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San Diego: Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise

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$56.92 /person
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About the activity

San Diego is one of the best locations to watch whales year-round. Gray Whales migrate winter-spring from Alaskan waters to calving lagoons in Baja California. In summer, the legendary Blue Whales commonly feed off-shore of the San Diego coast.

  • Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
  • Instant confirmation & Mobile tickets
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  • Live guiding
    English
  • Duration
    4 hours
  • Includes
    • 3.5 or 4-hour whale-watching cruise
    • Outdoor and indoor seating
    • Expert narration by the volunteer naturalists from the Natural History Museum
    • Food and drinks (available for purchase)
    • Hotel pickup and drop-off
    • Tips
Highlights & Description

Highlights

  • Go on a 3.5- or 4-hour whale watching cruise and enjoy views of famous San Diego landmarks
  • Take the opportunity to spot sea lions, dolphins, and harbor seals
  • Enjoy year-round whale watching as Gray Whales migrate during the winter months and Blue Whales migrate in the summer
  • Learn about marine life from expert captains and whalers and get an exclusive look at local environmental efforts

Description

Embark on a marine life adventure on a dolphin and whale watching tour off the coast of San Diego. Keep a lookout for gray whales, blue whales, common dolphins, and more as you glide over the Pacific Ocean's dark blue waters.
San Diego is one of the best locations to watch whales year-round. Gray Whales migrate winter-spring from feeding grounds in Alaskan waters to calving lagoons in Baja California and back. In summer, the legendary Blue Whales, the largest animals on Earth, commonly feed off-shore of the San Diego coast. 
You may also spot Fin, Blue, Humpback, and Minke whales during the summer whale watching season. Additionally, you'll often see pods of Dolphins including Risso’s, Common, Pacific White-Sided, and Bottlenose Dolphins. Your captain will also highlight other wildlife such as Sea Lions, various fish like Mola Mola (Sunfish), and a variety of marine birds such as Herons, Terns, Pelicans, and Gulls. 

View these extraordinary mammals in the wild on this spectacular cruise. The expert crew will help you locate these creatures and additional marine wildlife, such as dolphins and sea lions. Learn about marine life and local environmental efforts from professional captains and whalers who work at the San Diego Natural History Museum. 
You may even spot a whale calf traveling with its mother as they return from the Arctic. This is a fantastic and exhilarating journey for all age groups. Guaranteed whale or dolphin sighting. If you don't sight some type of whale or dolphin during the cruise, you'll be issued a pass that's good for another San Diego whale watching or harbor cruise.

San Diego is quickly becoming one of the world’s best whale watching locations. The city is home to whales, dolphins, and sea birds, and features one of the world's most beautiful coastlines.  Enjoy live educational narration from captains and trained naturalists employed by the Natural History Museum.  Watch blue whales and dolphins in comfort on a large, fast, and stable boat!

Good to know before you go
  • Coast Guard regulations require a photo ID upon boarding
  • Note that the access to outer decks is via stairs only, this cruise is temporarily not wheelchair accessible due to outdoor seating restrictions
  • Food and drinks can be purchased on board and are not included in the price of the tour
  • In order to guarantee that your group can be seated together, please make sure to make just one reservation for your entire party. If members of your group make separate reservations, the activity provider cannot guarantee that you will be seated together
Meeting point

Reviews & Ratings

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the cancellation policy for this activity?
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
2. When will I receive the confirmation of my booking?
You will receive an email notification right after your successful payment. If you don't see it in your inbox, check your spam or junk mail folder. When the payment is completed you have the option to download your ticket directly.
3. Are mobile tickets enough or do I have to print them?
Tickets don't need to be printed. You can show your ticket from your smartphone as a PDF.
  • Adults
    13-99 years
  • Children
    4-12 years
  • Infants
    0-3 years
December 2024
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