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Information about Whale Watching
in San Diego California

Information about Whale Watching in San Diego California

San Diego Whale Watching in the past had just coincided with the Gray Whale migration, but there are now a handful of whale watching providers that provide year round whale watching in San Diego. The most typical sightings would be Gray Whales during their migration and during the summer and fall months the giant blue whales. Finback whales, minke whales, and several other species of whale are also viewed while whale watching in San Diego. Common, Bottlenose, Pacific White Sided Dolphin, Seals, Sea Lions and a variety of birds are also commonly seen as well on excursions from the San Diego area. See my first choice for whale watching in San Diego. Other species are possible and one company has even listed a Right Whale as a sighting.

Whale Watching in San Diego - San Diego Harbor & Mission Bay

The San Diego area is a big tourist attraction with lots of theme parks, hotels and other activities.

Whale Watching companies in San Diego Harbor

• Hornblower Cruises - Seasonal Whale Watching trips during the Gray Whale migration. They offer 3 ½ hour whale watching cruises from December 20th until April 5th. Hornblower also combines the whale watching cruise with a harbor cruise in one of several packages that they offer. When I decided to give them a try, I had some preconceived notions of what to expect. Hornblower is more known for their fancy harbor cruises aboard huge ships. Don’t get me wrong I like comfort, but it is nice to feel you are on a whale watching cruise. These boats are set up more for weddings than whale watching. The narration was informational and fairly entertaining but the ship was not designed for whale watching. Viewing from a boat like this is hard, even at the closest sighting it still felt a long ways away. For the day, we saw two gray whales (sort of) and some sea lions. For those serious about whale watching, I would hold off for more dedicated operations.

• San Diego Harbor Excursions - Seasonal Whale Watching during the Gray Whale migration with Birch Aquarium. Whale watching cruises are from December 26th through March 31st. San Diego Harbor Excursions are similar to Hornblower cruises in that their ships are not specifically intended for whale watching. I like the upper deck seating except when crammed together with the other passengers. Another downside is you are only able to face forward. Many times whales and dolphin will be along side or even behind the ship. Not having an outside lower deck and with limited upper deck space it is a little frustrating, especially when whales are known to sound without warning. I like to increase my chances of viewing whales and dolphin by getting the best point of view possible. I prefer a more traditional ship design to get the best experience. They do provide you with a discount to the Birch Aquarium which is a nice benefit and the narration was above average. This trip had me wanting more viewing opportunities.

• H&M Landing - Seasonal Gray Whale Watching, local, extended, and Baja expeditions. I have to give H & M Landing kudos for offering several different length trips including extended Baja whale watching trips. I have gone out twice with them. Once on one of their standard three hour cruises and once on their five hour Coronado Island cruise. With H & M it is the luck of the draw with which boat you are on as these are fishing ships. The five hour excursion was my favorite. Although for that length of a trip I would have rather gone to the Channel Islands or Catalina Island. For a fishing ship it was a nice layout. The ship I was on had a lower lever walk around area as well as a good second level viewing area. It was rather rough and definitely not for those prone to sea sickness. In fact about a 1/3 of the passengers ended up out of action, and welcoming the end if the trip. For those of us that didn't get sick, we had two viewings of gray whales. Neither of the whales cooperated with our ship. We also had a good dolphin sighting with a pod of common dolphin numbering around seventy five. For five hours I would have expected to see a little more. Of course the seas made spotting difficult. One thing that I have noticed is that the waters around San Diego seem to be rougher than those located more North. I think it has to do with the islands of Catalina and Channel Islands sheltering the inner waters from most of the open ocean swell. Two of the kids that didn’t get sick were having a blast rolling with the rocking ship.

• Aolania Cat Cruises - I have not personally been out with Aolani. They offer Catamaran whale watching cruises. Their selling point is the Catamaran. The theory with Catamarans is that they are faster and offer more stability. Although the stability is always nice my experience with Catamarans is that you would never use the speed. You can't move fast when you are looking for whales and dolphin. If you go to fast you could easily miss them. Viewing opportunities are somewhat limited on Catamarans due to smaller deck areas. They hold smaller numbers of people and the layout is such that with a modest number of people it is tough to move around. Additionally, seating and indoor options are usually limited as well. Indoor seating does not offer good viewing opportunities as with whale watching ships that were made for viewing.

• Sail San Diego – Whale watching from sail boats. Sail San Diego offers sailboat style whale watching for very small groups. They limit the number of people to six and charge $85 per person. I have not personally been out with them. They are a little pricey for me.

