Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching with Underwater Viewing
Description
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.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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.
Reviews(889)
We thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We saw hundreds of dolphins and they were so fun. I could have watched them all day! Hannah and Matt were awesome! They got us to the best spots and gave us so much information on whales and dolphins. They were a lot of fun!!
We did not do the underwater viewing - we had the private ORCA charter and our captain was Gary. The boat was great for a small, private group (we had 6 people). We spent about 45 minutes with a young humpback and then raced to see a pod of bottlenose dolphins, which was AMAZING! They were jumping right under the bow and in the boat's wake. It was truly incredible for our team. Gary was kind, knowledgeable and made the trip so exciting. The only caveat I would say about the ORCA boat is that the best viewing was from the bow and there was a very, very narrow pathway to get up there. Some of our team wasn't comfortable with their "boat footing," and so they chose to either stay in the cabin, or on the back of the boat, which didn't have as great of viewing as the front. So, only specific to the ORCA boat, it's best for those who feel comfortable navigating around the sides of boats to get the best viewing. We would definitely book with Capt. Dave's again... the process was easy, we were well cared for and the crew was kind, accommodating and knowledgeable.
Great experience for the family. Highly recommend.
Thanks for taking the time to rate and review us! We're happy you had a lovely time on board and hope that you'll join us again in the future for more dolphin and whale watching.
The crew was Great. Fun for all
Thanks for taking the time to rate and review us, Chris! We're glad you had an excellent time on board, and hope you'll be able to join us for more dolphin and whale watching fun in the future!
Great day on the water and Alex, Andy and Hannah were wonderful hosts! They were very informative and helpful and always checking in with us to be sure that we were ok
We went on the Whale and Dolphin tour and had an amazing afternoon. Captain Alex and 1st mate Amanda were extremely knowledgeable and explained what the afternoon would entail. We sat right at the front of the boat on the webbing and it was great fun crashing through the waves. Captain Alex and Amand first located a pod of common dolphin and I've never so many of them in the wild - there muat have been close to 100 swimming around - there were so many you could hear them squeaking to each other. The underwater viewing pods were good fun and we were lucky enough to see some bottlenose dolphins on the way back. Overall a really enjoyable afternoon and we would book on with them again without question.
We're glad you had a magnificent experience and are thrilled you enjoyed your time with so many wild dolphins! We appreciate the compliments to our wonderful crew, and love knowing they helped make your day both fun and memorable. We hope we can welcome you back in the future for another lovely day on the water!
This was an experience I hope everyone gets to have in their lifetime! The amazing crew (Safa, Mike, and Alex) made sure we had up-close interactions with the dolphins, and they really made an effort to fill the trip with as much wildlife as possible. The boat itself was unlike any I've ever been on—not only were the underwater viewing pods super cool, but being able to lie on the netting at the front and put yourself within just a few feet of the dolphins was incredible. Safa especially was very knowledgeable about the animals' behavior, so this was as much of an educational trip as it was a fun one. I hope to return in the future with more friends and family so they can experience this as well!
We couldn't ask for a better compliment! Thank you for joining us, for your kind words, and for such a glowing review. We're thrilled you had such an amazing and memorable experience, and appreciate your love and excitement for our beautiful vessel, our awesome crew, and the passion we have for the amazing wildlife we get to see. It would be wonderful to welcome you back for more dolphin and whale watching in the future!
Absolutely awesome day. Saw two types if dolphins, fur seal and whale. Great crew - so much fun
Hi Sue, thanks for the amazing review! We're thrilled you had fun seeing the different kinds of sea life here in the scenic Dana Point area. We appreciate that you chose Capt. Dave's and hope you can come out with us again soon.
Great trip and the dolphins were active. Captain Maria, 1st Mate Mike and photographer Andy were awesome. Highly recommend..
Thanks for coming out with us! We're thrilled you had a wonderful time seeing dolphins, and we love knowing our awesome crew helped the day feel even more magical. Thanks for the high rating and recommendation! We hope you'll join us again the next time you're craving an adventure.
One of the most beautiful experiences of our lives.
Thank you for joining us! That compliment means the world to us, and we're so grateful for your kind words to our crew. If you're ever back here in Dana Point, we'd love to have you back on board for another magical adventure!
