San Diego Whale Watching Cruise
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
San Diego, USA
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Go whale watching from San Diego aboard a replica of a historic sailing schooner that won the world’s first America’s Cup sailing competition in 1851. Throughout your cruise, your expert guide shares informative commentary about gray whales, dolphins, and other marine animals, along with details about the US Navy sites you pass as you head out on the Pacific Ocean.
- Cruise on the sailing ship America from San Diego
- Spot migrating whales and dolphins frolicking in the Pacific Ocean
- Choose the only whale-watching cruise by sailing yacht in San Diego
- Includes whale sighting and 'no seasickness' guarantee
What's Included
- Approximately 4 hours (3.5-4.5 hours depending on weather)
- Sodas and snacks
- Sightings Guarantee: No whales or dolphins? Come back for free (no expiration, non-transferable)
- No seasickness' guarantee: Lose your lunch, we get you a new one
- Free Parking. Check-in located next to parking lot.
- Live guide with marine wildlife commentary
- Restroom facilities onboard
- All safety equipment and life jackets
- Replica historic sailing schooner experience (1851 America's Cup winner)
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop off NOT included
- Bring layers, blankets, and jackets. It can be cold on the water!
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Next Level Sailing - San Diego Whale Watching & Private Yacht Charters2050 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
Check in opens an hour before departure time and closes 30 minutes before. If you arrive after check in, you will miss the boat. Check in flag located across street from the Best Western Island Palms Hotel and Blue Wave Bar & Grill. Additional Information will show specific check in times.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Travel back in time when sailing on the America, a replica of the sailing ship that won the first America's Cup sailing competition in 1851. Your classic sailing vessel provides a smooth ride and spacious decks, perfect for sailing on the Pacific Ocean in search of gray whales and other marine life. Since your boat principally moves under wind power without using the engine, your captain can get closer to the marine animals without scaring them. The boat's deep keel provides excellent stability and large decks offer unobstructed views, making the America a prime vessel for whale-watching.
Snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic) are offered during the cruise. You are welcome to bring along a picnic lunch or your favorite bottle of wine to enjoy onboard.
Whale sightings are guaranteed on your cruise. If no whales are sighted, you can return for a complimentary whale watching cruise on another day in the same season. The America also provides a "no seasickness" guarantee.
Snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic) are offered during the cruise. You are welcome to bring along a picnic lunch or your favorite bottle of wine to enjoy onboard.
Whale sightings are guaranteed on your cruise. If no whales are sighted, you can return for a complimentary whale watching cruise on another day in the same season. The America also provides a "no seasickness" guarantee.
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Old Point Loma Lighthouse
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Please call if you have a wheelchair so we can discuss the boarding options as we have had guests with wheelchairs enjoy this experience. We do have 5 steps in order to board the vessel. There is a single step in the deck. Please call Thank you!
- Adult Ticket for ages 13-99 years old. Child Ticket for ages 0-12.
- 9:00 AM trip: Check in between 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
- 11:00 AM trip: Check-in starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 10:30 AM
- 1:15 PM trip: Check in between 12:30 - 12:45
- 2:00 PM Trip: Check in between 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM
- Bring layers, blankets, and jackets. It can be cold on the water!
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 77 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
I was a little skeptical when there weren’t many traditional seats and we sat on deck boxes. However we had a great experience. The ride was smooth and we had a great view. We were able to find 2 groups of gray whales and a pod of 150 dolphins. We even got to see them stampede. A bucket list event for sure! The crew was knowledgeable and very helpful. Highly recommend this tour. (And we were glad we brought coats!)
Reviews
4.8
based on 2,531 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Very fun and a great day on the ocean. Captain is very knowledgeable and the sailboat was beautiful, and I would definitely go again.
A amazing day out on the water, in an amazing schooner and crew….just excellent from start to finish.
Great experience unfortunately we didn't see anything but the crew members were amazing. We were told that we would receive a free trip for not seeing anything so we are looking forward to that
We were lucky enough to see a stampede of dolphins on the way back, we also saw some sea lions, it was overall a great experience that I would definitely recommend.
The check in was easy to find and well marked. The crew were all very friendly and helpful. Comfortable sail even with the slightly rough seas. We were able to see dolphins, a humpback whale, lots of sea lions and sea birds. Perfectly comfortable traveling as a single female
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We had a great experience on the whale-watching tour! The customer service was excellent from start to finish—the staff was friendly, helpful, professional, and genuinely committed to making sure everyone had a great time. They created a fun and welcoming atmosphere throughout the trip.
One thing I would recommend to future guests is to be prepared for plenty of sun exposure. Bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and consider protective clothing, especially if you’re spending several hours on the water.
Also, keep your expectations realistic when it comes to seeing whales. Wildlife is unpredictable, and when you do spot one, it may only be for a very quick glimpse before it disappears beneath the water. We found that the excitement is in staying alert and enjoying the experience of being out on the ocean, rather than expecting long or guaranteed whale sightings.
Overall, we really enjoyed the tour and especially appreciated the outstanding customer service. It’s a fun experience and well worth doing—just come prepared for the sun and remember that whale sightings are a matter of luck and timing!
I took my family, 7 of us on this trip and it was the highlight of our vacation. We were fortunate to have a great active humpback whale right up to the boat, learned all the terms and parts of the whale from the knowledgable staff. They had supplies or medicine, ginger chews and more if anyone gets sudden sea sick. It was smooth sailing and soooo beautiful! They had free soda and water bottles, other drinks for reasonable price. But mostly the way the staff handled the sail and shared their knowledge, they used a rubber whale to describe the jumps that the whale had done for us. The humpback scooped under the boat and all around us. We got great pictures and everyone in our group just loved it. The America is an amazing well kept, GORGIOUS ship that the staff works so hard to keep so clean for all of us. Not one thing went wrong. Thanks to you staff, ai will recommend you to friends who visit San Diego.