• San Diego Maritime Museum & Stars & Stripes America - Whale Watching from a modern day sailing vessel. For those that are big sailing enthusiasts, this sounds like a neat trip. The price at $85 for adults on weekends and $65 on weekdays. This might be a little steep although it includes admission to the Maritime Museum. This is their first year and I am curious to see how their concept works out. For those who are looking for sightings as opposed to sailing you might want to hold out for more dedicated operations. Whale Watching is offered from December 27th through March 29th.

• San Diego Boat Tours – Provides boat rentals for private whale watching excursions. They are a little too expensive for me. They do offer Coronado Island options at about $1200.

• Point Loma Sportfishing – They offer seasonal Gray Whale Watching December 29th through March 31st. As their title suggests, fishing is their main business. The primary whale watching vessel is called the “Holiday”. I am not opposed to whale watching on ships designed for other activities. Usually the converted fishing to whale watching ship is fairly cheap and with the right narration can be a fun experience. I haven’t personally gone out with them. I get the sense that they do whale watching primarily as something to keep them busy during the winter months. With so many other choices it may be a while before I give them a try.

Whale Watching in Mission Bay San Diego

• Seaforth Landing - Seasonal Whale Watching during the Gray Whale migration from December 26th until March 22nd. Seaforth is similar to Point Loma in that the primary business is deep sea fishing. The two ships used for whale watching are fishing ships. I haven’t had a chance to go with Seaforth Landing as of yet. The price is good, but with so many options available I think only convenience would steer me here.

• Mission Bay Sportfishing - formally known as Islandia Sportfishing also offers seasonal whale watching during the Gray Whale Migration. Their primary activity is deep sea fishing. This is another fishing vessel converted into a whale watching vessel option.

• Seaforth Boat Rental - Private small boat rentals for whale watching year round. They are more reasonably priced than others for a private rental. You can get your own boat for two hours for about $400. It still seems a little out of my budget. They also offer small public cruises at around $65. With the requirement that boats must stay at least 100 feet from whales, being on a small boat doesn’t seem to have any real advantages. I like the larger ships with the two level option. They have higher vantage points that make for better on the water viewing.

• Hike, Bike, & Kayak - Offers whale watching kayak tours from late December through the end of March. Expect to get wet and you must be able to swim. I think this is as close as you can get to being in a whales environment unless you went for a dive. With that said there are some pretty big draw backs including limited range in locating whales, exposure to the elements, required ability to swim, and it goes on. I think the kayak experience would be the primary focus and although possibly a very memorable trip it may distract from viewing opportunities. I would like to say that I would be trying this at some point, but I just don’t see it. I like being dry and able to be comfortable so that I can focus on just the viewing. So let me know if you do it and what thoughts you have.

Whale Watching Companies North Of San Diego

• Helgrens Sportfishing - Offers seasonal whale watching (December 26-April 15) coinciding with the annual grey whale migration departing from Oceanside located about 25 minutes north of San Diego. Helgrens is a sportfishing company that provides whale watching cruises during the slower months that also coincides with the grey whale migration. Oceanside Harbor is a very small harbor and it takes very little time to get to the open ocean. That said for those traveling from San Diego for whale watching, may be disappointed especially in comparison to some of the other whale watching provider options.

• Capt Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari - Located about 1 hour from San Diego Capt Dave provides whale watching cruises year round. They use sailboats with motors which puts you much more in the elements. They are very passionate about their whale watching. Recently built an underwater pod that allows one person to crawl into an underwater like bubble to view dolphin in the water. I am way to claustrophobic to do this but it seemed interesting. I can’t imagine you could see to far though as the water clarity is maybe 15 feet. Other amenities are pretty basic and for the elderly and those with limitations I would not recommend this option. The price at $55 is almost twice that of others with more amenities.

• Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching - Dana Wharf Sport Fishing does seasonal whale watching during the Gray Whale migration. As I described in the Dana Point Whale Watching page they are a sportfishing operation that also does whale watching to fill in. They do seem to have a lot of advertising for whale watching. Their primary whale watching ship is a large fishing boat. They pack in the passengers, and on the weekends it is down right uncomfortable. Dana Wharf has a new Catamaran that I have yet to go out on. Unless something has changed since I last went out I was not too impressed with their operation.

• Newport landing Whale Watching - One of the few year round whale watching providers that serves the greater San Diego Area. Great option for whale watching both during the grey whale migration and for the summer/fall whale watching viewing the giant blue whales. Their ship was built just for whale watching and their staff is really good. During the grey whale migration they have the highest or one of the highest success rates in viewing grey whales in southern California. I think since they whale watch year round they really hone in their skills at locating whales and knowing the areas that are the most productive. During the summer and fall months the viewing opportunities for the giant blue whales are amazing. The largest of all whales, they can reach 100 feet or more in length. Finback whales and other whale species and several species of dolphin are also viewed year round. Definitely worth the drive (about 1 hour 15 minutes from San Diego).

