Awesome trip. Nature gave us a beautiful day with lot's of Dolphins, and 3 grey whales we tracked. The staff Captain Alex, Hannah, Stacy were really great. Not only a wonderful day but educational and fun as well. Their enthusiasm and love of what they do was infectious. Definitinetly 5 star and will return in the summer to see the Blue's. read more

My friends and I did a private small group charter to celebrate my birthday and oh my goodness it was the most amazing experience. Our crew was kind, professional, and super knowledgeable -we could not thank Jim and Will enough for making the day what it was. We saw a blue whale!! Absolutely mind boggling! And we were in a dolphin stampede - which I didn't even know was a thing until today. Seriously I cannot wait to come back! And I have no photos to add to this review because I legit didn't touch my phone the whole time! read more

Second year taking one of these cruises with my kids. Super fun and interactive, we saw tons of dolphins. Be sure to bring jackets and blankets! read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

Very attentive crew and knowledgeable we had a great time. They sell coffee, snacks and have a bar on the boat we were pleasantly surprised. We did the 8:30 am excursion and saw two blue whales and tons of dolphins. read more

Capt Dave's - and a nice view. - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Captain Neal, 1st Mate Hannah and 2nd Mate Molly you ROCK! My husband and I had a great morning searching for whales and dolphins. Saw many common dolphins and a couple bottlenose dolphins. Unfortunately the whales were shy. Will definitely be returning for another adventure! Thank you for the fun and delicious brownies!!! read more

We joined the tour that was part of going to Huntington Beach to watch the airshow. What a great time. The staff all so friendly from the gal behind the booth when we checked in, to the crew on board. It started in the parking lot where they had reserved parking-very convenient. The tour was kept small for the total capacity of the ship so there was plenty of room on board. The captain, Neal, was professional in going over the safety issues, he introduced his crew who were engaging throughout the trip. But what really was the highlight was the narration of the airshow by Matt. That was worth the price alone! It made the airshow come alive by hearing back stories of the pilots and planes. Well done Matt! They also had a marine biologist on staff (sorry don't remember her name) but the cruise paused when we passed pods of dolphins and she gave interesting information on them. Lastly, there was food as part of the cruise, and it was good! Very good- must be eating with the salt air. I definitely recommend this company and this cruise. It was memorable and very enjoyable! read more

My sister and I chartered one of Captain Dave's boats for our mom's ash burial at sea. We could not have had a better day! The staff was accommodating and phenomenal from start to finish. In addition to being respectful of the short service, they gave us the best whale watching experience and educated us on marine life. The kids enjoyed going below deck as well to check out the under water viewing pods. We saw so many dolphins (and babies!) and several Fin Whales! It was a magical day and a great start to our Celebration of Life day. My mom would be so pleased! Still waiting to see a great 'breach' but I'll be back again soon! Cindy Ahrentzen read more

Wonderful experience! This was our first time at Captain Dave's and will not be our last. We live in San Pedro and have been whale watching from San Pedro and Long Beach but lived in DP years ago and always wanted to do Capt Dave's. This was our 5 year old son's first whale watching trip and we wanted to make it extra special. So we got up early and drove the hour down to Dana Point for the 9am trip. The office/store/checkin area was lovely, I got a coffee and there was lots of little trinkets and gifts you could buy, including Ms. Capt Dave's chocolate brownies (which are AMAZING :-o). I will say I was a little nervous at first. The catamaran seemed a little small compared to the cruises I had been on up north, but shortly into our trip I found that we were able to be much closer to the water, nd could see so much better, which was fantastic. I wish all the seats were along the outer edges of the boat, initially we were in the middle seat, but a lot of people moved up to the front of the boat so seating opened up quickly. My son absolutely loved the trip. That's actually probably an understatement. I'm so glad we splurged and drove south for this experience versus staying north or using another place. Hannah and Stacy and Captain Chuck were all lovely and so friendly, very knowledgeable and committed to making this a great trip for everyone. We didnt see any blue whales, which is what we were hoping to, but its early in the season and they definitely tried to find one. I think through earlier trips they can usually locate where the whales are for the day and then see then later in the afternoon. The wind, however, can pick up later in the day, and we didnt want to take a chance on our son getting seasick. On the plus side, we saw at least 3 huge pods of dolphins and a mola mola. My son got to see dolphins through the underwater viewing pod which was awesome. And we learned a lot too. Either Stacy or Hannah (I'm so so sorry I cant remember which!) took photos of each group and at the end of the cruise you could buy them to take with you on an 11x14 sheet of photo paper. And your photo was framed by different photos of animals seen on YOUR trip! How cool is that?! And they were only $15! Please consider this lovely company for your whale watching tour. And check out the different options and boats available too! We definitely would love to try a zodiac whale watching tour in the future. This trip was so enjoyable. Seriously, thank you guys so much. We really appreciate you all! See you soon! read more

