Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching with Underwater Viewing
- 2h 30m
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
- Mobile ticket
Highlights
Gather the family, kids, and friends to join Dana Point's highest-rated whale watching activity, featuring exclusive Underwater Viewing Pods. For over 25 years we have provided the most unique and eco-friendly dolphin and whale watching trips to view magnificent Blue Whales, Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales, occasionally Orcas, and more. Five species of wild dolphins are also seen throughout the year, including mega-pods with up to 10,000 dolphins! Plus sea lions, marine birds, and even sharks. You'll depart from Dana Point, the Dolphin and Whale Capital of the World®. We're a certified Responsible Whale Watching partner with the World Cetacean Alliance. Aboard our uncrowded high-tech catamaran you will enjoy up close and personal dolphin and whale watching with expert narration, complimentary triple fudge brownies, and more.
Inclusions
What's included
- Licensed Captain and professional crew
- U.S. Coast Guard inspected and certified vessel
- Cetacean Declaration - Join us again for free within one calendar year if you don't see any dolphins or whales
- Live commentary on board
What's not
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- DVD (available to purchase)
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Cancellation
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Reviews
4.9
- 5917
- 442
- 314
- 26
- 14
Ratings come from 983 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Great Trip At Sea
Our trip adventure was absolutely wonderful! We had Gary and Alan as our crew and they treated us to a wonderful morning on the water. We found a giant pod of dolphins that we spent some time with. We were also lucky enough to watch a young, male humpback whale for quite some time. It was wonderful.
3Meh
Meh Not my favorite. Wouldn’t recommend Not a big fan of the guide
5Perfect dolphin tour
We had a great time on the dolphin tour! Everything was perfect.
5EPIC!!!!!!
We had captain Matt, second captain Amanda, and marine biologist Andy. When we started sailing out I really didn’t know what to expect. I was hoping to see a couple of dolphins. And the boat just kept on going. After what seemed like forever, suddenly there was a pod of hundreds of dolphins. HUNDREDS! And they hung around and danced and jumped. Matt was able to maneuver the boat to keep us around. Then we saw a gigantic mola mola! Amanda even caught a super close up under water video of it. The trip was EPIC! As the cherry on top, we were handed this super yummy brownie made by Matt’s wife as we wrapped up the tour. My favorite experience, ever!
4Loved seeing the dolphins!
The staff was very friendly and informative, but at times we couldn’t hear especially when on the move in the water- mics might need increased volume. We didn’t see any whales, but we did see a large pod (or as the marine biologist called it- a family) of about 200-300 dolphins who playfully swam around our catamaran. It was amazing!!!! Pictures don’t do them justice- to see them in person was so much fun and it was at least 20 minutes that we were able to watch them. If you like the idea of watching from the viewing area down below, just know this is a crawl space that only fits 2 people in tandem. Maybe this was the configuration of the specific catamaran we were on- there were only 22 of us, so perhaps it was a smaller catamaran - just ask ahead of time. If you have claustrophobia or motion sickness you might want to rethink going below.
5Really a thrill
This company is so awesome first off. The customer service was top notch. The crew on the boat was the best. Our captain and first mate were both so incredible. Although we saw no whales, we saw hundreds of dolphins swimming by the boat with us. Even if we hadn’t seen a thing, the ride was beautiful and so fun. I’ll definitely do it again and highly recommend this company.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Please arrive 45 minutes in advance. Check-in upstairs at our waterfront Dolphin Deck building. We're located next to Baby Beach and OC Sailing & Events Center.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 49 travellers
- Operated by
- Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Entry into the Underwater Viewing Pods requires the use of ladder-like steps. Persons with a disability or limited mobility may have difficulty.
- Trip times may vary by date.
- Only Manute'a has underwater viewing. Boats are subject to change without notice and changes are not a determinant for cancellation or refund.
How it compares in Dana Point
- Its from-price is 18% below the median of the 24 experiences we list in Dana Point.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 24.
About Dana Point
Dana Point is a harbour town on Orange County's coast in Southern California, set on headlands above the Pacific, with surf beaches and whale watching.
Dana Point takes its name from Richard Henry Dana, whose 1840 memoir Two Years Before the Mast described the headlands here. The harbour holds a marina of sailboats and fishing boats, and a waterfront of seafood restaurants and shops looks out over it. A replica of the brig Pilgrim, the ship Dana sailed on, is moored in the harbour.
Top-ranked sights in Dana Point: Dana Point Harbor.
Special offers in Dana Point
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
