Whale Watching Tour From Monterey
Monterey & Carmel, USA
Whale Watching Tour From Monterey
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Monterey & Carmel, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Look for whales as they migrate through the waters of the Pacific Ocean off of California on this whale-watching cruise from Monterey. Your naturalist guide shares commentary about the whales and their habitat as you search for gray whales (most common), humpback and blue whales, and other marine life such as dolphins and sea lions during your cruise.
- Get tips for great photo ops
- Keep an eye out for whales, dolphins, sea lions, and birds during this cruise on the Pacific Ocean
- A great experience for nature-lovers
- Set out from Monterey Bay, a premiere whale watching destination
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
This whale watching tour was the best tour we have ever taken! A once in a lifetime experience! We were lucky to come across a feeding frenzy which included hundreds of sea lions, a dozen or more humpbacks and many birds all feeding on anchovies. Ryan & Ivy were informative and super friendly! We highly recommend Discovery Whale Watch!
Reviews
4.8
based on 1,135 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Experience was great
whale watching was nice and staff was very considerate and great
For people who get sea sick maybe suggesting some kind of medicine would be good idea 😊
Thank you so much for everything
There’s the possibility it could be canceled if the ocean is too choppy. That’s what happened to us and fortunately we were able to reschedule the next day. The crew was real nice though.
Extremely fun! We saw dolphins, humpback whales, and a blue whale! The employees were really knowledgeable as well.
I had an incredible experience. The team was very kind and welcoming. Our guide Isaiah shared his knowledge about Marine life, sang a few songs, and answered all of our questions. Most importantly, he knew where to go, we got there fast, and we were the only boat on the water to see nearly a dozen humpback whales feeding in the bay. While you can never predict what wildlife are going to do, you can book a tour with people who are knowledgeable about the area and the ocean. Highly recommend.
Follow advice of tour operator and take snacks, water and warm, waterproof clothing. You need patience, but will hopefully be well rewarded, as we were, by being surrounded by dolphins, whales and sea lions galore.
Amazing wildlife experience, but know your tolerance for rough water.
This is a tough one to rate because the actual wildlife experience was incredible. We saw somewhere around 10–20 humpback whales and what the crew estimated to be roughly 2,000 common dolphins, which was absolutely spectacular. The staff was also fantastic throughout the trip, knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about what they do.
That said, the conditions made the overall experience pretty difficult for our family. It was cold and the water was very choppy, and both my wife and I became extremely seasick to the point of vomiting several times. We definitely weren’t alone, as probably 7–8 other passengers were sick as well. Even our kids, who enjoyed seeing the wildlife, said afterward that they wouldn’t want to do it again.
For context, everyone in our family took seasickness medication before the trip, and we still struggled with the conditions, which speaks to just how rough and choppy the water was that day.
Obviously, the company can’t control the ocean, so I don’t fault the crew for the conditions at all. I’d just strongly recommend that anyone prone to motion sickness take every precaution possible and come prepared for a much colder and rougher ride than you might expect.
Incredible wildlife and a great crew. For us personally, though, the sea conditions made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the most literal sense.
Such a great experience... Our naturalist were kind, funny and knowledgeable. We saw a blue whale, several humpbacks, Risso dolphins, and an albatross!! So exciting!
Small boat rough ride.. Swells were too big for the size of boat.. Probably should a booked a bigger boat
Great experience! Humpback whales, common dolphin, sea lions and sea otters! Side note: take motion sickness medication before going.
We went on a tour on July 22, 2026 at 9:00am. It was the best experience of our life! We didn't only see Humpback Whales and dolphins, but we saw Orcas (Killer Whales!) It was AMAZING! I really enjoyed our Naturalist, Sophie's commentary and "bird nerd" information as well! We saw lots of Black Footed Albatross and a very rare Booby!! I couldn't' have asked for a better experience and highly recommend them for your next Whale Watching Adventure!
Our whale watching tour was truly an unforgettable experience! From start to finish, the crew made us feel welcome and excited to be out on the water. Isaiah and Maddy were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about marine life, and Captain JJ did an amazing job making the trip smooth, safe, and enjoyable. The entire experience had such a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and you could tell the crew genuinely loves what they do. Their enthusiasm and expertise made spotting whales even more exciting, and they were always happy to answer questions and share interesting facts. Plus the singing made it even more enjoyable 10/10!!!
If you’re visiting Monterey, booking a whale watching tour with this crew will be one of the best things you do. I can’t recommend them enough!
Great tour and great wildlife viewing area. Saw loads of humpbacks, sea lions, and dolphins.
Evening tours can get a bit choppy and chilly. Take precautions if you’re susceptible. But otherwise, well worth it.