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Found them on TikTok! My first time I came was for my birthday and I absolutely loved it so much I had to come back but this time with my mom and brother They enjoyed it just as much as I did! I came from Escondido, It's so worth the drive and traffic. Lol! I will always make the drive here. The crew makes this tour the most memorable adventure! Gary was my captain for my recent trip and a younger gentleman was my captain for my trip before, Enjoyed both of them! They are AWESOME and I love the information they share with us Thank you guys for all your work plus the time and effort. You have a forever returning passenger, I'll always recommended you guys to anyone looking for an adventure. read more

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A really great tour of the ocean around Dana Point. We saw four whales, countless dolphins and seabirds. We were able to track 3 different fin whales and one other we couldn't identify. The crew was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It's a really great sea adventure! read more

Captain Christian and Hannah were awesome! So friendly, sweet and made the guests feel so welcomed and informed. Thank you for a wonderful tour!! read more

Capt Dave's - Sea Lions - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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10 stars! Couldn't have had a better boat trip- than the one we had as a family on nye with Capt Dave's whale and dolphin safari. Captain Chuck and Crew were exceptional- really caring about everyone on board. We saw a beautiful enormous pod of dolphins, and toasted the new year at sunset. The whole experience was very comfortable, magical, and extremely professional and well run. We loved the viewing pods, to see and hear the dolphins with my daughters, Capatain Chuck was patient, and kind, helping everyone comfortably use the viewing pods. We got to stand at the front of the boat, watching dolphins play, we got lucky with the weather, but the boat would have kept us warm and dry if it hadn't been so lucky. Brilliant, highly qualified crew- lead the trip- and we have great memento photographs to remember our trip by. It was my daughter's 9th birthday- and everyone made her feel special as she arrived and on board. TYSM Captain Dave's! Cant wait to come out again. read more

Just had a once-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to Captain Dave's! My expectations were sky high based on the plethora of 5-star reviews and they were still exceeded! Being from New England I've been on my fair share of East Coast whale watches but this was truly a special day. We were extremely lucky to see 4-6 gray whales, a massive pod of 500+ common dolphins, and several sea lions aboard the Manute'a. We spent an hour chasing 2 gray whales and another hour riding alongside the dolphins. Then on the way back to the harbor, the crew got an alert that there was another pair of gray whales in the area and extended our time on the water a little bit so that we could get another glimpse at the whales. There was basically no downtime in the entire 2.5 hour trip other than when we were literally pulling into the harbor, making it an incredible value even at the price of $70. Obviously wildlife is extremely unpredictable, but I think Captain Dave's does a few things to make sure that everyone has the best chance of a good experience. They have a good relationship with other "competitor" whale watching groups and were constantly monitoring the radio to know where to go. The staff really care that everyone has a good experience. True to their promise the boat wasn't overly crowded and there was plenty of space for everyone to step right up to the railing. I honestly thought the underwater viewing pods might be a bit gimmicky, but after trying them I think they're really cool! They're basically two coffin-shaped glass enclosures hanging down off the bottom of the boat that you can crawl into. The captain was telling us that common dolphins don't survive in captivity so it was really awesome to see them swimming around from an underwater vantage point. As with any boating/outdoor experience you should be sure to dress in layers. I wore a tank top, fleece jacket, and rain jacket, and I had all layers on/off at different points of the voyage. If you're hanging out at the front of the boat you may get a little bit wet! So don't wear your suede shoes. As if I needed any more convincing, when you disembark they hand you a delicious chocolate brownie baked at a local bakery from Captain Dave's wife's recipe! It was the perfect pick-me-up after being on the boat for almost 3 hours. Overall I can't recommend Captain Dave's strongly enough. Our crew of Captain Chuck, first mate Caitlyn, and Matt was truly fantastic, and I always felt 100% safe and cared for on board the boat. Also, January - February seems to be a great time to go if you're interested in seeing gray whales. read more

