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
Explore our promoted experiences
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
- Time listed is when boat LEAVES! Check-in 30-45 minutes ahead
- Marine Biologist/Naturalist & Deckhand
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks (Chips, Candy, Soda, and Water)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 66 Fishermans Wharf, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
TIME LISTED IS WHEN THE BOAT LEAVES!!!!! CHECK-IN 45 - 30 MINUTES AHEAD HIGH TRAFFIC!!! PLAN EXTRA TIME!!! MONTEREY CAR WEEK AUGUST 8 - 17TH Parking Address: 101 Washington, Monterey, Ca 93940 Building Address: 66 Fisherman's Wharf
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Old Fisherman's Wharf
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum drinking age is 21 years
- Service animals allowed
- Warm layers are recommended
- Sun protection, camera, binoculars, water, and snacks are recommended
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- If prone to motionsickness, please take precautionary measures and we also sell motion sickness remedies in the shop
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Dawn_S
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 1,057 reviews
Tina_M, Apr 2026
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
Aaron_H, Apr 2026
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!
Matthias_W, Apr 2026
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!
Kelli_S, Mar 2026
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!
Janet_J, Oct 2025
Seasickness even after taking dramamine may happen so be prepared. A stabilizer for your phone to take better pictures is recommended.
Mark_D, Oct 2025
Had such a great experience on this tour. Spent around 1.5 hours watching humpback whales feed as well as some sea lions. The crew were mega helpful and informative. Explaining the geography of the bay and the reasons the whales were present.
Apparently the sea can get a little choppy in October/when winter starts to set in which is what we experienced so take some travel sickness tablets before getting to the dock if you are prone to feeling motion sickness.
Craig_C, Oct 2025
Fantastic experience and one I will treasure for some time. Got to see humpback whales, orcas and seals up close on this tour. The crew were fantastic and very knowledgeable. Will definitely do this again!!
M_L, Oct 2025
FANTASTIC tour! we got lucky and saw orca's and humpbacks not bad for near the end of Sept. The weather was PERFECT super sunny! I do wish I had something to put on my lap.... I wore a dryfit pullover and a heavy shacket. with leggings. The whole thing was GREAT and well worth it. kids had a blast! next time we are in Monterey I will be sure to book another trip!
Xiaoxi_W, Sep 2025
Overall I took 4 times of this tour already, the 3 stars is for this past Monday boat. In all 4 journeys, this is rhe only time that I want to throw up since the beginning. And not only me, lots of people on the boat puked as part of the trip, which I never saw other boats have this issue. I am not sure if it is the captain’s problem or not.
Thomas_C, Sep 2025
Saw Wales from over 100mts maybe safety of boat and whale means no closer I was hoping for a better view
Heather_S, Sep 2025
Easy bike trip where you can travel down part of 17 mile drive. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable
Lingtian_C, Sep 2025
Amazing experience! We got to see many humpback whales so close. They were just hanging around the boat.
Yun_C, Sep 2025
This is a fantastic whale watching tour. We heard that it’s a guaranteed trip to see at least one whale. In our trip, we saw sea otters, two sharks, one sun fish jumping out of the water and more than a decade of humpback whales. Captain JJ observed a feeding zone from distance and brought us to witness the vertical feeding moment by two female whales. More amazingly, we met two whales playing with our boat for 30min. It’s truly a blessing to closely see these animals dancing in the water and sniffing on our faces. The crews are so energetic and welcome. Maddy and Kalea also showed us the greatest passion and girl power as deckhands! This trip gave me the best birthday gift. Thanks for the nature and all the crews!
Marco_M, Aug 2025
Excellent experience . Great staff. Very informative information on the trip. This is something everyone should experience when visiting Monterey.
Sandra_H, Aug 2025
Great weather, knowledgeable team and we saw over 25 whales. Perfect outing while looking for something g to do in Monterey.
