Whale Watching Tour

Recommended by 93% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Monterey & Carmel, USA

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

3 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· James_D ·

Nov 2025

Amazing experience, saw loads of sea lions, humpback whales and orcas. The guide made every effort to make the experience as fulfilling as possible! We had a good 3 hours out at sea. This felt like a once in a lifetime experience, and would definitely recommend. Pack a jacket as it gets cold out there!

· John_T ·

Jan 2026

Well run organization great at spotting and getting us good views of the whales. They run a safe trip making sure they are not going when weather would make it a rough ride making people uncomfortable.

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Price varies by group size

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Overview

Go on a spectacular whale watching tour of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary with your experienced captain narrating the entire way. The boats range from 53’ to 70’, and they are equipped with bathrooms and plenty of seating. Your captain will guide you through the bay and find where the whales are playing. You just need to be ready and waiting with your eyes and cameras.

Relax on 53’ to 70’ boats of one of the longest running whale watching companies in the area
Rest easy as there is a bathroom on board for passenger use
Be entertained by your captain’s commentary on board
Enjoy the beauty of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary and the powerful whales

What's Included

Restroom on board

Snacks
Lunch
Bottled water

Meeting and Pickup

Departure Point

You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.

Ticket Redemption Point

48 Fishermans Wharf, Monterey, CA 93940, USA

Itinerary

Whale Watching Tour

1 Stop

1 Point of Interest

Duration: 3 hours

Operating Schedule: Departures daily at 10am & 1:30pm. Check in is at 9:30am or 1pm. For Parking use 201 Washington Street then proceed to 48 Fisherman's Wharf #1 Monterey, Ca 93940.

48 Fishermans Wharf

Points of interest passed by on this route

Monterey Bay

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Most travelers can participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.7

based on 512 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Not for the weak...

Alexandra_L, Mar 2026

Not for the weak stomached people. Not a smooth ride…if you have any motion sickness, do not go!! We did see orcas, and that was incredible and a great family memory. But I have to keep it real, was sick for 3 hours and considered jumping out of the damn boat. Staff was wonderful though. Hope this helps!

Watched orcas

George_C, Mar 2026

The crew were able to find us a pod of orcas to watch. It was a very pleasant experience.. Dave gladly answered all our questions.

Great experience. Saw...

Carlos_C, Jan 2026

Great experience. Saw dolphins and whales on a beautiful day in January. The guide was funny and friendly but also knowledgeable.

Great tour

John_T, Jan 2026

Great!

KC_L, Nov 2025

Saw lots and lots of seals and a whales. Awesome experience and captain did a great job giving everyone a view

Once in a lifetime experience.

James_D, Nov 2025

Seeing whales during the...

Yesenia_O, Nov 2025

Seeing whales during the whale watching tour was an unforgettable experience! It was incredible to watch it move so gracefully in the ocean. The crew was friendly and made sure everyone got a good view. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment!

Very knowledgeable tour,...

Brianna_M, Nov 2025

Very knowledgeable tour, captain made sure we were able to see dolphins and whales. Would book again.

Amazing experience! We...

Theoni_G, Oct 2025

Amazing experience! We saw humpback whales , mother +baby putting up a performance we had never seen before! The captain and guide excellent. The boat is a small one , but the " hands on" experience is huge.

Best Ever Whale Watching

Robert_S, Oct 2025

Kevin was a very personable young man. The Star of Monterey, clean and very safe. Whales performed amazing leaps and twists in the air. A beautiful afternoon on Monterey Bay.

Sea lions, and otters, and whales…oh my!

Lynne_M, Oct 2025

Smaller boat with lots of space to see whales. The captain and crew kept in touch with other boats and took us to where the whales were. Very personable and knowledgeable. We saw quite a few humpbacks with some tail slaps and a flipper wave. Such an amazing trip!

Captain and Deckhand were...

Brent_M, Oct 2025

Captain and Deckhand were great. Friendly staff and saw plenty of hump back whales and orcas . Highly recommend

Beautiful views of the...

