San Diego Whale Watching Cruise
Description
Whale watching season is all year long in San Diego! Our team at Next Level Sailing provides the optimal experience with guides so experienced we received a 100 percent success rate during winter whale watching when spotting the King of the Deep. We are one of the best outdoor activities to do in San Diego. Gray whale watching season spans from mid-December through April. Blue whales and fin whales are seen feeding in San Diego from April - August. Humpback whales and minke whales are seen throughout the year, particularly in the spring, summer, and fall. Aboard our 141-foot sailing yacht, the Yacht America, you will see a plethora of whales firsthand in their natural habitat. In addition to whales, we also see dolphins and sea lions, and an abundance of naval activity. Don't be surprised if you see an F-18 fly overhead! Bring your own picnic, friends, and family for a wonderful day out on the water
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please call if you have a wheelchair so we can discuss the boarding options as we have had guests with wheelchairs enjoy this experience. We do have 5 steps in order to board the vessel. There is a single step in the deck. Please call Thank you!
- Adult Ticket for ages 13-99 years old. Child Ticket for ages 0-12.
- 9:00 AM trip: Check in between 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
- 11:00 AM trip: Check-in starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 10:30 AM
- 1:15 PM trip: Check in between 12:30 - 12:45
- 2:00 PM Trip: Check in between 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM
- Bring layers, blankets, and jackets. It can be cold on the water!
Reviews(2,471)
Never been on a sailing ship so this was a wonderful first! We saw blue whales which was the ship’s first of the season and lots of dolphin pods. We also passed by the USS Charles Vinson aircraft carrier, a Japanese destroyer and a USS Los Angeles class submarine. Captain and crew were helpful and informative. This is a great way to go whale watching and sailing at the same time!
An amazing time with amazing crew members! We didn’t see any whales, but did see a huge school of dolphins. Was really impressed with the fact that the crew had “story time” for the littles on board and were so patient with everyone. Highly recommend.
Fantastic adventure. The crew was incredibly knowledgeable, interactive, and friendly. It was so fun hearing their excitement at seeing what they probably see daily made the sights that much more meaningful and exciting for us. Highly reccommend!
Thank you so much for your recommendation! We are thrilled you had such a great time whale watching with us. We sincerely appreciate your great feedback. Thanks again!
Excellent! This cruise was perfect in every way. The boat itself is beautiful and the entire crew is amazing. They offer to loan blankets if you’re cold, free snacks and water/soda and go out of their way to make this a memorable experience. We were fortunate enough to see a whale, bottle nose dolphins and sea lions. It was chilly but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Free parking is a major plus. Tip: The check in is across from the Best Western Plus at a picnic table where there are flags out. Also, they have some merch to buy but it is cash only. Highly recommend this cruise.
Thank you so much for your recommendation! We are thrilled to hear you had a wonderful time at sea. We are so glad you got to see so many animals. We really appreciate your kind feedback, thank you!
My husband and I took our three teenaged boys on this four-hour tour last week. We figured even if we did not see a whale, we would at least be on an awesome looking yacht! The tour guides were so energetic and informative. We did get to see 3 humpback whales and so many dolphins! It was an awesome experience! They also provided snacks, beverages, and blankets upon request!
Thank you so much for sharing your review! I am delighted to hear that this was a fun activity for the whole family. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, we really appreciate it!
Though we did not see any whales, the hugh number of dolphins we saw more than made up for no whale sightings. The crew were all very helpful and friendly. The video of the dolphins taken from the front of the ship was a nice bonus, as a crew member air dropped it to each group. If we’re back in San Diego I would love to go out again!
Thank you so much for sharing your review! We are thrilled to hear you had an amazing day at sea and enjoyed watching such a gorgeous pod of dolphins. We can't wait to see you again next time you're in town!
We had a wonderful day on the sea with the team at Next Level Sailing. Although we were not fortunate enough to see a whale we saw thousands of dolphins, lots of birds and sea lions and thouroughly enjoyed the day. We learned about the area, sea life, the San Diego Naval stations and more. It was relaxing and beautiful. I highly recommend! And their guarantee allows us to go back for free anytime, since we didn't see a whale. Two tours for the price of one!
Thank you for sharing your review! We are thrilled to hear you had a wonderful day sailing with dolphins and learning about the San Diego area. We can't wait to see you again next time you're in town. Thanks again!
It was such a lovely tour, our family enjoyed it very much. The staff is so nice nice and helpful! we saw breathtaking packs of Dolphins swimming next to us and under our boat. Once in a lifetime experience. Go cross it off your bucket list! We sailed about 4 hours, the group size was great, not too big or too small. Plenty of space!
Thank you so much for your recommendation! We are so glad to hear you had a wonderful time sailing alongside such a great pod of dolphins. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, we really appreciate it!
We had an amazing day! The ship and crew were all fantastic - very knowledgeable and checked in on passengers to make sure they had everything they needed. We weren’t sure we’d see any whales but then we saw blue whales! The whole trip was really great!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are thrilled you got to see blue whales during your trip and had a wonderful time. Thanks again!
Our family (traveling with kids 13 and 9) loved this experience and we will be sure to recommend this tour to anyone traveling to the San Diego area! We were able to see humpback whales and so many dolphins up close! This is an overall amazing tour - we loved the ship, the staff, and everything we learned and saw during our time on the water.
Thank you, Erika! It's awesome to hear your entire family had a great time on the water here in San Diego. We really appreciate your kind feedback. Thanks so much!