Jeff_L, Aug 2025
Well organized and informative guides. Only issue was it was hard to hear guides as the sound in speakers were not loud
Anisha_B, Aug 2025
Friendly and knowledgeable guides Isaiah & Cory made my morning whale watching excursion a memorable experience! They really personalized
the tour with their expertise in the field of
whale watching and made sure each passenger was comfortable and well taken care of.
Justice_L, Jul 2025
This tour fulfilled a life long dream to see whales wild and free. I went out on the morning tour so it took a bit for us to locate the whales, but once we did it was magical. What a privilege it was to experience Humpbacks and Baird's Beaked Whales in person. The crew was super friendly and knowledgeable and you can tell they love what they do. Would definitely recommend! (Just stay away from the forward of the boat If you're prone to sea sickness!)
Allyson_M, Jul 2025
We had a great time, and we saw so many humpback whales. The guides were great at spotting the whales and dolphins, and they stopped numerous times to be sure we got great photos and videos. My teenagers had a lot of fun. This was a highlight of our California trip!
NIGELWILLIAM_S, Jul 2025
Amazing trip, Knowledgeable and v friendly staff.
Saw numerous Humpback whales, both mother and calves, Also saw a Blue whale, Pacific white sided dolphins, sea otters and seals.
Tyler_H, Jun 2025
Absolutely amazing. Maddie and Ivy looked after us while we were out on the water. They both did a great job explaining all of the different animals we saw on the trip. We were lucky to see multiple humpback whales and a pod of killer whales!
Rebecca_G, Jun 2025
Great crew! Saw lots of humpback whales. Colby was the naturalist and very informative. Ryan was very attentive and helpful. Water was very choppy so several of us were seasick. Great trip in spite of seasickness.
Amanda_V, Jun 2025
Dress appropriately as it gets cold once out of the bay but be prepared to be amazed at what you’ll see.
The crew were fabulous, so knowledgeable. By far our favourite outing we’ve done.
Florence_Z, Jun 2025
Great experience, might be once in a lifetime trip. Saw one playful baby humpback and some other humpbacks, and a few dolphins! The naturalist gave lots of fun info and free photos! Highly recommended!!
Dawn_S, May 2025
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!
Glenn_C, May 2025
Very nice staff. Boat went to good sites to see whales. Boat was small and didn’t accept all passengers in safe seats. They allowed a family to board with 4 small children, 2 under 2 years old. One of the babies fell and bumped it’s eye.
Paula_P, Apr 2025
Such a fantastic trip, the staff were so knowledgeable. Exceeded my expectations, I would book again if I could!
Mareta_G, Mar 2025
EPIC! Our guide was amazing, the experience was amazing…we can’t say enough! We saw whales, and our guide was very educational and enthusiastic. We learned a lot on a relatively short trip. Thank you for an unforgettable trip.
Thomas_J, Mar 2025
I've done this cruise a few times.
Didn't see a lot of whales this time; but saw a lot of dolphins this time. They were a total blast!!!
Kevin_P, Jan 2025
This review is being written 4 years after our tour lol. We did not have the typical experience on this whale watching tour, but would 100% recommend nonetheless. My boyfriend had a great time, but I got so seasick that I spent the entire time hunched over the side of the boat. The staff was extremely sympathetic, offered ginger and water, and tried to help as best they could. I do remember seeing a good amount of marine life, including whales feeding.
From $75.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Whale Watching Tour From Monterey
1,057
3 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$75.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Monterey & Carmel, USA
- Bixby Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Point Pinos Lighthouse Tours & Tickets
- 17-Mile Drive Tours & Tickets
- Carmel Mission Tours & Tickets
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Tours & Tickets
- Big Sur Tours & Tickets
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve Tours & Tickets
- Hearst Castle Tours & Tickets
- Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf Tours & Tickets
- Dennis the Menace Park Tours & Tickets
- Monterey Bay Tours & Tickets
- Asilomar State Beach Tours & Tickets
- Cannery Row Tours & Tickets
- Lovers Point Park Tours & Tickets