AWESOME!! Captain Chuck and Daelyn were amazing!! They took us to a place were we say thousands of dolphins and the whales were breaching everywhere!! I got to touch the water. It was epic!! Thanks for an amazing afternoon!! read more

Amazing whale watching tour! We saw a couple of groups of dolphins at first and looked for whales for a long time. We didn't see anything for such a long time but the crew didn't give up. We headed out for an extended time and eventually spotted a fin whale! The crew were super friendly and helpful. They took great pictures for each group individually as well. At the end of the tour they printed the picture sour together with all the dolphins and the whale and it looked gorgeous! I don't usually purchase those pictures but I couldn't resist to buy it this time. read more

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

I am sharing my cool experience with Capt. Dave's Dana Point Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari . All was owed to the team, Hana, Jada and Captain Alexis. As we traveled away from shore, they took an interest to explain each section of the Catamaran and offered their help to us when we chose to view from back to front. Their season experience located rare sighting of several family of Common Dolphins pods - amazing as they swam along g side. Crew passed on interesting information on the Common Dolphins. read more

My son took me there for the Mother's Day cruise. It's important to note that it does not go out of the harbor. We enjoyed being out on the water again. read more

We, very skeptically, went on this whale watching tour with Capt. Dave's and we can say we were blown away! There are other whale tours we've been on where we haven't seen anything. Our Captain was Alex, very skillful boat driving. Our sea life announcer and expert was Amanda, she was quick to give us facts and stats on all the animals. Our photographer was Daelyn, she took amazing photos of all of the sea life we encountered and they print all of the photos from our encounters right on the boat! Very amazing trip and we will be coming back soon with our out of town visitors. BRING SUNSCREEN EVEN IF ITS OVERCAST!! read more

Honestly I can't say enough about this Dana Point, CA, outfit. I highly recommend Capt. Dave's especially for first-timers, however, we were aboard with several repeat customers. So the day before the last day of 2021, my young daughters declared that they wanted to go out with a bang and I agreed. That night, I bought an adult ticket ($66.75) and 2 child tickets ($45 apiece) for the Friday, December 31, 2021, at 11:30am-2:00pm safari. Plenty of free parking near the top of the building where checkin was. Our boat, the Manute'a was equipped with two restrooms, underwater viewing pods, cushioned seats, shaded areas, and plenty of space for those that needed to view the horizon. I was so glad I dressed us all in plenty of layers as it was a bit chilly when we started picking up speed. For several minutes, we saw two glorious gray whales swimming alongside the Manute'a. It was the highlight of our safari which went approximately 4 miles off the coast in 3-feet swells. For an extra $15 (plus fees for using a credit card) I purchased a photo collage of us and some of the wildlife our on-board photographer, Janel, was able to capture. We wouldn't trade this experience for anything. If you love wildlife and Instagram, you must follow @captdaveswhalewatching for some amazing photos and videography. #CaptDaves #CaptainDavesDolphinSafari #CaptDavesWhaleWatching #DanaPointHarbor #PacificOcean #GrayWhale #CommonDolphin #LeaveNoTrace #YelpOC #jenniinsocal read more

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We had the pleasure of going whale and dolphin watching yesterday . Capt. Marie and her crew were fantastic ! The crew kept us informed about what we're seeing and Captain Marie kept us moving with a few different pods of dolphins . The boat was super clean , every step of the experience was seamless . Great job !! read more

We do a whale watching trip with Captain Dave's every year. Every. Year. We used to go out on the big whale watching boats that are totally impersonal. They are cheap and, frankly, they suck. Captain Dave's is a little pricey but it's worth it. Once you do this tour, you'll never go back to the cheapo companies. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The experience is completely intimate because the boats are very small. You will probably see whales and you will almost certainly see dolphins. Hundreds of them. Some of them will be just a few feet from you. You read that right. Sometimes you get what pay for. This is that place. read more

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Amazing!! We saw SOOO many dolphins! There were cute baby dolphins following the boat and jumping out of the water too. The crew (lauren, hannah and marie) were super informative and so sweet! They were the best. My family and I went this morning and had a great time :) Can't wait to come back! 100/10 stars read more

