Dolphin and whale watching with Capt. Nick was by far one of the most joy-filled afternoons I’ve had while living in Southern California the last 5 years. The boat ride alone – a comfortable, intimate experience of soaring out into the beautiful ocean – would have been an amazing and relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but when the mammals make an appearance, it’s pure magic.
When our group first started to look for a tour to go on, we were looking at all the larger options but quickly realized we’d be high above the water, fighting with dozens of other passengers for the same views. So we decided to go riding with Capt. Nick on his great 6-seater boat, where it’s essentially a private ride, and you are practically an arm’s length from the surface of the ocean. Boy, did it pay off! Capt. Nick is super chill and makes you feel at home on his boat, and he is incredibly knowledgeable about the ocean and marine life. It was impressive to watch him seek out wildlife, watching the bird formations and using binoculars to search for movement. Our first sighting was a small group of common dolphins that playfully flipped and skipped near us as we all freaked out at being so close to them! We could have watched them forever, but Capt. Nick thought we should move on. A short ride later, he found a large pod of over 100 common dolphins! We rode alongside them for a good while – they jumped and followed our boat, they showed off unbelievable flips, and simply surrounded us. It was unlike anything we’d experienced before. Our group of 6 adults was like kids on the boat, screaming at every flip and grinning from ear to ear.
When it was time to head back, the dolphins were so impressive and nature is unpredictable that we felt lucky just to see them, that we weren’t even really thinking of whales anymore! But halfway there, you could tell Capt. Nick was on another mission. Suddenly, he’s telling us “Minke Whale, 1 o’clock!” And sure enough, a beautiful whale surfaces not too far from us. He moves us in a little closer, and it was unreal – the whale was curious of us! She was feeding, swam around us, under us, it was like she was being playful, for a good 20 minutes! Well that just did us in. We were brimming with excitement; watching this grand mammal in her natural environment was a moving experience! The ocean is a magnificent and wondrous place, and it was only through the skills, knowledge and pure enthusiasm that Capt. Nick brings to the excursion that we were truly able to appreciate it. I whole-heartedly recommend this tour to everyone.