San Diego Whale Watch

Great experience! Progressional crew, friendly and tons of interesting information! We were lucky and did spot a humpback and a minke whale. Also hundreds of dolphins. We took the late cruise at 4:30 and got also a spectacular sunset. Went with the family and everybody loved it! Highly recommended!

My husband and I booked this tour with San Diego Whale Watch with no prior experience in San Diego. We are Florida natives and it exceeded all expectations. The boat was large, clean, and comfortable, with plenty of great food and drink options. They even provide binoculars for wildlife viewing. Within the first five minutes we spotted seals, and once we reached the first viewing area we were amazed by hundreds of dolphins jumping and swimming together in a massive pod. Seeing whales has always been a bucket list item for me, and we were lucky enough to spot three. The captains did a wonderful job rotating the boat so everyone had great views. To top it all off, we even witnessed the sunset green flash. An unforgettable experience at an incredible price. Highly recommend!

Absolutely magical evening! We are so grateful for our experience with San Diego Whale Watch, and are so excited to return. The staff is absolutely fantastic, so attentive, professional, and caring. The boat was a really good size that seats over 140 people. Which is very helpful if you get sea sick. There are bathrooms, a galley that serves snacks/refreshments, and some alcoholic beverages after you reach 3 miles out. Ten out of ten recommend if you are just visiting San Diego or if you are a resident like us. We enjoyed the sunset cruise, and we got to see three humpback whales traveling together. There was a mother, her calf, and a male escort. The sunset was absolutely spectacular from the water! If you love nature, adventure, close wild life encounters, and epic sunsets this cruise is for you! Thank you so much SD Whale Watch for such an amazing evening!

This was our second time on the sunset Cruise and we were pleased to encounter staff that were both friendly and knowledgeable- both trips! We had both adults and children with us and all had a great time! There are blankets and hot chocolate for purchase if you get chilly as well as adult beverages. Definitely recommend!

I have now done this tour twice- both a morning cruise and a sunset cruise- and I cannot say enough good things about this entire company and our experiences. The first time I went was around mid November 2025 with 3 of my coworkers following a conference in San Diego. We did the sunset cruise and it was amazing! While we did not see any whales, we saw HUNDREDS of dolphins, sea lions, and our naturalist guide, Allison, shared so much knowledge, making the experience truly one of a kind. The second time I went, my family and I decided to visit San Diego from Wyoming for Christmas 2025 (they were a little jealous of my November trip and wanted to experience SD for themselves). To my luck, there was a huge storm that rolled into SD that week with a lot of rain, wind, huge tides, and cold. While sitting at the airport in Denver, I got a text that our tour had been cancelled due to the weather and safety of not only staff, but the clients they serve. We were able to either request a refund or reschedule. Since we were there for a limited time, we rescheduled for a different day, with no promise that the cruise would go out that morning, but everyone would remain hopeful. We made it to the day and the cruise was able to go out! The remnants of the storm continued, making the waves choppy, but the experience was still amazing. The staff on board really took care of EVERYONE during this cruise- from motion sickness meds, towels, and consistent checking in on people, to making sure that it was worth it for everyone on board. We saw a TON of whales that day, a few dolphins, and sea lions. Allison did a phenomenal job, as did all of the staff who took us out. Following the cruise, my husband and I stopped to talk with Allison and staff about the area, her background, beaches for seashells, the tides, the Galapagos, and so much more. You seriously could not go wrong with any part of this cruise. Every part of it is absolutely wonderful!

Be sure to bring a jacket or a blanket to keep you warm, especially during the winter and on the sunset tour! There are binoculars to rent to help you see the whales more clearly, otherwise i would bring a camera with a really long lens on it

This was a truly extraordinary experience! Though we didn't see any whales that day, I was not disappointed at all. We saw at least three pods of dolphins! One huge pod probably had 300 dolphins in it! They were swimming and diving around the boat everywhere you looked! The crew and naturalist on board were highly conscious of safety for passengers and the wildlife we saw. I took the sunset cruise and we saw a specular sunset on our way back to the harbor. Tips: Have a waterproof case for your phone or camera; bring layers and a wind breaker to keep you warm since it gets chilly toward the end of the day; if you're on the front of the boat, be prepared to get wet. I would absolutely do this again.

