2-Hour Kayak or Paddleboard with Sea Lions in Marina del Rey
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Santa Monica, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
On this small-group kayaking or paddleboard tour, you’ll hit the scenic coastlines of Marina del Ray for a hands-on nature immersion. Learn kayaking or paddleboard techniques from your guide, and get a chance to spot local wildlife like sea lions, dolphins, and different varieties of seabird. Tours are capped at only seven participants for a personalized experience.
- A small-group paddleboard or kayaking excursion in Marina del Ray
- Escape the bustle of the city and enjoy an invigorating adventure on the Pacific
- Learn about the local environment and marine life from your guide
- Head down the main channel of the famous marina, and spot wildlife species
What's Included
- Life jacket
- Kayak or Stand Up Paddle Board (we offer 2 double kayaks, 2 single kayaks and 4 SUPs on first come first served basis)
- Towel
- Sunscreen
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, USA
Meeting point: Mothers beach, 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 The closest parking is Parking Lot #11 at 14101 Panay Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 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
Tyler was a wonderful guide!! We enjoyed our time on the kayaks! We traveled from Nebraska and this was the first event we did! We saw many birds and a sea lion! I would definitely recommend to others!
Reviews
4.7
based on 65 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
The two hours on the water with our guide, Elvis (actual name he uses) was even much better than expected. We thought we’d have a good time kayaking around, but he took us to all the places where he knew the sea lions hung out. We got close to several individuals and groups. They were so entertaining. He also stopped a few times to help pelicans that had gotten caught up with fish hooks or lines. That was cool to see as well.
Our tour guide Elvis was amazing. He showed us great places with lots of sea lions and he was patient and a lot of fun.
Good communication for directions and meet up. Our guide, Elvis, was so friendly and knowledgable. We saw lots of sea lions and sea birds and boats. Would highly recommend for a relaxing SoCal outdoor activity.
It’s not at all worth the money. This more of a self guided tour rather than tour guided. I was hoping for some history or some fun facts. We saw very few sea lions and they were just sleeping on the back of boats. This booking made it seem like we would be interacting with the animals or they would come close to us. We were only on the water for 1 hour. Very disappointing.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We’re sorry the experience did not meet your personal expectations, but we would like to clarify that this is a responsible wildlife-viewing experience - not a zoo or an animal encounter. Sea lions are wild animals, so their location, behaviour, and level of activity can never be guaranteed. Approaching, touching, feeding, chasing, or otherwise disturbing them is neither appropriate nor permitted. We respect the animals and always observe them responsibly from a safe distance.
Nowhere in our listing do we promise that guests will interact or play with sea lions, or that the animals will approach the kayaks. Interestingly, another guest from the same group left a five-star review describing the guide as excellent, noting that they saw multiple sea lions, including families, took excellent photos, and had a great time. This demonstrates how differently guests may perceive the very same experience.
We are sorry that you were expecting a closer animal encounter, but that is not something an ethical wildlife tour can or should promise. We strongly encourage guests to read the full experience description before booking to ensure that the activity matches their expectations.
Excellent guide, we saw multiple sea lions including families. We were able to get close and get excellent photos. We had a great time!
It was an amazing experience! I had never been kayaking before and was a bit nervous. Elvis was very reassuring and helpful and made me very comfortable. It was my best friends birthday so 5 of us decided to try this. We had a blast and got to see a few sea lions and learned the basics of kayaking. I would definitely recommend this adventure! 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Kayaking around the marina was a great way to spend time on the water and get a great view of all the boats. Our guide was very friendly and patient with a first-time kayaker, but when I choose to pay for a tour over self-guided, I expect to hear stories, anecdotes, lore, information, history, and/or fun facts about the area we are visiting. Our guide had three trivia questions.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello there,
Thank you so much for joining us on the water and for sharing your experience. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed kayaking around the marina and that our guide made you feel comfortable as a first-time kayaker.
We also appreciate your feedback about the tour content. Our goal is to provide not only a safe and enjoyable paddle but also to share engaging stories and insights about the marina and its history. We’ll be sure to pass your comments along to our team so we can enhance the experience with more fun facts and local knowledge.
We truly value your input and hope to welcome you back for an even more memorable and informative adventure next time!
Group of 5 enjoyed this fun, relaxing tour of Marina and saw plenty of sea lions. Four took single kayaks and one double. Tyler was a knowledgeable guide.
This trip was a fun trip around the harbor to see Sea Lions. We saw many. As long as you are in great shape, you will love it.
I did not see all the seals that were advertised that I would see. The guide, Tyler, left me a couple of times and then when I asked where all the seals were, he’s like there’s some over there. Did you get enough views of the seals sarcastically.
