will definitely be back for another tour soon!