10/10. One of the most magical experiences of my life. Captain Gary was an amazing guide! We saw a mega pod on our adventure with him yesterday. A day I'll never forget! read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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This was an amazing experience. We chose the smallest boat which due to Covid only 1 other couple was with us. This was a fast moving excursion on the zodiak boat. Our captain was Marie. It was our anniversary, and when we arrived they have a board celebrating any big events and we had our own welcome. We forgot to take it though. We saw common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. No whales but it was ok. Being able to ride right with the dolphins as they swam and dive all around us was pretty amazing. I never thought I would ever get on a boat like that and go out Into open ocean. I have an irrational but rational fear of sharks. I didn't care. I was even laying on my tummy with my head over and it felt like I was swimming with them. We will be back!!!! Oh and we saw PATCHES read more

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Thank you Captains Chuck and Gary!! Today was a spur of the moment decision. I decided that I would mark today (my mom passed away a year ago yesterday) doing something connected to the ocean. I had hoped to see dolphins just as a sign that my loved ones were watching over me. I enjoyed the local history stories, points of interest to visit one day (eg. zig zag stairs, which I think is also called 1,000 steps?), the education points about dolphins, sea lions and other sea life. Today was about appreciating life, remembering those who were most influential, and acknowledging my privileges. While I waited for this boat trip to start, I was reading, In My Words by Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She writes about the Jewish principle, "Tikkun Olam". The essence of it is each person's responsibility to make the world a place more humane, fair, and just. It seems to me that many people who choose careers to help others understand the biodiversity of our oceans are protectors and care about all living things enough to strike a balance between humans and the environment. Thanks to all the sealife for showing up today . . . sea lions, Quill (?), and all living within the ocean's ecology! Sorry if we disturbed you, but thanks for being a gracious host! Love our ocean. Protect it. Don't poll read more

Great whale and dolphin boat tour. Excellent captain ( Stacy) Saw lots of dolphins, a few whales, and sea lions. Highly recommend.

Hannah & Captain Chuck are the best!! Saw a minke whale and 1,000 dolphins! Can't wait to come back

Thank you for a very memorable and special morning facilitating an ash scattering for a loved family member. The crew went above and beyond, they were accommodating and kind. They made the day a huge success. Communication was excellent from the very first call. Thank you! read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

We had an amazing time! Saw so many dolphins and a humpback whale feeding!! Matt took such beautiful photos, Captain Chuck kept us steady and Hannah had such good commentary the entire time! ( also, Hannah for president! ‼) read more

Our 5th trip with Captain Dave's team was awesome. We got to bring our family this time to share it with them. The crew is USUALLY very nice and welcoming. Today, however, we had a lady named Kim welcoming us to our check in process. She was very short-tempered, and had zero "bedside manner" or customer service skills or whatever it's called. She seemed very irritated, and her being so flustered resulted in her mixing up the passengers. She literally told her co-worker "I need to go home". Maybe she had an emergency at home or something. I'm hoping everything is okay with her. But the fact of the matter is, customer service should be a top priority for someone who's sole responsibility is to deal with onboarding customers. Captain Dave has probably made some sacrifices by adjusting to the new COVID procedures, and I'm sure he doesn't want people being scared away by the welcoming staff. Captain Chuck was great. Last time, Captain Gary was awesome. We always get a great experience. This was the only time we have felt unwelcome by the greeting staff. Much love to Captain Dave and his crew. I really hope Kim has made it home by now. read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

Captain Chuck, Matt & Gunner were amazing!! We had a great time (adults & toddlers alike). They were very informative & experienced in what they do in whale watching. We saw & learned a lot!! Soon into the trip, we were able to spend time seeing a Bryde's whale for quite sometime. This whale is a rare one to see, so were fortunate to see & learn more. And to cap it all off, we saw a blue whale and were able to spend time seeing it come up for air several times. A large pod of dolphins we saw several times & sea lions on the way back to harbor. read more