Definitely recommend! From the customer service provided by the ladies that answers the phones to Captain Jim that operated our boat, it was a wonderful customer oriented service all the way! We booked their private yacht charter (can seat up to 6 passengers) for a whale and dolphin watching tour after having read their wonderful reviews and their history of being featured on several tv shows as well as award winning book, which shows their expertise in the whale watching industry. They have a log/diary on their website that shows their recordings of sighting daily. We were aware that we might only see one or the other and not necessary both whale and dolphins. Captain Jim brought us to see whale in the beginning of the trip and we get to see it pretty up close. It was lovely. When we went to look for dolphins, the captain looked for their sighting based on their gps location where they were last spotted half an hour ago, but captain couldn't seem to find them anymore. Captain Jim really helped us look for the dolphins! He looked and looked and looked. He could have given up since it was toward end of our trip but he was persistent and found them! And the sight of the 20 or so dolphins all swimming next each other was amazingly sight to behold! We were very close to the dolphins and they were swimming synchronized to each other beautifully! My daughter started naming each one, mommy, daddy, baby, grandma, grandpa, Uncle, Aunty, etc. lol On our way back, Captain Jim also stopped for a few minutes for us to look at the lazy loungy sea lions lying on each other bathing in the sunshine. One of the sea lions was circling continuously around the buoy trying to find a space to hop on but had no luck. It was really an adorable sight. The yacht itself has fridge, microwave, bathroom, kitchen sink, mattress, seatings inside and outside, so it is very convenient outing if you have kids or like to do a small birthday gathering or special occasion celebration. They let your bring your own food and drinks. However, you do need let them know heads up Re: using fridge etc so they start the generator for you. Lastly, I have to commend Captain Jim's respectful manners accommodating our covid safety requests and his superior quality customer service reminds us of the pride of a good captain taking care of the ship and its passengers. The homemade brownies at the end of the trip was a nice touch! It tastes really good warmed up in an air fryer---tastes like Ghirardelli brownies. Thanks for the memorable experience! read more

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

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Our Capt was Capt Mary. Her crew was friendly , knowledgeable and very caring . The trip was out first since moving to DP in 2018. Our daughters were in town and we booked the 9:00 cruise . Our cruise couldn't have been better. The Weather, the sea and marine life's , cooperation was in harmony. We saw about 159 dolphins in various sizes. The pods were all around the vessel. Saw several whale blows from grey whales and some were even skimming the surface. The entire trip is a must for anyone coming to Dana Point. It is on our "must do " with each new visitor we have. Thank you Capt Dave's Team. read more

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Recommend the upgraded tour, worth the extra money to be so close to the action. Saw 1000's of dolphins, but no whales unfortunately. read more

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

AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!!! For our team bonding event, we chose whale watching, and it was absolutely incredible! Captain Stacy and First Mate Hanna were fantastic--they were not only passionate but also incredibly knowledgeable about marine life. We were lucky enough to see dolphins and humpback whales, which made the experience even more magical. I highly recommend booking a whale watching tour with Captain Dave's. From start to finish, the entire experience was exceptional. We'll definitely be booking again! read more

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

What an absolutely amazing time we had on the boat. The crew were all so nice and helpful that it made our time even better. The best part of course was seeing a Blue Whale and a huge number of common dolphins. The whale was enormous and we were just a hundred feet away. The dolphins swam right up to the boat and followed us for quite a while. There were babies swimming along side their mothers. This was more than worth the money. read more

A blue whale and hundreds of dolphins! What more do I need to say! Except of course that the crew was fantastic and informative, the boat was comfortable and fun, and the whole experience was awesome. At first, it seemed a little pricey, but it was totally worth it. We went on the boat with the viewing pods below deck, but with so many dolphins to see from the deck, I couldn't be drawn away. If you get the chance to visit Dana Point, I would totally recommend Cape Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching tour. read more

My 6 yr old and I had a blast on our trip!!! We were on the allswell boat with Captain James and Dailyn. We did not see a whale but our boat was surrounded by hundreds, maybe a thousand, dolphins! It was such a cool experience, and we were so appreciative that the captain let us spend a great amount of time with the pods, even if we were running slightly late- he didn't want to rush the experience for anyone and I'm sure everyone appreciated it! We will definitely be back! read more

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

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Over the last few months I have been taking whale watching tours from multiple companies, from multiple spots in Orange County. I have to say, I don't normally write reviews for anything, but Captains Hannah and Chuck of Captain Dave's Dana Point Whale Watching were the best, by far. The others are all good, I didn't have a bad tour. But this tour was the best by a significant margin. Captain Chuck was great, he was supporting Captain Hannah who was at the helm and spotting cetaceans. She has a super sharp eye and expertly took us right to a large pod of common dolphin and to a pod of bottlenose. Both captains enhanced the experience by sharing their passion for it. Captain Hannah especially seemed genuinely excited to see the animals, even though it's her job day in and day out. That genuine energy rubs off on the passengers. Some folks maybe can fake that, but Captain Hannah's was real. It's hard to describe but you know it when you see it. She shared her knowledge freely and passionately with us. Other tours have a script they mostly stick to. While that's effective and serves its purpose, especially for large groups, infusing some fun personality into the smaller tour group on Allswell, in my estimation, made for a much better, unscripted experience. Honestly, whale watching has become something I knew I would enjoy but didn't know it would be to this degree. I was almost shopping around the coast for the best one to go back to repeatedly. It looks like Captain Dave's will be that place for me. I can't say enough good things about the Captains and I appreciate the fun conversation between cetacean sightings and on the way back in. I had a blast. I hope I get Captain Hannah and/or Captain Chuck next time, which will be very soon. read more