Craig_M, Oct 2025

Beautiful views of the bay shoreline, but the real stars of the tour were the whales! Saw lots of them, many of them breaching. Great tour and would definitely recommend!

Must check out

Freddy_M, Oct 2025

We had a great time and Kevin made the watching even more enjoyable with his friendly conversations and facts about whales.

Really great experience...

Jonathan_P, Oct 2025

Really great experience and the crew was well verse on the subject. Recommended to all ages, just be prepared for the nausea.

Exceeded expectations

Patricia_M, Sep 2025

Unbelievable. Amazing. Up close whale feeding that was one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen.

Disappointing.

Malcolm_R, Sep 2025

The boat was quite full and many people were standing around the main cabin where the seating was, so it was difficult to see out when getting to the whale area, also the windows were very dirty and scuffed. When the whales were visible the viewing was not made any easier by people who were standing in narrow areas. The commentary was not legible in the cabin as the speakers were outside and not clear with the engine noise. On the pluss side we saw lots of hump backs some with young which made the experience better.

A day in the Monterey bay

john_c, Sep 2025

Chris’s whale watching tour is #1 in my book. On ship biologist narrating as we explored the Monterey bay. We had 3 full humpy breaches. Several flukes, dolphins and so much more. Take Dramamine if you are prone to motion sickness. Trip of a lifetime!!!

This way overbooked no place for me or the girlfriend to sit and the bias looked very very old

Bijan_A, Sep 2025

Do not over sell the tickets over all we saw a good show the staff could be a little more professional overall I give this a 5 out of 10

Four friends and a boat

Margie_D, Sep 2025

It was terrific. Not terribly hard to get in and out of the boat. Saw many whales and sea otters. Saw a few dolphins too.

Perfect size boat and...

Robin_P, Sep 2025

Perfect size boat and super knowledgeable guide. We saw so many humpbacks and rafts of sea lions! Bring a sweater!

We were hoping to see...

Becky_C, Sep 2025

We were hoping to see whales and it was successful. Also the staff was Very pleasant and explained things we were seeing and answered questions

Pleasant, enjoyable trip!...

JUDY_F, Sep 2025

Pleasant, enjoyable trip! It was about 3 hours, but the weather was so great, and the experience was so worth it!

Best whale watching!

David_T, Sep 2025

It was amazing! Out of all of the whale watching outlets on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, I can 100% say this is the best one! Super sweet and nice workers who made the trip even better!

Best experience in Monterey

Agustin_C, Aug 2025

I will definitely make this apart of my itinerary every time I visit Monterey. The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable. You can tell they really love what they do. Spent more than enough time on the water and it was an experience I will never forget. I will recommend anyone who is staying around here to add this to their list.

Awesome Day with the Whales

Phillip_T, Aug 2025

It was a clear day and we saw a lot of whales and hundreds of seals. One whale was right next to the boat and scared everyone, lol. The crew was awesome and very engaged with their clients. I will definitely do it again when I come back to Monterey Bay.

Whale watching was...

Blanca_C, Aug 2025

Whale watching was amazing! Seen so many whales, birds, and sea lions. Such a great experience. Would highly recommend!

A whale of a time…. 5*

Micky_L, Aug 2025

Wow… I mean the best one yet. Whale after whale after whale (Humpbacks)! Probably one of the best moments with wildlife I’ve ever had and ticked off the bucket list! I would advise those who suffer with motion sickness to be prepared as the ocean is choppy. The captain was very informative and a great experience all round.

Motion Sickness VS. No Motion Sickness

Alex_C, Aug 2025

If you have motion sickness, take caution; and if you don't have motion sickness: enjoy the journey...because I loved it!!

Whale watching in Monterey Bay

Woody, Aug 2025

Great tour for seeing marine life. Keep in mind that you may or may not see anything. The tour staff were professional. They informed us of the safety precautions prior to departure, and were knowledgeable of the marine life that frequent the waters there year round.