Up-Close Dolphin & Whale Watching Zodiac Adventure in Dana Point
Description
A fast and fun wildlife adventure awaits your family aboard our zodiac-style vessels (rigid inflatable boats). This cruise of up to 20 passengers gives you a thrilling 2-hour look at Southern California’s year-round whales and dolphins. With speeds of 30 knots or more, you’ll spend less time looking for animals and more time enjoying them! Your zodiac adventure will have you incredibly close to the ocean’s surface and within arm’s reach of wildlife. At the conclusion of your cruise, you'll receive one of Mrs. Capt. Dave's famously delicious Triple Fudge Brownies. (Some folks love the brownies more than the whales!) We are a certified Responsible Whale Watching partner with the World Cetacean Alliance located in Dana Point, CA, the Dolphin and Whale Capital of the World®, and the first Whale Heritage Site in the Americas.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum age is 6 years
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- You may encounter occasional ocean spray
- No over-sized bags or coolers please.
Reviews(402)
What a great day out in the waters off Dana Point with Captain Gary and First Mate Hannah!! We enjoyed seeing two separate pods of bottlenose dolphins, including lots babies. We have been taking trips with Captain Dave’s for more than 20 years and it’s always a great time
Thanks for joining us on board once more! We're glad you had an amazing time with the dolphins and that our awesome crew helped make your day fantastic. We can't wait to have you join us again!
Janel and Captain E were absolutely fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. Would recommend to everyone and I will be going back when I can!
Thanks for your review and recommendation, Olivia! We're so pleased you were satisfied with our Captain and crew, and that they made sure you had a memorable safari. We appreciate the 5 stars and look forward to seeing you next time!
Great outing! We saw a blue whale !
Thank you so much for taking the time to rate and review us! We're glad you had a great time, and it's fantastic that you got to experience seeing a blue whale. We hope you'll join us again for another dolphin and whale watching adventure soon!
Amanda was amazing: very friendly and knowledgable about the area and marine life. The captain of the boat got us safely out to many dolphin pods.We will definetly return during whale season
Thank you so much for the amazing review! It's so good knowing that you were very satisfied with the service of our Captain and crew, and we will convey the wonderful compliments to them. It was our pleasure having you on board to show you the playful wild dolphins up close. We look forward to seeing you next time!
This was such a great experience. Darlene, Hannah and Capt Matt were so fun to navigate with and educative. Loved the dolphins and Mola Mola giving us a show!!! Thank you, definitely coming back to you all. Lorraine
Lorraine, we're thrilled you had 5 stars worth of fun with us! Thanks so much for rating and reviewing us so highly, and for your kind compliments to our awesome crew. We're glad you had a great time seeing a variety of wildlife, and we hope your next adventure with us is another wonderful dolphin and whale watching experience!
We didn't do the Zodiac tour - but our option isn't listed here. We did the "ORCA" yacht whale geek Cetacean Exploration tour. Our captain was Gary, and the yacht hosts 6 guests. This was amazing! Gary is clearly passionate about marine life, and he quickly found a stunning group of bottlenose dolphins that swam with our vessel and played in our wake. We then went further down the coast in search of a whale and other marine life in a "feeding frenzy" that other boats had found. We missed that opportunity by minutes, but Captain Gary quickly found another one not too much further out! We were the only ones there - and we witnessed a humpback whale feeding, coming up to the surface over and over, hundreds of common dolphins taking advantage of the whale stirring up food, and a plethora of birds - including fabulous diving ones! - also feeding. It was so active, it was as if the ocean was sizzling! I sat right on the bow of the yacht and literally got sprayed by the whale blow! It was a once in a lifetime experience!
Hi Rebecca, it was our pleasure to provide you with a once in a lifetime dolphin and whale watching excursion! We're thrilled you were satisfied with Capt. Gary's service, and that you enjoyed spending time with Dana Point's amazing sea life. We appreciate the 5-star rating and hope you can visit us again soon.
Mike and the entire crew were fantastic! We had an absolutely unforgettable trip. We were lucky enough to witness a humpback whale perform a full breach followed by an incredible tail thrash—it was breathtaking! On top of that, we spent time with an enormous pod of around 200 common dolphins that stayed with the boat. The crew was knowledgeable, friendly, and made sure everyone had a great experience while respecting the wildlife. If you’re thinking about booking a whale watching trip, I highly recommend this crew. It was a day we’ll never forget!
Thank you for the high rating and such an enthusiastic review! We love knowing that the experience really impressed you, and we're thrilled you got to see so much wildlife and amazing animal behavior in person. We appreciate your compliments to our crew, and it's heartwarming to know our passion for wildlife shone through. It would be wonderful to have you back on board again in the future for another amazing day on the water!
Zodiac “Allswell” boat was touted to be the fastest on in the fleet. Enjoyed quickly moving to the dolphin spots. Captains Amanda and Gary were the best. Friendly, knowledgeable, they knew exactly where to find the dolphins and explain interesting facts about the different types. Sadly I missed out on the brownies since my family devoured them without my participation.
Thanks so much for joining us! We're thrilled you and your family had a wonderful time on board, and we appreciate your high rating and compliments to our crew. It's great that you enjoyed both seeing and learning more about dolphins. We hope you all can return for more fun sometime soon, and hope you manage to snag a brownie, too!
Capt E and Amanda were wonderful, professional guides for our great trip. We got lucky- dolphin stampedes, humpbacks,(multiple)- with a pectoral wave and a fluke sighting…minkes, a sea lion, so many birds and a sunfish. The zodiac is definitely my preferred trip, but I’ll take any opportunity to view our rich ocean life. Too busy being in the moment for pictures.
We love knowing you had such a fantastic time out on the water with us! Thanks for taking the time in rating and reviewing us, as well as for the kind compliments to our crew. What a truly spectacular day of sightings! We're so glad to have been able to share it with you. Here's hoping you'll return for another day of dolphin and whale watching soon!
My daughter and I are repeat customers of Captain Dave’s and have always enjoyed an amazing time! Our most recent trip was June 12th with Captain Elier and his first mate Andy. The two of them were absolutely wonderful and as thrilled as the rest of our group when we came across a breaching humpback whale. We had such a great time! Captain Dave’s is the best!
Thanks so much for joining us once again! We love knowing our awesome crew contributed to the overall good feelings on this trip, and we're thrilled you saw a breaching humpback whale. Wow! Thank you again for such a lovely review and high rating. We can't wait to welcome you back for your next adventure!