Had an amazing time with San Diego Whale Watch! The captain and crew were so friendly and made the trip unforgettable. No whales this time, but dolphins leaping in the sunset made it magical. P.S. These two sea lions felt like our little gatekeepers before heading into the open sea.

Stellar, the whole thing was stellar. Spacious boat, outstanding crew and captain, great info on what we were seeing and what was happening and where to look. We were treated to sealife galore from pelicans to a migrating humpback that we were about to see surface many times. But the cherry on top was just after a out of this world sunset as we headed back to shore, a huge pod of dolphins showed up and swam with the boat. It was like a gift from the universe and something I'll never forget in my life. Totally surreal and the only word I can use to describe it was pure joy. Thank you for such a spectacular evening.

Awesome time with my family. All of the staff was super friendly and informative. We got to see a humpback whale and a huge pod of dolphins. Also amazing sunset views as we went to the 3:30 cruise.

My daughter and I took an impromptu whale watching cruise with SD Whale Watch and I highly recommend the whole experience! The crew is friendly, seasoned and very helpful, and they rounded on people regularly to see who might be seaside or needed assistance. A highlight is a trained marine biologist providing commentary on the trip and sights. The boat is well cared for, wasn't too crowded, and offers is a little snack bar inside and two restrooms. We sailed for a full three hours and saw several pods of playful dolphin and a sun fish, but no baleen whales despite their diligent efforts.

Awesome experience. The crew was fantastic. Allison is very knowledgeable and Tarryl and Brandon were super nice. Rachel, at the bar, was amazing. Thanks for a great time and the photo package was a steal! Awesome quality and a great adventure!

FIVE STARS!! I decided to change my flight to the red eye so I could book this tour. I am beyond happy that I did! Captain John did an amazing job navigating and making sure all sides of the boat were able to see the action when we encountered wildlife. Our Naturalist, Alison, was very informative and I learned so many new things. It’s important to me that these trips are educational and she knocked it out of the park while also capturing some amazing photographs which I did purchase to save digitally. I took my own photos but nothing beats a professional photographer. Our Deckhand, Oscar, was very friendly and walked around the entire time, answering questions, making sure everyone was happy and having fun and also cracking some ocean themed jokes here and there. Danielle held down the fort at the snack and refreshments bar. She was very friendly and nice to talk to. The boat itself has a nice set-up and is VERY clean and well maintained. I did not use the restroom so I cannot comment on that but by the looks of the rest of the boat, I imagine they keep it at the same standard. There is also a photo wall on the lower deck to take selfies. Overall, I was surprised by the extra offerings and very pleased. Money well spent! And a sleepless red eye back to MI, well worth it! Mahalo! 🤙🏻 I did purchase the priority boarding and thought that was a nice perk too. Cheers! Happy sailing! PS - My tour was at 12:30 on October 21, 2024. We saw Sea Lions both in the marina area and swimming/jumping out at sea, probably 100 dolphins (if not more) and 3 beautiful humpback whales, lots of sea birds too.

I have now done this tour twice- both a morning cruise and a sunset cruise- and I cannot say enough good things about this entire company and our experiences. The first time I went was around mid November 2025 with 3 of my coworkers following a conference in San Diego. We did the sunset cruise and it was amazing! While we did not see any whales, we saw HUNDREDS of dolphins, sea lions, and our naturalist guide, Allison, shared so much knowledge, making the experience truly one of a kind. The second time I went, my family and I decided to visit San Diego from Wyoming for Christmas 2025 (they were a little jealous of my November trip and wanted to experience SD for themselves). To my luck, there was a huge storm that rolled into SD that week with a lot of rain, wind, huge tides, and cold. While sitting at the airport in Denver, I got a text that our tour had been cancelled due to the weather and safety of not only staff, but the clients they serve. We were able to either request a refund or reschedule. Since we were there for a limited time, we rescheduled for a different day, with no promise that the cruise would go out that morning, but everyone would remain hopeful. We made it to the day and the cruise was able to go out! The remnants of the storm continued, making the waves choppy, but the experience was still amazing. The staff on board really took care of EVERYONE during this cruise- from motion sickness meds, towels, and consistent checking in on people, to making sure that it was worth it for everyone on board. We saw a TON of whales that day, a few dolphins, and sea lions. Allison did a phenomenal job, as did all of the staff who took us out. Following the cruise, my husband and I stopped to talk with Allison and staff about the area, her background, beaches for seashells, the tides, the Galapagos, and so much more. You seriously could not go wrong with any part of this cruise. Every part of it is absolutely wonderful!