Great day on the water! Caitlyn and Janel were a fantastic crew. Janel's knowledge of the marine life was truly impressive, and Caitlyn knew exactly where we would find an abundance of dolphins, and a couple of whales (a Humpback and a Minke hanging out together). The smaller boat All Swell was fun to be out on. read more

Took my little sister on a Saturday morning. There's plenty of parking and The waiting area is very cleanly and the check in process was very easy. We boarded right in time and the boat was very nice and very well maintained. It had a ton of cute touches like surfboards for tables and other beach decorations. The staff were all very friendly and knowledgeable. We were able to find a gray whale within an hour and followed him until the end of our trip. Unfortunately didn't see any dolphins or anything else but they do always stop by the buoy on the way in to see the sea lions. Was a great experience and highly recommend. read more

Capt Dave's - Hoku Nai'a pass - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Wonderful trip with Captain Matt and first mate Amanda! We sailed among a megapod of 1000 dolphins. Dolphins as far as the eye could see. They said this was unusual and amazing considering on the morning tour they only saw around 50 after 2 hours of sailing. No whales but lots of pelicans and a sea lion. Great trip! read more

Capt. Matt and first-mate Hannah were the best. Everyone felt safe and secure the whole trip. Hannah's enthusiasm and knowledge of sea life was amazing. We couldn't of gotten any closer to the dolphins without getting into the water itself. Thank you for a wonderful trip. read more

This date idea was fantastic Great opportunity to see a few grey whales and lots of dolphins Really cool glass viewing below deck read more

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

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We've been on three trips with Capt Dave's and loved them all. We even saw a humpback whale on our first trip a few summers back with them which is an experience of a lifetime. The trip we took on 8-19-23 was perfect for our occasion. When I learned that Capt Dave's did an ash scattering trip I booked it over other companies. And they did not disappoint. The first cool part is that a hurricane was predicted to come through on our day of going out. I had family flying in from the east coast just for the occasion and it would have been so disappointing to miss the trip entirely because of the storm. However, we were able to work together to change it to the evening before so we could all still enjoy the experience. It turned out to be a beautiful evening--the seas were calm before the storm and the sun even peeked out through the clouds. Our captain, Gary and his assistant Lauren were so kind and respectful. It's not easy losing a loved one and spreading their ashes at sea, but they explained how we were going to do it and allowed our family time to celebrate our loved one in our way and after we finished spreading the ashes we added some biodegradable flowers which ended up floating on top of the water and they circled the area while we all quietly prayed and cherished each other and the moment--It was perfect. Seeing wildlife at sea is not guaranteed, and we always understand that when going out, but it was so lovely to come across some pods of common dolphins swimming alongside before we headed back. We even saw some babies who may not have been more than two weeks old. How amazing to see new life while saying goodbye to a loved one. Overall it was a lovely evening and my entire family of 11 guests loved every moment. Thanks you Capt,, crew, and staff for going above and beyond to make it a perfect occasion for our family!! read more

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

Captain Stacie was incredible. She has a masters in marine biology and knew answers to all our questions. She was just as excited as we were to see the whales and dolphins and we saw sooooo many!! We saw three different pods of dolphins and a pod of 8 grey whales. Truly a lifetime memory we will never forget. She gave us some extra time because we came across a pod of over 300 dolphins and it was the most gorgeous thing on earth. read more

I highly recommend Capt Dave's in Dana Point. My experience was top shelf!! From the online reservation system and the communication before the trip to the check in when you get there, their customer service is excellent. The landing is easy to find and parking was great. All that was even before the trip, which was fantastic! Captain Chuck and Naturalist Will took such great care of us! We experienced a huge pod of common long nose dolphins, a flock of sea birds feasting on large schools of fish. And an impressive pod of bottle nose dolphin. The gray whales were hiding this morning but we will definitely be back!!!! OMG....and the brownies. IYKYK!!! Thank you to all at Captain Dave's Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari!!! read more

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This was an AMAZING experience. I wasn't expecting to see anything, and then there were dolphins. Once we got farther out. We saw a few blue always. Amazing! First time for me and my sister. We also saw a Fin whale briefly. All in all, the event was spectacular. I highly recommend it. The Captain and the crew were super and helpful with answering questions. I will be going back when I visit my sister in SoCal! Woot! read more