Then he was sure to try to get his tip by asking everybody as they got off the kayaks to open their Zella accounts or Venmo to tip him and add him.
It was just a kayak tour around boats, and I did not see all the seals that were advertised in the brochure online
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello Vanessa,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re very sorry to hear that your tour did not meet your expectations, and we sincerely apologize for the disappointment.
While we do often encounter seals in the marina, they are wild animals and their presence can never be fully guaranteed. That said, your feedback about how this was communicated is important, and we’ll be reviewing it with our team to make sure guests have the right expectations.
We’re also concerned to hear about your interaction with the guide and the way gratuities were requested. This is not the standard we set for professionalism, and we will be addressing it directly with our staff to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
We truly value your input, as it helps us improve our service, and we hope we’ll have the chance to provide you with a much better experience in the future.
Tyler was a wonderful guide!! We enjoyed our time on the kayaks! We traveled from Nebraska and this was the first event we did! We saw many birds and a sea lion! I would definitely recommend to others!
Walker was a Great Guide and brought us to see Seals and great yachts. Had Fun and would go again - Good Kayak
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the awesome review! 🦭🚤 We're so glad you had a fun time with Walker and enjoyed seeing the seals and yachts. It’s great to hear the kayak experience was a hit too! We’d love to have you back for another adventure soon! 🌊✨
We had a great 2 hour SUP tour with Walker. We toured the Marina Del Ray boats at the Marina at a relaxed pace and Walker pointed out all the marine wildlife and points of interest. Meeting point is by car park 11 and the beach next to the children’s playground I mention this as we were not exactly sure where to go in the beginning.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the great review! 🚤🌊 We’re so glad you enjoyed the 2-hour SUP tour with Walker and had a relaxed time exploring the Marina del Rey boats and wildlife. We appreciate you sharing the helpful tip about the meeting point—it’s always great to make things easier for future guests. Hope to see you back for another fun adventure soon! 🏄♂️✨
This was SO much fun! We had never been kayaking or paddle boarding before, but I am happy to say it was very beginner friendly (even for my 65 y/o mom!). We got to see lots of sea lions and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the awesome review! 🦭🌊 We’re so glad to hear you and your mom had a fun time, even as beginners! It’s great that you enjoyed the sea lions and beautiful weather. We’d love to have you back for more kayaking and paddleboarding adventures soon! 🚣♀️✨
Great experience and guide to tour the beautiful Marina del Rey vicinity in a friendly environment and meet people!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the wonderful review! 🌊 We’re so glad you had a great experience exploring the beautiful Marina del Rey with a friendly guide and enjoyed meeting new people. We hope to see you again soon for another fun tour! 🚤✨
Josh, our guide, was so kind to us! We were learning to kayak, and he was informative and attentive.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the great review! 🚣♂️ We're so happy to hear that Josh made your kayaking experience enjoyable with his kindness, attention, and helpful guidance. We hope to see you back on the water soon for more fun adventures! 🌊✨
Nate was an excellent guide. We had a great time. We will definitely do this again on our next visit.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the great review! 🌊 We’re so happy to hear you had a fantastic time with Nate as your guide. We can’t wait to welcome you back for more fun on the water during your next visit! 🚤✨
Great guide. Loads of information. All 5 of us had a brilliant time. Walker was very informative and friendly would highly recommend the trip.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the wonderful review! 🌊 We’re so glad to hear that you and your group had a brilliant time with Walker as your guide. It’s great that his informative and friendly approach made the trip even more enjoyable. We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back soon! 🚤✨
guides were very helpful and very welcoming and friendly. we got to see a few sea lions but not too many. nothing that could be controlled
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the kind review! 🦭 We’re so glad to hear that the guides were helpful, welcoming, and friendly. While seeing sea lions can be a bit unpredictable, we’re glad you had the opportunity to spot a few. We hope to welcome you back for another great adventure soon! 🌊✨
We had the best experience kayaking.