• Davey’s Locker - Another option for those looking for year round whale watching in San Diego. They are well known for providing whale watching cruises to thousands of school kids each year. So you might want to avoid the 10 am whale watching departure on the weekdays from January through March as it can become a little crowded with large school groups. They are great with kids as you might imagine. I remember going with them on a whale watching cruise in March. I was having as much fun watching the excitement of the kids on board witnessing their first grey whale and common dolphin as viewing the mammals myself. You can’t beat the price at $30 is a great deal for what you get. A good choice for San Diego whale watchers.

Long Range Whale Watching Companies From San Diego

For many of us the opportunity to do an extended whale watching adventure from San Diego is something for the future and this includes me. I do hope to make it there someday. I have not been able to personal sample any of the below multiple day whale watching excursions, but here is an overview of the information I’ve collected. Please let me know if you have been on a long range whale watching excursion and what your experiences were?

• Baja Air Ventures - Started in the late 80’s this is a fly in destination departing from San Diego. The planes are small and not the usual commercial airlines, but their safety record seems very good. A 3 hour flight from San Diego takes you to their lodge. It may not be a 4 star hotel but the amenities seem quite nice and swimming with whale sharks and fin whales within throwing distance of the lodge. They also travel to San Ignacio Lagoons and Scammons on the Pacific side of Baja to witness the grey whale migration that is legendary to the area. Sounds like a great adventure and has amenities. Sign me up!

• Green Tortoise Adventure Travel - They offer a whale watching special which concedes with the grey whale migration. A pretty affordable long range whale watching adventure they pick you up in San Diego and you travel by Bus throughout Baja including the legendary whale watching mecca Magdalena Bay. The cost is about $750 for a nine day trip. Not my cup of tea, but might be for some.

• Baja Eco Tours - Similar to Baja Air Ventures, Baja Eco Tours fly you in to San Ignacio Lagoon from San Diego via a small plane. Shorter trips than other long range whale watching options at 5 days. This tour seems good for those that want to see the grey whales and calves in the lagoons of Baja and pretty much just that. And for me just witnessing the grey whales would be well worth it.

• H & M Landing - H & M Landing is known for sportfishing, but they also offer long range whale watching trips from San Diego. Unlike the other options they travel by boat with destinations including Magdalena Bay and surrounding lagoons as well as offshore island including Cedros Island. The ship departs from San Diego and travels from 1 to 3 days then spends 4 days at Magdalena Bay and then returns to San Diego taking about 3 days. Air conditioned staterooms make this option pretty neat as you are on the water the entire time except when exploring remote beaches and offshore islands. Whale watching is done from the main ship and from smaller boats residing in Magdalena Bay. They have been offering this trip for over 20 years and it sounds like quite an adventure.

San Diego Area Attractions That Are A Must For Whale Watchers

• Sea World San Diego - Although orcas or killer whales are the only whale they have in captivity they have a huge array of marine creatures and exhibits. A must see for a whale watching enthusiast in San Diego. Look online for discount tickets as there are numerous ticket websites that offer them.

• Birch Aquarium - Great exhibits if not quite as visually stunning as Seaworld. Their “Whales-Voices In The Sea” exhibit is great exploring an area that we as whale watchers rarely get to sample the sounds of whales and their ability to communicate. Their global warming exhibit is also very eye opening. Another must see.

• Cabrillo National Park San Diego - What is considered the birth place of whale watching world wide, there is so much to do and see here. One of the best shore based whale watching locations for the grey whale migration in California. Come from December through March and chances are you will see a grey whale. Viewing from land is definitely different than by ship and you are completely at the mercy of the whales. So don’t be too disappointed if the viewings don’t compare to those from ship. The experience of viewing a whale from land is really unique. Also definitely check their website as they have events of all sorts occurring throughout the year (especially in the winter/spring months) many centering around whale watching. Their tidal pools are also great. They charge a nominal fee of $3. Definite must see.

• San Diego Zoo - Although there is not much in the way of marine mammal exhibits this world famous zoo is pretty neat. And for me viewing animals on land is as much fun as viewing them in the ocean. Wear comfortable shoes as I did “a lot” of walking. The wild animal park is neat especially the Kilimanjaro Safari Walk 2 mile hike. If you are whale watching in San Diego it would be a hard decision not to visit this.

Know of another Whale Watching company in Mission Bay San Diego? Let us know.

(more pages and information to come. We appreciate your input. If you have any information to share about Whale Watching in San Diego California please let us know.)

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