Had a great time. The Crew were great and very personable. We got to see a humpback whale and it was majestic. No other animals out in the ocean but the ride was lot of fun too. Snack bar had lot of options and prices were reasonable. The sunset cruise gave us a scenic background. Just remember to dress warm. It got quite cold in mid-April out in the ocean. Highly recommend the experience with this company

My husband and I booked this tour with San Diego Whale Watch with no prior experience in San Diego. We are Florida natives and it exceeded all expectations. The boat was large, clean, and comfortable, with plenty of great food and drink options. They even provide binoculars for wildlife viewing. Within the first five minutes we spotted seals, and once we reached the first viewing area we were amazed by hundreds of dolphins jumping and swimming together in a massive pod. Seeing whales has always been a bucket list item for me, and we were lucky enough to spot three. The captains did a wonderful job rotating the boat so everyone had great views. To top it all off, we even witnessed the sunset green flash. An unforgettable experience at an incredible price. Highly recommend!

Very entertaining. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Nice snack bar. We saw sea lions and Risso's dolphins. It was one of the least expensive tours in the city. Great value for the money.

This was our second time on the sunset Cruise and we were pleased to encounter staff that were both friendly and knowledgeable- both trips! We had both adults and children with us and all had a great time! There are blankets and hot chocolate for purchase if you get chilly as well as adult beverages. Definitely recommend!

This was a truly extraordinary experience! Though we didn't see any whales that day, I was not disappointed at all. We saw at least three pods of dolphins! One huge pod probably had 300 dolphins in it! They were swimming and diving around the boat everywhere you looked! The crew and naturalist on board were highly conscious of safety for passengers and the wildlife we saw. I took the sunset cruise and we saw a specular sunset on our way back to the harbor. Tips: Have a waterproof case for your phone or camera; bring layers and a wind breaker to keep you warm since it gets chilly toward the end of the day; if you're on the front of the boat, be prepared to get wet. I would absolutely do this again.

Such a great experience it wasn't very many people out today thank goodness so we really enjoyed it. We saw Kind of Wonderful Wildlife dolphins sea lion and whales. The only thing is is I like to have a couple cocktails while I'm cruising because I'm not driving and the lady that was at the snack bar was not very nice at all I didn't see anybody buying anything hardly she was in a bad mood I think. It's the season you should be happy. We definitely would have bought more mimosas but didn't want to bother her. We'll see you guys again thank you all so very much

I had a great experience with my friends, before and during the tour. Their customer service was really amazing, they're friendly, helpful, patient and flexible. This cruise was a shorter trip compares to the other whale watching tour, but we saw so many whales so close to our boat only in 2.5 hrs. Boat was smaller than my previous experience, but has bar and shaded cabin to sit and enjoy drinks/snacks.(Be patient until they start food and beverage service, they have to wait until the ship gets far enough from the shore) Don't forget to take Dramamine before you get on board, outer sea rocks your ship a lot!

We went on the sunset Whale and Dolphin Cruise on our honeymoon. It was a lovely experience. The staff was so helpful, especially to the girls suffering from sea sickness and the snack bar with beer, wine, soda, and water was a great touch! We saw a pod of dolphins and watched the sunset. It did get chilly so make sure you layer

This was our first experience taking the San Diego Whale Watch Tour and it was amazing! They were so helpful assisting us with every step of our Whale Watch Tour. Someone was there to answer all of our questions from the moment we ordered our tickets to parking, boarding the boat and exiting the boat at the end. The tour guide kept us engaged during the tour with her grand knowledge of the whales and their habits. She also informed us about the other aquatic life we encountered during our tour. Oscar and Melissa were very attentive, answering any questions and offered interesting stories about their experiences on their tours. The Captain made sure we were in the best possible positions to witness several grey whale sightings! It was surprising to learn thst there was a full service snack bar inside the boat ran by Danielle. The entire staff made our Whale Watch Tour great! We whole heartedly recommend this tour to anyone who may be thinking about going. If we could give more than a 5 star rating, we would. Thank you San Diego Whale Watch!