Our tour guide Josh was very friendly and helpful. We came from NJ to enjoy our vacation in LA. Out of 5 tour we booked, kayaking was the best one. We Thank Josh for such a great experience!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the wonderful review! 🚣♀️ We’re so glad to hear that kayaking with Josh was the highlight of your trip to LA! It’s fantastic that Josh’s friendly and helpful guidance made your experience so memorable. We truly appreciate you choosing us and hope to welcome you back for another adventure on your next visit! 🌊✨
Perfect two hour excursion! Nice equipment with experienced and friendly guide in a beautiful setting.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the wonderful review! 🌊 We're so glad to hear you had a perfect two-hour excursion with great equipment, an experienced guide, and a beautiful setting. We hope to welcome you back for more amazing adventures soon! 🚤✨
Just a good time and off the beaten path a little! Small group and relaxed time. We saw about 7 sea lions.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the great review! 🦭 We’re so glad to hear you had a relaxed and enjoyable time with the small group, and it’s awesome that you got to see 7 sea lions! We hope to welcome you back for more off-the-beaten-path adventures soon! 🌊✨
Awesome time with Walker! He has a great attitude and was super knowledgeable about the sea lions and kayaks. Thank you! Kids loved it.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the fantastic review! 🦭 We're so happy to hear that you had an awesome time with Walker and that the kids loved it! It's great that his knowledge and positive attitude made the experience even better. We hope to see you back for more fun adventures soon! 🚣♀️✨
such an amazing experience! walker was extremely accommodating and informative throughout the entire trip. we were able to see the sea lions up close and learn a lot about them. would definitely do again!!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the amazing review! 🦭 We're so happy to hear that Walker made your experience enjoyable and informative. It’s great that you got to see the sea lions up close and learn more about them! We’d love to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure soon! 🌊✨
We had the best day out on the water with our guide Tanya! We saw a lot of sea lions on docks and also in the water! They came very close to us to check us out and they were diving under the kayak, it was just an amazing experience! I would highly recommend doing it! And thanks to our amazing guide Tanya, we had a great day!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the fantastic review! 🦭 We’re so glad you had such an amazing experience out on the water with Tanya and got to see the sea lions up close! It’s always incredible when they get curious and dive under the kayaks. We really appreciate the recommendation and can’t wait to welcome you back for more adventures! 🌊✨
This was such a fun experience!! Kayaking through the marina to see all the beautiful boats and yes... all the sea lions!! This was the best! Our guide, Walker, was super helpful, knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. He had a love for the water and for the area and gave us great stories and info about everything we saw!! We were so excited to see the sea lions and Walker made sure that we got to see as many as possible!! My son and I went on this tour and really loved it- would highly recommend it!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the amazing review! 🦭 We’re so happy to hear that you and your son had such a fun time kayaking through the marina and seeing the sea lions! It’s great that Walker made the experience even better with his helpfulness, knowledge, and enthusiasm. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you both back for another memorable adventure soon! 🌊✨
The photos don’t do it justice. We saw several different groups of sea lions of various ages: from a baby resting on a mooring to a large group of maybe 10 sunning themselves on the dock. It was so exciting to hear them barking in the distance then paddling around the marina to find them. Every so often one would pop up in the water near our kayaks to check us out. The sea lions are obviously the main attraction but it was also interesting to check out all of the boats.
Our guide was excellent: helpful, knowledgeable and reassuring. I’m in my 50s & hasn’t kayaked for years but he helped every step of the way and I always felt safe. (Sorry I’ve forgotten your name, but you were great! :-) Thank you!)
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the wonderful review! 🦭 We're so glad to hear that you had such an exciting time seeing the sea lions up close and exploring the marina. It’s great that your guide made you feel comfortable and safe, especially since it had been a while since you last kayaked. We’re thrilled that the experience was enjoyable, and we hope to see you again for another adventure! 🌊✨
Lots of sea lions on the docks and boats! Walker was so kind and friendly. Easy and safe trip, definitely recommend for others.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed the sea lions and had a great time with Walker. It sounds like a relaxing and memorable trip, and we really appreciate your recommendation. We hope to have you join us again soon! 🦭🌊
My husband and I had such an amazing time on this excursion! It ended up being just us two on the tour and we were so thankful that Walker still look us out! It was such an amazing experience and Walker was so knowledgeable about the Marina and the wildlife that we were seeing! We got to see a lot of seals up close and personal and had a great day out on the water! After the tour was over Walker gave us some suggestions on places to visit while in California and some tips on places to travel the next time we’re in town! I highly recommend this tour whether you’re a pro out on the water or a beginner! We would definitely do this again! Thank you for such a great afternoon Walker!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you and your husband had such an amazing time with Walker. It’s great that you got to enjoy the wildlife and the beauty of the Marina in such a personal and intimate setting. We're also glad to hear that Walker's tips helped enhance your experience in California! We’d love to have you both back next time you’re in town. Thanks again for your kind words, and we can’t wait to see you again! 😊🐾🌊
Had a last minute emergency arise, and no credit for future tour would be granted by viator. Basically threw away $138
Response from Host, Jan 2025
I’m sorry to hear about your experience with the last-minute cancellation and the lack of credit. It can be frustrating when unforeseen events occur, especially when you feel like you've lost money due to circumstances beyond your control.
While we understand Viator's policies may not have allowed for a credit, we truly value our customers and would love to make things right if possible.
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$75.05
per personWas $79.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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2-Hour Kayak or Paddleboard with Sea Lions in Marina del Rey
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