San Diego Whale/Dolphin Watching Cruise Aboard Luxury Vessel
Description
Venture into the vibrant waters of San Diego with us, the premier destination for unforgettable whale and dolphin encounters. Aboard the comfortable 82-foot vessel, Peregrine, witness whales year-round like majestic blue whales in the summer and gray whales in the winter not to mention various species of playful dolphins , guided by an expert crew passionate about marine life. Each 3-3.5 hour tour is designed for families and ocean lovers alike, ensuring a smooth ride with modern stabilizers and amenities. Enjoy engaging insights from knowledgeable guides, creating lasting memories for all ages. This is more than a tour; it’s a commitment to marine conservation, education, and customer service.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Step aboard Peregrine, San Diego Bay’s premier whale watching vessel, for an unforgettable marine adventure! Our expert-led tours take you into the rich waters off Southern California to witness incredible wildlife—including gray whales, blue whales, humpbacks, dolphins, sea lions, seabirds, and more. You'll cruise in comfort with air conditioning, climate-controlled indoor seating, spacious decks, and industry-leading stabilizers for a smooth ride. Our experienced crew and onboard naturalists will narrate each trip, sharing fascinating facts and conservation insights as you enjoy front-row views of ocean life in its natural habitat. Whether you're a visitor or a local, this is the ultimate way to connect with the wild side of San Diego year-round!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(234)
The whole crew are very helpful, friendly and welcoming. The boat was very spacious and the restrooms were very well kept and we had Little to no motion sickness.
Boat was beautiful and the crew was very informative. Saw dolphins and sea lions but unfortunately no whales...
Great boat tour. We saw humpback whale, sea lions, and dolphins. We were on a nice vessel with facilities, there was an indoor sitting area and an upstairs sitting area. They even stated the vessel was equipped with stabilizers but the ride still got very rocky
The staff were amazing, very nice, thoughtful and knowledgeable. The boat was clean and spacious. We would recommend this experience.
Super nice vessel, experienced captain and crew. So worth it. Smooth Sailing and Dolphins were fantastic to see in their natural environment!! Melissa and Sophie and Cameron were super pleasant!! Happy Anniversary on the 4th of July. GO NAVY!!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback and thank you so much for joining us!!
Honestly TripAdvisor this listing is close to fraudulent. There was no food as shown in the photo and this is NOT a luxury vessel in any sense. The ship is well maintained but there's no trace of luxury. It's just a boat. The captain seemed to be in cowboy mode, slamming into the wind to get to wherever they needed to get to. Two people including my wife got seasick, throwing up. They had said there was less motion astern, on the lower deck, but by that time the ship was already bouncing enough that it was impossible to move to there! (I wasn't sick but every time I tried to shift to another bench I nearly fell over.) FINALLY when my wife was standing up barfing into a wastebasket they had the captain stop so we could move below. Thanks for that. I've done a fair amount of boating in my life so I have sea legs and I know chop. This captain was making aggressive choices to get somewhere. (Also we've done whale watches before, in Hawaii and Cape Cod, with no vomiting or even nausea.) Arrival at the start of trip was a problem because there's NO SIGN on the building, so I thought Google Maps maybe led me wrong. Nope, Google was right, but it's in front of a sport fishing business. The WHALE WATCH sign is draped on a table out front, below waist level so if anyone's actually checking in at the table, you can't see the sign. The earnest crew members tried to help the sick people but they were pretty naive: when someone is sick to their stomach in the stern of the boat it doesn't help to encouragingly tell them "If you turn around, you can see a really neat hovercraft behind us!" (Yes they did that.) It's nice they tried to be helpful but did these people get any appropriate training on this part of their job?? At the end the girl on loudspeaker actually asked for applause for Captain Anthony for "keeping us all safe and comfortable" (SERIOUSLY, chick??) and said that since we never saw any whales (only dolphins, which they said are technically "toothed whales"), they'd give us half-off coupons for when we come back next time. But we never saw any being handed out. NOT a luxury vessel at all, no food as shown in the photo, and too much cowboy in the wheelhouse. Well run ship, poorly run business.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're genuinely sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. First, regarding the return vouchers, our crew announced onboard that all guests would receive 50% off vouchers due to not locating any large whales during the trip, and those vouchers were emailed following the tour. If you did not receive yours, we would be happy to resend it. As for check-in, we do not own the building where we operate, so unfortunately we do not control the exterior signage. We agree that having permanent whale watch signage on the building would be beneficial. However, our booking confirmation and pre-arrival instructions clearly explain that check-in takes place at our branded table located directly in front of the landing building on the parking lot side. We would also like to clarify that we never represent dolphins as a substitute for whales. San Diego is fortunate to have some of the best year-round marine wildlife viewing in the country, and while we successfully locate whales on the vast majority of our trips, these are wild animals and sightings can never be guaranteed. On the rare occasions that whales are not found, guests often still experience thousands of dolphins, which many visitors find to be an incredible and memorable wildlife encounter. Our captains and naturalists work tirelessly every trip to locate whales and provide the best possible experience. Regarding the vessel itself, we respectfully disagree with your characterization. Our yacht is one of the most modern and well-equipped whale watching vessels in Southern California, featuring spacious indoor and outdoor viewing areas, climate-controlled cabins, premium seating, restrooms, a full galley, and advanced Mitsubishi Zero-Speed Stabilizers designed to reduce motion while underway. While stabilizers significantly improve comfort, no vessel can eliminate ocean movement entirely, and some guests remain susceptible to seasickness regardless of vessel type or sea conditions. Our crew is trained to assist guests experiencing discomfort and offers remedies such as motion-sickness bands, guidance on optimal seating locations, fresh air access, and other accommodations whenever possible. As for our Captain, we stand firmly behind him and all of our captains. They are highly experienced, professionally licensed mariners who are carefully vetted and extensively trained. Their first responsibility is always the safety of passengers, crew, and vessel while navigating changing ocean conditions and searching for wildlife. Decisions made on the water are based on experience, safety, and the goal of providing guests with the best opportunity for sightings. We appreciate your compliments regarding the condition of the vessel and the efforts of our crew. While we understand that not every trip will meet every guest's expectations, we remain proud of the experience we provide and the dedication our team brings to every departure. We wish you safe travels and many wonderful wildlife encounters in the future.
We didn’t see any whale, but who cares? We saw the dolphins stampedes!!! Yeah! What the luck! Thank you so so much it’s such an amazing experience!
We had never went on a whale watching tour before and this was a great experience. The boat was very nice and the crew was very knowledgeable. We saw sea lions, moto moto, dolphins and a humpback whale. The captain went out of his way to find a whale even though it made him late. I would highly recommend this company for the best experience.
The crew are very good. The narrator was excellent. She explained very well about whales, dolphins and sea lions. The captain was able to keep the trip relatively smooth despite the severe swells. And the bar tenders were fun. Thank You All !!!
June gloom is for real and it gets chilly on the boat. If you can wear pants and bring a sweater or sweatshirt. The crew was wonderful! Would recommend this trip.