Great tour with Alex & Will. The Zodiac (small boat) is perfect for getting to the animals quickly & having them come close to you. We saw a Minke whale & Blue whale & sea lions. The Minke whale stayed by our boat for quite a while. They sell coffee & food & snacks at the office. You get a free brownie at the end. Only feedback: More narration on the whales & local conservation efforts would have been nice. There wasn't as much on the educational side. read more

Took my kids whale watching. It was a two and a half hour ride in March 2021 at noon. Mostly, you are waiting to see something, so when you do, it's exciting. We did see a whale from afar that was spotted by the Lily crew. They are knowledgeable people and nice. Unfortunately, our whale was a little shy. She only let us see her a little bit. Be sure to bring a blanket to stay warm, because the wind is freezing cold. I saw a little girl that was miserably cold. Also, don't forget to bring a hat. The sun doesn't seem like it will burn you because it's cold, but it will! read more

Capt Dave's - Got to see some seals. - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Had an amazing time! We saw lots of dolphins. Probably the most I've ever seen. Captain Christian was very informative and our cruise went smooth. I would definitely recommend and probably go back for another cruise read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

I grew up in Southern California and never knew we had so much wildlife just off of our shores. As a dad who brings his family back to SoCal once a month we decided to give this a shot. I read the great reviews and never thought we would have such an incredible experience... We were blown away. What an incredible time. We encountered some incredible staff, the Marine Wildlife Expert on board was wonderful and she shared so much information with my kids (11, 10, 7). And we saw 3 Humpback Whales and literally hundreds of dolphins. Our trip was on June 18. Hands down this is the best investment and outing we have ever done in SoCal (including Disney / SeaWorld) Well worth the price and time... we LOVED it. read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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We've been on several cruises and have seen marine life on all of them. We were especially delighted with our singing tour guide our last trip with plenty of dolphins following the boat! What a fun trip! read more

Wonderful staff and boat but no whales were seen. Lots of dolphins though and our zodiac style boat let us see them close by which was cool.

This outfit has a great location, they're well organized & knowledgeable and we felt reasonably priced. The crew did a great job while we were out there explaining what we could expect on the trip ... then excitement began with fin whales swimming close to our boat. We chose this company for two reasons: they run a well equipped & very stable catamaran, and we enjoyed the underwater viewing pods ! We had a great time. read more

Amazing cruise. Check-in was smooth, ship was a good size and clean. Saw thousands of dolphines, fin whales and humpback whales. Captain Stacy, Matt and Will were very nice. Underwater viewing was really cool... but due to the limited time and the number of passengers, we got to see it for a out a minute or so. read more

Whale watching and dolphin excursion was EPIC!!! We saw tons of dolphins and killer whales! A once in a lifetime experience! The staff was amazing! Captain Jim and Mike were awesome! Super knowledgeable and so friendly! It was an epic day and I can't recommend them enough! Thank you Captain Dave's for a wonderful day! read more

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The best whale watching experience we could have asked for! We saw a 45 ft gray whale, hundreds of common dolphins, a blue shark, and even a sea pickle! The team was absolutely amazing in every way. They even gave us some extra time with the whale. Captain Marie was super sweet and fun. Caitlyn's obvious passion for the ocean was contagious and her experience and knowledge was enjoyed. Michael was a great photographer and a a true professional. I highly recommend this experience. read more

Capt Dave's - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Amazing! This was our second time with Cap'n Dave's and will definitely go back next time we're close. They went out of their way to get us up close and personal with a blue whale! It was spectacular! Captain Chuck, Hannah and Will made the trip extra special with their knowledge. read more

My first whale watching trip and it exceeded my expectations. I'd choose this vendor again. The staff was authentically caring and concerned everyone was happy. Ship seemed crowded at first but wasn't once we got going. My 88 year old mother had no problems boarding and they helped me immensely. Hands down, this company is the one to use for your first trip. They set the standard. read more

Capt Dave's - Second whale we saw was an 80' fin whale. They extended our time so we could follow it. Wonderful crew. - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

I went to scatter my husband's ashes on the Pacific. The experience couldn't have been nicer. The crew online and Captain Gary made me feel very welcome and blessed. read more

Awesome dolphin and blue whale safari. We really enjoyed this beautiful afternoon on the ocean. read more