Decided to do whale watching for our baby moon. This tour did NOT disappoint. Wonderful, energetic guides. Great weather and lots of nature and mammals to see from dolphins, humpback whales, seals, sea lions, and more!
It takes about an hour to get to the deep water where the whales feed (and then a hour back). That allows an hour watching these great humpback whales. The Captain continually positioned the vessel as the whales positions changed. While watching the whales, we learned quite a lot about them from the guide. There was plenty of room on the vessel for guests to enjoy the whales in their environment. Bring a windbreaker and headband. Recommended!
It was really fun and crew were super nice and knowledgeable. We also saw bunch of whales and other sea animals while on the tour.
The company CANCELED the tour!!! Did not get to experience the Whale watching tour as the event was cancelled by The ship captain.
We saw six whales, three different types: Blue, Fin, Humoback!! Great instructions on what to bring such as warm clothing, etc.
The crew was friendly and knowledgeable and answered all questions the group had and made to trip fun and entertaining
Bring windbreaker or rain coat. Lots of storage space on your digital camera or video camera. Saw so many whales. Blue, Sperm, Humpbacks, we saw dolphins. Great trip. Great crew. Very knowledgeable and friendly.
This was an amazing whale tour! We saw sperm whales and blue whale, which was an interesting occurrence since our guide had not seen sperm whales during his 10 year tenure. We came during early-mid June and it seems like that’s the best time to go! We saw a lot of humpbacks, dolphins, sea lions, and other species of whale. It was a beautiful trip and once in a lifetime. For four hours and with a great crew, this was fantastic. My family and I were so excited and happy!!
The crew is very receptive to questions and knowledgeable of the sealife. I would highly recommend this tour.
Fantastic tour from beginning to end. Very knowledgable naturalist and ship hands. They made it very fun and educational. They did an amazing job of keeping us close enough to the whales to really appreciate them and get good photos, without causing them any distress! Can’t wait to do another tour with them!
Great experience! Highly recommend! Saw about 20 to 30 whales and a baby.❤️ Otter, LOTS of sea lions swimming together, pelicans! Beautiful sunshine!
Maddie and Isaiah were very helpful in their instructions, anssisting, and very friendly!
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE DRAMAMINE 30 min - 1 hour before disembarking.
The sea was quite rough but still a lot of fun (accept for the few who had seasickness😢). If you have difficulty walking or keeping good balance, you will not be able to get around on the boat on a windy day like ours.
Use the restroom before you go - one girl got super seasick after she was in the bathroom during the rough waves.
Remember ….. when observing the incredible nature, to consider the Lord who designed and created everything around you! Magnificent creation! But even more - a Magnificent God! Give thanks!!
The experience was fascinating, although I would have liked more information about the animals sited. We saw a variety of marine life. I enjoyed the sailor songs by one of the employees.
All tourists need to wear a waterproof jacket and stay outside of the inner cabin. The ride outbound was wet & rough as expected. (Everyone who stayed inside got seasick!)
Fabulous experience and our naturalist Ryan was brilliant. It was a magical experience that I would repeat in a heart beat.
Whale watch was fun. Great crew . Saw whales and sea otters and dolphins. Make sure to dress warm with rain gear and warm hats. Shoes with thick heels as it gets cold and rainy
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the review! We definitely recommend dressing warm and in layers as the temperature varies significantly. We're ecstatic that you had a great time out us. Tell your friends!
Very friendly and knowledgeable crew. Highly entertaining. They keep a very clean ship that has a bathroom on board. This company also sells Dramamine at their shop that can be taken before you get on board. Their shop also sells blankets that are designed to keep you dry in case the weather isn’t great. We would definitely do it again!
Amazing! Captain JJ is a wizard at finding the right place to spot whales. We saw several humpbacks and thousands of dolphins. Maddie was doing the play by play and her energy is unmatched. Kahlea (sp?) was also super energetic and knowledgeable. This is a tour we will remember forever!
We saw humpbacks several times. It was kind of early in season (I believe that’s what they said) so they weren’t really active, just swimming along and blowing their spouts. Got a few tail shows but nothing crazy. Did have gray whale siting as well but only 1-2 times. Really enjoyed seeing the Risso dolphins. There were about 10 of them playing around. We also saw lots of sea lions and otters so that was fun too.
The trip was rough and several people got sick but the crew was very helpful to them. My husband and I had no problems. Maddi, the on board naturalist was soooo good. She knows her stuff. She had lots of fun facts about all the wildlife, the ocean and the boaters.
We really enjoyed our trip and would highly recommend it. If you’re prone to seasickness take something before!
Seasickness even after taking dramamine may happen so be prepared. A stabilizer for your phone to take better pictures is recommended.
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