This was my second whale watch that I did in my life. My first was in the Northeast with the aquarium. I learned some tips from the first one. However, when ordering tickets online they do make things very clear. Especially, the part about wearing layers.
We chose the trip that is at 5:00 p.m. It was Labor Day weekend we arrived an hour early to find parking. It was pretty crowded but, we were able to wait for a spot to open up for about ten minutes. It was paid parking but, the person who gave us their spot, paid it forward, gave us their daily ticket so I am not sure how much they paid. We did the same thing when we parked at the beach that morning, so it was Karma.
We arrived forty-five minutes before hand went to the kiosk and picked up our tickets. There are some shops so we bought my husband a sweatshirt because he forgot to bring one on his trip. It was $20 and they take credit cards. Even though we got there in time there was a long line. If you want to take advantage of a front seat I think you should arrive parked and shopped an hour early.
Bring a bag if you get seasick. We did not but, a small child did. It is a bumpy ride.
It was a great ride to the ocean. The coast line is amazing. Seen some sea lions and seals. Then, there were about fifty dolphins. They were really playful racing with the boat. We did not see whales that day but, we still enjoyed our trip. They gave us a coupon to come back again and we plan on it.