Fantastic whale watching experience in San Diego! The weather was perfect, which made the trip even…read morebetter. We were lucky enough to see a whale that truly put on an amazing show--such a memorable moment. The crew was efficient, friendly, and very informative throughout the entire trip, which made us feel comfortable and engaged. Everything was also very budget-friendly, which made it an even greater value. Overall, a great experience and absolutely worth both the time and the money. Highly recommend!

Heard it was migration season so decided to book a 9am tour on a Friday…read more The tour was two and a half hours long and we saw so many dolphins it was bananas! We also saw a baby grey baleen whale which was such a treat. But even sightings aside it was a lovely way to be out on the water. The crew to our boat were great. Knowledgeable and ensured everyone was having a good time. They recommend you get there 45 minutes early and definitely do so! You sign in and then line up. A lot of people can be fit on their boat (if you get the group one) and the line can get pretty large and it's first come first sit. For 10 bucks a pop you can go on early. For 200 dollars you get the exclusive front top deck. I recommend sitting at the top. Please note that means sometimes no shade so bring a hat. You can sit on the first level or inside in the shade. The boat has a bathroom and after 3 miles you can get drinks! If you park in the lot attached to their location it's 10 dollars. Or you can street park on Quivera road which I recommend as it was super easy and not a walk at all. Would highly recommend regardless of if you see any whales just for the joy of being out on the water.

From start to finish, this whole experience was fun and leisurely. Harbor Tour Tickets are a great…read morevalue for the money and the ship is fun to walk around with three levels to choose from. They have snacks and drinks with alcohol options if you want to imbibe. The ride itself is extremely smooth, which is a blessing for someone like me with motion sickness. Throughout the ride they narrate what you are seeing and discuss interesting historical facts. On our tour, we saw seals! Overall I highly recommend this tour as San Diego is so gorgeous!

We did the bottomless brunch, and overall it was a fun one-time experience, but at $150, it…read moredefinitely felt a bit steep. The brunch includes buffet-style food and bottomless mimosas. I had about four mimosas in the time, and the food was decent, though I didn't get to fully enjoy it because I went upstairs to check out the deck and came back to find my untouched plate had already been cleared. That said, the staff was friendly and the views were beautiful. The boat mainly does a loop around the water.

Absolutely amazing and deeply fulfilling time on the water on 4/15/26 with Captain Kyle. He was the…read moremost delightful and educational captain, tour guide, environmentalist and fun person you could hope for. We saw an uncountable number of 4 different kinds of dolphins, a fin whale and many California sea lions. The small boat was very safe, amazingly nimble, fast and would never want to experience anything on a boat any bigger. I am prone to seasickness but was never even a remote issue. Thank you for an amazing time!!!!!

We went February 15, so during fray whale migration. Saw a pod of five whales, lots of dolphins,…read moreand sea lions. Our tour guide Rick was great, clearly loves the wildlife which is what we want . I would bring a blanket for your legs during the winter and bring hats/hoodies. The ride can be chilly, they do tell you to wear layers and we were glad we did even with 60 degree day.

November 2025 First time whale watching and myself, my 5y old, and my hubs had the best and most…read moremagical time. We started with gorgeous weather on a large beautiful boat, and about an hour in we saw 3 humpback whales, a pod of 40 Lag white side dolphins (which glow!), and a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Among others were hundreds of birds and sea lions!!! Seriously we ended up staying out an hour later it was wonderful! The crew were so nice and attentive, and included a marine biologist to explain what we saw, where/how to look, and answer any questions! The snacks were great! The boat was roomy, cozy inside and out, and had seating and views from all over. Best part it was not over crowded and they were super smooth and fast sailors! Def recommended!

I called several companies to inquire about whale watching tours. I really liked the way Melissa…read morespoke to me over the phone. She was not only patient but she was also so enthusiastic and informative. The other companies I called seemed nonchalant or just very blah. So when I decided to call back to book the tour with Wild Pacific Whale Watch, Simon was the one who answered my call and was just as friendly and provided great customer service. The tour itself was so fun. We booked the 9am tour and checked in at a table situated by the H&M building in Point Loma. It was very easy to find and when it was time for the tour, the gentleman advised us to board the Peregrine. Although we didn't see any whales, we saw a bunch of dolphins and seal lions. Since we didn't see any whales they gave all the guests a 50% off voucher with no expiration date to return. The crew onboard consisted of Captain Quinn, Greg (the tour guide and naturalist) and Cameron who assisted with the snack bar and other duties. Greg was full of facts and was so nice. He knew so much about the wildlife. Everyone was wonderful! This 80 ft luxury boat is a newer boat and has stabilizers to help deter rocking which makes it less likely for seasickness. We felt fine but we did take some Dramamine just in case. I highly recommend this tour.

My husband and I booked a 1.5 hour whale watching tour for my birthday yesterday. It was…read moreincredible! Dani was so great and informative about all the wildlife we saw which included bottlenose and common dolphins and fin whales! We saw a pair of whales breaching the water many times and then dive down for awhile but they resurfaced and we were able to watch them for several minutes. It was the best experience I could have asked for for my birthday! The weather was perfect and we just had the best time! I highly recommend using O'side Whale Watching Tours!

