Two-Hour Luxury Whale Watching Tour from Oceanside
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Carlsbad, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Set sail from Oceanside during a whale watching excursion led by a certified naturalist guide. Board a comfortable 50-foot (15-meter) catamaran with covered areas for seating and cruise along San Diego’s coastline to spot whales and other marine life, getting as close as possible without disturbing them. Plus, choose from multiple departures to easily fit this whale watching tour into your schedule.
- Catch sight of whales off the coast of Oceanside, California
- Cruise along San Diego’s coastline aboard a catamaran
- A family-friendly tour ideal for nature lovers and first-time visitors
- Choose from multiple departure times to best suit your needs
What's Included
- Local guide and professional guide
- Cruise
- Food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages (available to purchase cash only)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 256 S Harbor Dr, Oceanside, CA 92054, USA
Please CHECK IN at our kiosk in front of Rockin' Baja Lobster restaurant near the historic Oceanside Harbor Lighthouse AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO BOAT DEPARTURE TIME. 45 MINUTES ON HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS. If you are lost please call us. *There are no refunds or rescheduling for no shows .
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
San Diego
2
Oceanside Harbor Village
3
Oceanside Pier
4
Oceanside
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- On board, you will find a snack and beverage cash only bar (additional expense)
- No private groups may book through VIATOR, also no one person or group may buy more then 10 tickets for any cruise time.
- Due to the nature of our cruises no refunds or reschedules will be given for no shows or cancellations .
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Monique_C
It was a perfect day to get on the water. We did the noon trip. No dolphins spotted but the whales showed up! More specifically, sperm whales! The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We had to wait nearly 45 mins once away from the shoreline and the whales showed up! We were able to see 3 large whales surface and dive. Wonderful view and experience!
Reviews
4.7
based on 966 reviews
Teresa_G, Mar 2026
This was my third time with this whale watching tour group. Every trip was great. My twelve year old grandson was thrilled by the abundance of dolphins.
Kevin_E, Mar 2026
No whales sadly , only dolphins. Great guide and crew tho. Clean bathrooms. Title shouldn’t include the word whale if whales aren’t 100% going to be there.
Sharon_E, Mar 2026
Didn’t see a lot of whales or dolphins. They gave us a free voucher to return. Crew was okay. Everyone was nice just not an above and beyond experience.
Mary_B, Mar 2026
Our Captain had an eagle eye for spotting whales.
Our crew was awesome and very polite!
Purchasing online was great.
? Maybe the “checking in place” could ask about where we parked, to avoid this next mistake! We parked in the wrong spot! Hefty fines! Be aware of all signage!
Jennifer_D, Mar 2026
The staff were friendly and helpful. The captain stayed a few extra minutes so we could see the dolphins playing. There were a few whales.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are glad you had a good time and saw both whales and dolphins!
Monique_C, Mar 2026
It was a perfect day to get on the water. We did the noon trip. No dolphins spotted but the whales showed up! More specifically, sperm whales! The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We had to wait nearly 45 mins once away from the shoreline and the whales showed up! We were able to see 3 large whales surface and dive. Wonderful view and experience!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
YAY! We don't see Sperm Whales often here, so you had a great trip! Thank you for sharing your experience and for the kind review.
Steven_A, Mar 2026
It was canceled due to high winds. They call called me to rebook but, I'm not sure if the rebooting went through.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We are sorry we had to cancel due to unsafe conditions on Saturday 3/7, but it looks like you went out on Sunday 3/8 and had a great trip with Sperm Whales and Fin Whales. We hope you had a good time.
Chris_J, Mar 2026
We loved this property. The location was perfect for our trip. We walked 4 minutes to the beach every night to watch the sunset. We did this even though we could have just watched from the terrace and the unit. It was so close. We also walked to several great restaurants within a few minutes.
Most importantly both the bed and the shower were great. These are important for us.
Access and parking were both easy.
Overall a great value for what we paid
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We are a whale watching company, but we are glad you enjoyed wherever you stayed. Being by the ocean is always nice.
Caroline_K, Mar 2026
The crew is amazing, the boat is clean and cozy, being on the ocean is awesome! We were blessed to see dolphins and whales!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
YAY! Dolphins and whales! Thank you for cruising with us and sharing your experience.
Pen_o, Feb 2026
Excellent description and info about the whales and dolphins. Pleasant, helpful staff.
Would do this again!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We are so glad you had a good time. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Kelly_B, Feb 2026
We didn't see a single thing. Not even a seal or dolphin. Obviously I understand that these are wild animals but it was quite the surprise to be such a complete miss. We did receive vouchers for a complimentary trip, although no one in my group was interested in going again
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Sometimes nature just doesn't cooperate. We do hope that you will come back again use those re-ride tickets as they never expire. Be sure to keep a hold of them, they are treated like cash here and we will need them if you come back and try again.
Margaret_O, Feb 2026
The entire crew was helpful, knowledgeable, and interacted with all the passengers. They even helped us older and a bit more wobbly cruisers maneuver around the ship.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We always love hearing good things about our crew. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We hope you join us again soon.
Brad_O, Feb 2026
Not guaranteed to see a whale but the staff made every effort to do that. Boat was well maintained and staff was knowledgeable and friendly.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for understanding that they are wild animals and it is a big ocean. We hope next time you come out we can find a whale for you. We appreciate your kind review.
Sandy_T, Feb 2026
We did not see any whales, but we saw many dolphin pods and sooo many baby dolphins learning how to jump in the water!
We hit the jackpot on dolphin sightings.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We love seeing the baby dolphins too!! We are glad you had a good time. Thank you for sharing.