We saw a playful whale and stuck around to enjoy it for a while! Crew even took videos and airdropped them to us so we could just enjoy the moment!
Great polite crew, ship was beautiful and roomy. Not quite whale season yet but we saw a ton of dolphins
Well worth the money. Enjoyed seeing all the water life. The captain was very safety conscious. I felt safe with his years worth of experience which he shared. Unfortunately didn't see any whales but saw a stampede of dolphins searching for sardines. I have never seen baby dolphins. Very exciting. The sea lions were very entertaining with their antics. They had plenty of snacks and cold drinks on board that made it more enjoyable
Amazing experience. Staff were awesome. The boat was super cool. Kid friendly. We have a 3 year old and he absolutely loved it.
We didn’t see any whales but it was an amazing experience on the Sail boat and also getting to see a pod of about 200 dolphins. Also a submarine and military stuff and the coastline. Pretty amazing hope to see a whale another time.
Although we saw hundreds of dolphins we never did see a whale and that was disappointing but the crew was awesome and we had a great time still.
My 16 yo granddaughter and I absolutely loved this! The weather was perfect, didn't need a jacket, however, some people had on sweatshirts.
We saw a humpback whale who was very 'social' and hung around for quite a while. Crew members were great about information on whales as well as taking videos and sharing with us.
The boat is gorgeous and history is shared about it; truly is smooth sailing. I highly recommend the trip!!
Great experience! We saw some whales and dolphins while we were out. The crew was awesome and very helpful and accommodating. The yacht was the best part!
Ship super clean,great staff,on time,very smooth sailing, informative on what we were seeing.rest room on board
Calming and scenic tour of San Diego’s waters. And you could not fathom Fathom being any better a hostess and guide onboard.
It's an awesome time. Definitely make sure you bring sun screen. If you are handicapped they will do all they can to accommodate you. The staff are great and very helpful and friendly.
Great boat ride..However only saw a sword fish.. it did not seem like there was a game plan or crew looking for any creatures we were just on a boat ride.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your review. I am sorry we didn't see whales or dolphins during your trip, but I'm glad we got to see a swordfish. We always have a gameplan when searching for animals. The captain talks to all the other whale watching captains in the area, so everyone shares information on what we are seeing. The crew (myself included) are always on the lookout for animals as well. Sometimes, we are just unlucky if whales and dolphins are not in the area. We look forward to having you aboard next time you're in town for your free trip. Thank you!
Beautiful boat and a great sail with plenty of time for soaking up the sun and salt air! Friendly crew! We saw dolphins galore, humpbacks, seals, sea lions, and a submarine! Great value for the time and money!
The one thing I truly wanted out of our first-ever trip to San Diego was to see a whale and sea lions, and this tour made those dreams come true!
We didn’t just see one whale—we saw two! We also saw literally hundreds of dolphins. I’ve never seen so many dolphins in one place in my life! On our way back into the marina, we were greeted by dozens of sea lions, which was the perfect ending to an incredible trip.
The crew was fantastic—very knowledgeable, informative, and attentive. Our daughter wasn’t feeling the best once we got farther out into the ocean, and the crew checked on her (and all of the passengers) multiple times to make sure everyone was okay and to offer anything that might help with nausea. They even offered blankets to anyone who was cold.
Pro tip: Bring a jacket! It was 82°F outside, but once we got out on the open water, it was surprisingly chilly.
The captain was great too. He was funny, knowledgeable, and made sure everyone understood the safety rules before we left. As an added bonus, we even got to see a submarine coming into the harbor on our way out to sea—that was really cool!
Overall, this was an absolutely amazing experience and one of the highlights of our San Diego vacation. I would definitely recommend this whale watching cruise to anyone visiting the area!
We had the best time going out on this beautiful boat. We were taken out to see mega pods of dolphins Wales, and it was a beautiful day on the outside of this boat. I highly recommend this trip. The crew were informative and friendly!
Beautiful day on the water! Fathom and the crew were amazing, they did a wonderful job!
I’d strongly recommend this activity!
Our tour guide was extremely informative. We learned lots about different types of ships, animals, & sites of San Diego. Thank you!
Had a great time was able to see several dolphins and a whale! The staff is very friendly and share their knowledge about the animals we saw and even some of the military boats/ planes.
Beautiful sail on the Pacific Ocean. On our trip lots of military activity, great views of the coast and city
Make sure you dress accordingly for the weather; it can get cold. We were lucky to see dolphins, whales, and some sealions. It was worth the trip with all the sights and sounds we experienced. Great crew working the ship, friendly and informative.
It is rare to see whales this time of year, and we didn’t. The overall experience though, did not disappoint. The boat, a replica of the sailing schooner America, is beautiful and rides nicely when you get out of the bay. We saw pods consisting of hundreds of common dolphins (along with a few sea lions) twice. The dolphins like to race the boat and swim under the bow. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable. Add in great weather and it was very enjoyable.
We didn't see any whales but we saw lots of dolphins which the kids and all of us loved!! The staff was excellent and showed a lot of patience with people who struggled to follow the rules. The sailboat is so amazing! Great experience overall! And we get to come back for free since we didn't get to see a whale this time.
Fantastic adventure. The crew was incredibly knowledgeable, interactive, and friendly. It was so fun hearing their excitement at seeing what they probably see daily made the sights that much more meaningful and exciting for us. Highly reccommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your recommendation! We are thrilled you had such a great time whale watching with us. We sincerely appreciate your great feedback. Thanks again!
Member Pricing
From
$80.75
per personWas $85.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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San Diego Whale Watching Cruise
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4 hours
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