San Diego: 3 Hour Whale Watch Cruise with Legacy Whale Watch
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
San Diego, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Swap city sightseeing for some time on the water with this exciting whale-watching cruise. Avoid the guesswork when trying to figure out where to spot whales, and let the experienced crew take you directly to places known for sightings. As well as whales, you may spot sea lions, sea birds, and sometimes dolphins—with commentary from the naturalist guides who can share plenty of facts about marine life.
- Go on a boat tour with a special focus—to spot whales
- Comfortable vessel with onboard restrooms
- Learn from experts: Hear commentary from naturalist guides
- Enjoy time for questions and answers during the trip
What's Included
- 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour
- Wildlife Spotting Opportunities
- Restroom on board
- Free Parking
- San Diego Natural History Museum Certified Naturalists
- Indoor and outdoor seating areas
- Marine wildlife identification chart or guide
- Food and Beverages (available to purchase)
- Binoculars (available to rent)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 1717 Quivira Rd, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
We depart from Seaforth Sportfishing. Please check-in inside Seaforth Tackle Shop at the top of the dock and then we will all walk down to the boat after a brief introduction. Please do not park in Seaforth Boat Rentals, Seaforth Marina, Marina Village parking lots, as you do risk being towed.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Ticket Redemption Point
1717 Quivira Rd, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
Itinerary
San Diego (Pass By)
Mission Bay Park (Pass By)
Dog Beach (Pass By)
San Diego River (Pass By)
Ocean Beach (Pass By)
Ocean Beach Municipal Pier (Pass By)
Mission Beach (Pass By)
Belmont Park (Pass By)
Pacific Beach (Pass By)
Crystal Pier San Diego (Pass By)
La Jolla (Pass By)
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park (Pass By)
Point Loma (Pass By)
Old Point Loma Lighthouse (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 130 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
Robin_R
This was such an awesome experience. We have decided this will be a regular activity when we visit once a year. The cruise it's self was wonderful but it is the staff is what made it a 5 star rating. The staff is super nice and friendly. I cannot say enough nice things about them. The staff in the store and on the boat were fantastic. The staff on the boat were genuinely excited when we came across sea life. You could hear the excited in their voices. It really made all the difference to me. There are all kinds of whale watching adventures to choose from. Some are more expensive some are not. This one is very reasonable. However, you cannot get that kind of staff on every cruise. If you are undecided, pick this one. You will not regret it.
Reviews
4.7
based on 281 reviews
Arthur_N, Jun 2026
Bring something for sea sickness. Plan on a relaxing boat trip and a chance to meet new people. Enjoy your day even if you don’t encounter whales. 🐳 😄
Joe_M, Jun 2026
This trip was wonderful. They set up expectations and told us facts while on tour. The captain made sure both side of the boat could see the wildlife. Very fun. Also got to see many points of Interest.
Gary_W, Jun 2026
Absolutely amazing! We saw a whale, dolphins and seal lions!!!
Staff extremely friendly, knowledgeable and genuinely wanted us to enjoy the experience to the max!
Genuinely, highly recommend!
Claudia_R, Jun 2026
The whale watching trip was alot of fun, we got see different wild life, seals, birds, whales, and dolphins! The crew was very nice and knowledgeable. Awesome sunny day. We would definitely recommend for anyone who likes to just explore
George_W, Jun 2026
Very good value, excellent commentary and we saw whales, dolphins etc.
We recommend this tour without hesitation!
Curtis_L, Jun 2026
Fabulous morning!
The crew were friendly. They worked hard to educate us, find whales, and take care of motion sickness needs.
Ashesh_D, Jun 2026
Very good experience. On time start. About three hour sail out of San Diego Harbor. We could see a humpback whale a few times and multiple pods of dolphins racing across the ocean and in close proximity of the boat. The naturalist Freya was informative and kept everyone interested and informed. A few swells going out, not large, just enough to keep it exciting. Highly recommend the Legacy.
Carolyn_T, Jun 2026
We were very disappointed because no whale sighting. But we did see dolphins. However it was a very rough ride and we both got sick.
Joy_L, Jun 2026
Saw whales and dolphins. Great trip. Some folks got seasick. Be prepared. Also saw sea lions. Great food at location. Just ask the birds
Todd_K, Jun 2026
As advertised, we saw several whales, which was a phenomenal experience in itself. In addition to those whales, we saw huge groups of dolphins, sea lions, and sea birds. Our guide was knowledgeable and helpful.