Great experience! Progressional crew, friendly and tons of interesting information! We were lucky and did spot a humpback and a minke whale. Also hundreds of dolphins. We took the late cruise at 4:30 and got also a spectacular sunset. Went with the family and everybody loved it! Highly recommended!

Absolutely magical evening! We are so grateful for our experience with San Diego Whale Watch, and are so excited to return. The staff is absolutely fantastic, so attentive, professional, and caring. The boat was a really good size that seats over 140 people. Which is very helpful if you get sea sick. There are bathrooms, a galley that serves snacks/refreshments, and some alcoholic beverages after you reach 3 miles out. Ten out of ten recommend if you are just visiting San Diego or if you are a resident like us. We enjoyed the sunset cruise, and we got to see three humpback whales traveling together. There was a mother, her calf, and a male escort. The sunset was absolutely spectacular from the water! If you love nature, adventure, close wild life encounters, and epic sunsets this cruise is for you! Thank you so much SD Whale Watch for such an amazing evening!

Stellar, the whole thing was stellar. Spacious boat, outstanding crew and captain, great info on what we were seeing and what was happening and where to look. We were treated to sealife galore from pelicans to a migrating humpback that we were about to see surface many times. But the cherry on top was just after a out of this world sunset as we headed back to shore, a huge pod of dolphins showed up and swam with the boat. It was like a gift from the universe and something I'll never forget in my life. Totally surreal and the only word I can use to describe it was pure joy. Thank you for such a spectacular evening.

Took the family out last weekend 1/18 and had an enjoyable voyage. Weather was great and we were able to see 3-4 gray whales, plus some California Sea Lions, and a variety of birds. Reservations were easy to make and I’d strongly recommend doing so. We found plenty of parking on the street and a short walk to check in. General boarding lined up along the fence and it actually got a little warm in the sun. A small awning for shade would have been nice, but it reminded us we should have brought sunscreen and the nearby Marina store was open and reasonable. Our Boat (Privateer) was roomy, clean, and had plenty of outside seating. Captain did his best to make sure everyone on both sides had opportunities to see the whales. Guests were free to move about. Crew was very good and helpful when one of my kids started feeling ill providing remedies and checking in on us. Snack bar has a variety of refreshments and even binoculars available for rent. The biologist provided just the right amount of information about the area and whale behavior with out overwhelming us with details. Overall a great day.

I went to the San Diego Whale watch with my girlfriend and it was amazing! Shout to the on board snack and bar person Jen! she was amazing and the rest of crew were really nice and accommodating. I tried to get some shots of the whales and dolphins jumping but as the crew announcer mentioned it can be very difficult so keep those camera ready! 📸

Had an amazing time with San Diego Whale Watch! The captain and crew were so friendly and made the trip unforgettable. No whales this time, but dolphins leaping in the sunset made it magical. P.S. These two sea lions felt like our little gatekeepers before heading into the open sea.

Awesome time with my family. All of the staff was super friendly and informative. We got to see a humpback whale and a huge pod of dolphins. Also amazing sunset views as we went to the 3:30 cruise.

Be sure to bring a jacket or a blanket to keep you warm, especially during the winter and on the sunset tour! There are binoculars to rent to help you see the whales more clearly, otherwise i would bring a camera with a really long lens on it

We’re so glad we found SD Whale Watch for our group! We upgraded to the VIP ticket which worked perfectly for our group of 7 - we were 1 level up at the front of the boat for the whole trip and the very lovely guide/photographer even brought us our bar orders. Her enthusiasm about the whales and dolphins we saw was infectious and we had a great experience with some great sightings!