Colleen_G, Feb 2026
The trip was cancelled due to Hight surf so I really have nothing to review, but I appreciated the captains decision.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your understanding, Its always better to be safe than sorry. We hope we can get you out on the water next time.
Celine_E, Feb 2026
The captain was great and so accommodating whenever we saw wildlife. We ended up in a pod of about 500 dolphins and it was thrilling to watch them play and swim next to our boat
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We are so happy you had a wonderful time. We love watching the dolphin swim along the boat. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Wayne_P, Jan 2026
It was a great day to be out on the ocean. Bring a coat as it can get chilly if you're standing on the front of the boat. The crew was great. We didn't see any whales on this trip however we did see a bunch of porpoise pods and some seals. Since we did not see any whales the captain gave us back the tickets and said we could return anytime for another try. It was nice just to be out on the ocean.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We agree, its always nice being on the water. Dolphins are always fun to watch, but we hope next time you come out we can find a whale for you. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Stacy_W, Jan 2026
Great trip out at noon on Sunday 1/18 - our captain went 10 miles out and we saw a very large pod of dolphins and three different kinds of whales. It was a great trip and plenty of room on the boat.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Fin whales, Humpbacks and Grays whales, with dolphin all on one trip! Amazing!! So lucky. we glad you had a great time. We hope you cruise with us again soon.
Kendal_G, Jan 2026
We saw tons of dolphins so I was very happy about that however I wish if they were going to allow infants on board there would be a ramp or something to accommodate a stroller and some of the passengers were very rude to us and making comments but it was a beautiful boat and I’ve never had an experience like that it’s definitely worth the money
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We love the dolphin! They are so much fun to watch. Unfortunately, most dock space is limited, so most boats dont have ramps. However our crew is there to help passengers of all ages on and off the boat. We are glad you had a good time and thank you for cruising with us.
Betty_H, Jan 2026
New catamaran boat with great seating. Plenty of room for all to see. Captain was great pointing out dolphins and whales. We saw a humpback several times.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We are glad you enjoyed our new boat and saw Humpbacks! Thank you for cruising with us and for sharing your experience.
Robert_P, Jan 2026
Unfortunately, due to adverse weather our original trip was cancelled on the morning of the trip.The company kept us up to date quickly and we were able to book again for the day.
Mee didn’t see any whales, but said see dolphins and sealions. The Captain then announced one the return to port that because we hadn’t seen whales, he would return everyone’s tickets, which could be used again for a trip anytime in the future!!!
Fantastic offer. As we are leaving California on Sunday, so passed our tickets on to a family who will use them when their family arrives at the weekend.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We appreciate your understanding about the weather but glad we got you out on another day. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Susan_M, Jan 2026
Our trip was postponed due to a mechanical issue:. They allowed us to book the trip 2.5 hours later for free and reimbursed us for our original trip. Basically we ended up getting the excursion for FREE. We felt fortunate to see see lions and California Grey Whales on our trip.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We are so happy we got you out on the water and you got to see Gray whales! Hopefully your next trip will go smoothly from start to finish.
Angela_B, Dec 2025
The perfect amount of time to spend out on the water, with really lovely views from a clean, modern boat. Our group was lucky to have stunning weather the day of our tour, unfortunately we were only able to see the fin of a minke whale and not much else. With the limited wildlife viewing, all tour participants were given back their ticket to do the tour again at a later date with the hope to see more wildlife another time.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
It's always a good day when you are out on the ocean. We hope the next time you cruise with us the animals cooperate better. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
Cheri_M, Dec 2025
Wonderful staff, clean and roomy boat, and a fun time out on the water!! We got to see 3 humpback whales while out and it was wonderful!!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
3 Humpbacks! What a great trip! Thank you for sharing your experience. Were glad you had a good time.
Robert_E, Nov 2025
Epic Adventure I recommend it to anybody take your time enjoy relax back have a drink or two or three look through the binoculars jump off and swim at the Wells just have a blast don't hold back
Response from Host, Dec 2025
YES! Come out and enjoy! Thank you for sharing and we hope you join us again soon.
Lauri_R, Nov 2025
Our group of ten people had a great time. We saw thousands of dolphins and two whales. It was an amazing experience.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
YAY! Whales and dolphins! We are so glad your group had a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing.
Elizabeth_G, Nov 2025
It was a smooth experience. Parking was easy, getting the tickets was quick, getting on the boat was not bad (and we had a walker) as we helped my Mom. They were very helpful assisting my Mom too.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
We are happy you had a good time. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Susan_F, Oct 2025
This is a great family adventure to see these amazing creatures that God created. The only suggestion I have is the crew needs to carry motion sickness medicine or patches. That was the only bummer about the trip and yes, I got sick.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
We are happy you got to see animals, and we are sorry to hear you got sick while you were out. Unfortunately, you have to take motion sickness medication at least an hour before or it doesnt do any good, so thats one reason why we dont sell it. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Marylyn_J, Oct 2025
It was a good cruise but I do wish that those who were not on the front of the vessel when the whale came into view could somehow have a picture of what it looked like due to the short time it shows up,
Response from Host, Nov 2025
We're glad you had a good cruise. We post photos and videos from our trips on our social media platforms, both facebook (Oceanside Whale Watching) and instagram (oceansidewhales). Thank you for sharing your review.
Brian_G, Oct 2025
Very friendly staff. The boat was very comfortable. Excellent viewing from anywhere on the boat. Make sure to bring a coat or sweater.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
We are glad you like the new boat and had a good time. Thank you for joining us.
From $64.00
per person-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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