Had a great time with Dani at O'side Whales!…read more His boat was an amazing experience and he is very knowledgeable and passionate about the ocean. Saw a bunch of activity on our trip and we can't wait to come back soon! 11 out of 10 recommend.

Went on a 3 hour sunset tour, nicely socially distanced, clean, and organized. Very nice captain,…read moreknowledgeable and very informative. I had a group of 3 and we went to the front of the sailboat. The other group of three was at the back part of the good sized sail boat. You essentially have the boat to yourself with complimentary beer, wine and snacks. It was such a great calm experience, especially at a time like this. I highly recommend them as it was so relaxing.

An excellent trip around the bay. Our captain, Alan was so savvy, he made sailing look easy. It was…read moresecond nature to him. It was a pleasure looking at him while he was doing his job. Very recommendable if you like the ocean, the wind and the beautiful sky.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is honestly one of the most impressive history museums I've…read morevisited because the artifacts are the museum. You aren't just looking at history -- you're surrounded by ships that actually survived it. The Star of India, launched in 1863, survived mutiny, violent storms, collisions at sea, and decades carrying immigrants across dangerous oceans. Some sailors believed the ship was cursed after captains died during early voyages, yet somehow she survived long enough to become the oldest active sailing ship in the world. HMS Surprise shows the brutal reality of naval warfare during the Age of Sail. Ships like this once carried enough cannon firepower to destroy enemy vessels while sailors lived packed below deck surrounded by gunpowder, disease, and fear of battle. The Berkeley steam ferry even helped evacuate survivors during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake while much of the city burned. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the Soviet B-39 submarine from the Cold War. The inside is unbelievably cramped and gives you a real sense of what life was like beneath the ocean during one of the most dangerous periods in modern history. The USS Dolphin may have been my favorite. This experimental deep-diving U.S. Navy submarine helped test advanced underwater technology and launched the deepest-fired torpedo in naval history. The museum also includes the San Salvador, recreating the ship that explored California's coastline in 1542 -- long before America existed as a country. What makes this place incredible is the timeline it creates: 1500s exploration... 1800s global sailing... steam-powered industry... world wars... Cold War submarines... All sitting together in one harbor. This place doesn't just teach maritime history -- it shows how ships shaped exploration, immigration, trade, warfare, and entire empires.

What an absolute gem. The Maritime Museum is a collection of floating ships available to tour…read more We enjoyed the add-on ($10) 45 minute, docent-led, bay tour on the Pilot. We learned so much. The Museum is well-organized with plenty of memorabilia and artifacts to enjoy. There are several boats to explore. There's also plenty of seating along the boats, to just enjoy the scenery. The Maritime Museum is a must!

We came here on a Sunday evening for a tour scheduled from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Boarding ended up…read morestarting closer to 6 PM, which wasn't a big deal. The boat has seating downstairs, upstairs, and outside, so there are plenty of options depending on whether you want shade or to be out in the open enjoying the views. There's also a bar on board with drinks (including alcohol) and snacks available. The prices are definitely on the higher side, but that's pretty expected for this type of experience. The crew members were awesome - friendly, organized, and made the trip really enjoyable. The views were beautiful, especially being out on the water during the evening. Overall, we had an amazing time, and it was a really fun way to spend part of the night.

A fun and easy casual boat outing around Mission Bay. I booked a sunset cruise and enjoyed the…read moreexperience. Few things to note - it can be windy and cold on the return portion of the cruise so layer up to be cozy/comfortable. Also note that seasonally in SD the months of May and June typically have a marine layer overcast so it may be a gamble. The staff were the nicest folks and are very friendly and helpful. There are drinks and light snacks (think chips) for you to enjoy onboard. Overall a fun way to spend an evening in SD!

If you want the best whale and dolphin experience...call Captain Rich...you will not be…read moredisappointed! We had five people and had the best experience. We saw a couple young fin whales and a mega pod of dolphins up close! It was amazing! This is the way to whale and dolphin watch!

Our daughter had arranged a sunset cruise for our wedding anniversary with Tailwalker. This was the…read morebest anniversary experience we had on this cruise! Rick was an amazing captain and took care of every detail to make our trip memorable. He even got us beautiful Roses along with wine and cheese ! Thanks to Rick for all his efforts to make our trip the best!!

We had booked the two hour trip for a friends bachelorette party and it was honestly so amazing!!…read moreWe all wished we had booked a longer trip. Captain Stephen met us on the dock right on time and he instantly made us all feel right at home. He was super professional and fun and kept us entertained the whole time with fun stories. The weather was perfect and we packed some snacks and drinks which I would recommend doing. This for sure was the highlife of the weekend. Thank you for such a wonderful time!!!

We had an amazing time on Pacifica sailing charter celebrating my sister's bachelorette party…read more Captain Mick, who was absolutely incredible and very accommodating and made our experience so much fun (and helped us take so many photos)! We took some sandwiches and seltzers and enjoyed such a beautiful sailing day. I highly recommend booking Pacifica sailing charters for any sailing activity party event. We honestly had so much fun and we are looking forward to coming back for our next event!