My kids (5 and 11) really enjoyed the experience, and their parents did too. Having a bathroom and beverage service on board were nice amenities. 10/10 would recommend.
Carlotta_E, Jun 2026
Make sure to bring dramamine with you in case you start feeling sick. It's a long beautiful boat ride so apply plenty of sunscreen! Seats don't really matter much because when a whale is seen, everyone moves to that side of the boat, and movement can be tricky due to the motions of the waves.
But this was an amazing experience and would do it again. Have fun!
Teresa_B, Jun 2026
Bring jackets . Unfortunately we didn’t see any whales and only 2 dolphins so very disappointing. But the staff was great.
Porfedio_C, Jun 2026
It was nice to be on the ocean I loved looking out at the beach, but we didn’t get to use all the accommodations, the hot tub didn’t work the pool was dirty, The parking was also hard , cause it’s a tight fit and hard to get out.
Kseniya_s, Jun 2026
Friendly, informative. Best money I sent so far on vacation! Highly recommend for kids and grown ups
Maria_F, Jun 2026
The weather was wonderful and the crew was very friendly. We didn't see any whales, but saw an incredible pod of dolphins.
M_B, Jun 2026
They don't guarantee a sighting but 3 hours on a boat in nice weather is worth it. We did see an endangered fin whale, a stampede of dolphin pods, sea lions, and birds. It was beautiful. The captain called the other boats to share location which I felt was a great community thing and a nice change from cut throat people. Good music on the boat during down time.
Liza_G, Jun 2026
It was an amazing experience went with my husband got to see whales breech which was cool. Lots of dolphins, lots of whales which was cool too. Crew was awesome waters where rough though word of advice dramamine is your best friend, Sun hat and sun screen I feel asleep top side big mistake got sun burnt . But i had the best time .......
Tawonda_E, Jun 2026
Everyone threw up around us. Be prepared not to see whales but dolphins. I enjoyed the dolphins though that was pretty cool
TERESA_C, Jun 2026
Absolutely awesome day whale watching! Crew is excellent and very knowledgeable. It was a once in a lifetime event. So many whale sitings we lost count!!
Amber_E, Jun 2026
It was a blast! The tour guide was very informative and kept us laughing the entire time. We were able to see so many dolphins and spotted at least 4 whales. Very cool!
Kim_F, Jun 2026
Fantastic tour at more than a reasonable price. Crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to answer questions. Saw plenty of whales and the even more fun dolphins.
Judie_G, Jun 2026
Wonderful experience and team. So relaxing and just beautiful atmosphere. Team was very informative. Seating was great both inside and out. Although we didn’t get to see any whales, we saw wonderful pods of dolphins!! At end of tour, we were given a 50% discount for a next try to see whale. Voucher is good for 1 yr!!
Sherri_S, Jun 2026
This was an incredible experience and a lot of fun. We saw a humpback whale several times and saw dolphins. I really enjoyed this activity with my family.
Laura_M, Jun 2026
We were very lucky to see a humpback whale breach!
But, we would’ve liked a little more information and updates about where we were going and how long we would be traveling until we got to the site where we would hope to see the whales.
We really just saw the one whale, which was amazing, and some dolphins.
Caroline_F, Jun 2026
Wonderful experience, we got so lucky abd hung out with a mother-baby blue whale pair nearly the entire time. Definitely know there is significant ocean chop. I’ve been scuba diving off the GBR and this was rockier. One of my kids was pretty queasy but thankfully a nap on the way back to the marina did the trick. Friendly staff. Bring a jacket and snacks!
Michael_E, Jun 2026
Was a great time crew was fantastic! Good explanation of what we were observing and pointing us in the right direction to get the best view.
Isabel_D, Jun 2026
It was an Amazing Day experience even though we didn’t see any whales. You have to keep in mind that it’s the experience with your loved ones that matters. We were fortunate to see lots of dolphins.
Wayne_B, Jun 2026
Crew was very informative and found us a beautiful Blue Whale that we were able to enjoy watching for over a half hour.
Mary_R, Jun 2026
The staff was amazing! We saw 2 blue whales and a Mola mola. Would definitely do this again. Thank you so much!
Jonah_R, Jun 2026
Absolutely incredible experience that I would highly recommend to anyone. We got to see a humpback whale breach relatively close to the boat which was an incredible sight to see. The crew was very friendly and informative. Great experience!
From $34.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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