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When at Dana point you have do the Dolphin and Whale safari. Capt. Dave's Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Safari is simply the best. From checking in to the time we came back it was an overall great experience. We did the Zodiac Safari which is a faster boat. The faster boat was more closer to the water and less jumpy. This is good for anyone that has motion sickness. Also the faster boat can take you much further out and has a higher probability of seeing a whale. Our safari was captained by Capt. Marie and Stacie. Marie knew exactly where to go to find the sea mammals. Stacie, a marine biologist, could recognize the mammal based on one look. They both were simply amazing. Highly recommend going out with them. We saw common Dolphin, Minke Whale, and Sea Lions. It was amazing to see these mammals in their natural habitats. Few tips for the safari, - if you get motion sickness then sit at the back of the boat - Best viewing experience is when you sit up front and when you get on top of the viewing standing area (only possible when the boat is slow) - You will definitely see Dolphins as all boats talk to each other giving positions of the sea mammals. - After the Dolphins, the Captain will take you further out. That is when everyone on the boat should keep an eye out for whales. Captain can only look upfront so the passengers have to look all other sides. In our Safari I ended up spotting the whale. - If you do spot a whale then have your cameras ready to take pictures. Whales are very fast and come up for a second so you can easily miss them. Overall it was really great and I highly recommend anyone coming to Dana Point. Thank you Marie and Stacie, you both were amazing. read more

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If I could give this place 10 stars I would. Two Bryde whales sidled up to our boat -- a mom and her baby -- and then we rode the waves alongside (not exaggerating) about 100 dolphins, including a bunch of babies that looked like adorable flying sausages. My day was pretty much made after the whales and dolphins, but the icing on the cake were the sea lions, seals, and (you didn't guess this) white squirrels. Every tour is guided by a captain and a marine biologist, who tell you cool factoids about the animals as you see them. We had Captain Marie and biologist Caitlyn, and they were super nice and knowledgable. Thank you Marie and Caitlyn for an unforgettable experience! I recommend the Zodiac Safari. The boat is their fastest, which means you can increase your chance of spotting the animals. Also, it's closer to the water, so you're less likely to get motion sickness. The boat capacity is I believe less than 10, too, so you get a really private experience. Truly incredible. Can't wait to come back for Round 2!!! read more

Capt Dave's - Bryde whale! - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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My stepdad and I participated in the Whale Geek Safari on 1/18/20; we enjoyed the intimate nature of the Orca vessle. On this special trip, there were five guests, fantastic Captain Craig, and the incredibly knowledgeable first mate, Naturalist Cheryl. What an amazing adventure for everybody! As a novice photographer, I loved the amazing access to animals. I will definitely go back to Captain Dave's. In particular, I really hope to participate in a second Whale Geek Safari with a small group on the Orca. What an amazing trip! I'll remember it for the rest of my life. Thank you, Captain Craig and Naturalist Cheryl! (I'm including a few photos that I took - lightly edited in Photoshop.) Best, Melissa :) read more

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After a lot of thought, I'm ready to say what I think about this whale watch business. My experience was quite an adventure, yet, I would NOT do it again and here's why: the Pacific Ocean is wild and unpredictable, and that day the wind picked up so it ended up being way too wavy. The boat was TOO SMALL!!! When I saw it at first, I thought that was just a liaison boat, meaning, in addition to something bigger. I have done other whale watch activities in the past and the boat was always a decent size to avoid the passengers to suffer from sea sickness. Now, I do not suffer from motion sickness but on that day, with all those waves, I ended up VOMITING. TWICE!!! That's a terrible sensation, it picks up on your head and then in minutes you can't contain anything in your stomach. Too bad cause I had lunch right before. I am a bit disappointed because the specialists tell you, move to the back of the boat if you suffer from sea sickness, but it's the same exact thing! No relief Obviously if you had a bigger and less frail boat, that would had not happened. It kinda ruined my experience. We saw dolphins in the end, a whole family was playing around the boat so that was quite an entertainment. No whales unfortunately but that is not to blame to the whale watch staff. I liked that we went quite far from the shore. About 4 miles off the coast of Dana Point, CA. I'm glad I did it, but I don't really recommend this whale watch unless you want to wave up and down constantly for two hours and a half. read more