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

As in anything in nature, whale watching is something you do with hopes and fairly low expectations because sometimes no one shows their face - today the ocean was pretty quiet but Captain Alex and Hannah both were determined to do their best to try to find whales for us to see. We ended up spotting a Minke whale and a Fin Whale named Betty. both Captain Alex and Hannah were committed to their guests as well as providing Information about the whales and the eco system - this adventure is definitely family friendly and worth seeing - I will be back read more

What a unique and mesmerizing experience! I had a blast from start to finish! All the staff were warm, welcoming and fun! And they also worked hard to keep us all safe from crazy, choppy waves as well as Covid! Everyone wore masks and there was plenty of room for social distancing. As the water fades from pale minty green, to deep emerald then cobalt blue, you can stand out on the front and enjoy the views from all around you, including underneath your feet through the net lounges! Really let's you get close to the dolphins as they fly along with the boat! And when the waves are wild like they were when I went, the front of the boat turns into the best kind of roller coaster so hang on tight! And the most awesome part is that, if the conditions are right, you can go below and lay down and view the dolphins from beneath the waves!! They have a small viewing area in each side of the bottom of the catamaran surrounded by thick windows that allows you a different perspective of riding along with the dolphins as they speed along in front of the boat! Our crew members were Captain Tom, Hannah and Stacie. They were all so knowledgeable did everything they could to teach us about the Common and Bottlenose Dolphins we saw, and even the sea lions! Unfortunately we didn't see any whales, but not for lack of trying! Capt. Tom went above and beyond to try and find some for us. They even gave us a homemade brownie as a goodbye gift and it was delicious! Highly recommend! read more

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Went whale watching today with captain Jim, Hannah and Jaiyden. Saw a beautiful fin whale!! Tons of dolphins. We saw the dolphins first then headed north but saw no whales.... Started heading back to Dana ..... Until Captain Jim says hey if you guys wanna hang a little longer we got a whale two miles away!!! And off we went going to see our beautiful Fin Whale. We had a nice crowd on board and the crew was just great. Always a great time with this company. Thank you!!! read more

Had a blast today. Saw an insane amount of common dolphins. They were so cute with their babies jumping the waves next to their moms! The best. Loved Amanda and Marie! Professional and knowledgeable! read more

Great day with Capt Marie and Amanda! We saw several blue whales, big groups of dolphins, and had a smooth ride.

We LOVED our adventure with Captain Chuck, Hannah, and Stacy. While we didn't see any whales (despite a heroic effort), we did see a ton of dolphins. It was fantastic to see so many hundreds of dolphins breaching, playing, and generally loving being dolphins in their own habitat. I'm not normally one to chat with people I've just met, but this crew was friendly, sincere, and engaging and really made us feel welcome. This company does not make you feel like you're just another tourist, they seem to genuinely care about your experience and the animals they're sharing with you. read more

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Super friendly and helpful staff made for a comfortable and enjoyable trip. Very knowledgeable and saw way more dolphins and whales than expected! read more

Our tour, guided by Captain Chuck, was amazing! We were honestly not expecting a lot (some dolphins maybe) but there had been a blue whale in the area so we went straight out to find it but got something even better - a momma blue whale and her playful baby! The mom was the size of another whale watching bot and her baby's was huge too. The baby was so funny and was very curious about the boat, surfacing many times and even sticking it's head out to get a better view! Apparently this isn't a common thing for blue whales, so it was a unique experience that I'm so glad we were able to be there for! The whole crew was amazing and I would definitely recommend this tour!! Side note - came on Father's Day and the parking lot for the harbor was crazy. Not a whole lot of spots close and all were full, so would definitely recommend coming way early if it's a weekend or holiday to give you time to circle the lot a million times. Definitely use Captain Dave's for your whale/dolphin watching tours, you'll even get a free homemade brownie at the end of the trip! :) read more

Capt Dave's - Baby breaching the surface with its little head! - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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WOW!!!!!!! First timer here and it was definitely something I will do again. Captain Neil and crew were the best!! We were riding along next to hundreds and hundreds of dolphins. The view from underneath in the "dolphin tube" was tight - fits 2 people at a time but well worth it. It is just another vibe from seeing their world under the water, without being wet. They spotted whales while we were supposed to head in, so the excursion was extended JUST so we could go and catch a glimpse. Surprise Surprise - there ended up being 3-4 whales that were then in that vicinity. What a fantastic day. read more

Had a great time yesterday during our whale watching trip ! Booked last minute for the 3pm tour and made it just in time ! It was my wife and my anniversary and we took our young daughter on her first whale watching trip and we weren't disappointed ! Saw tons of dolphin and two fin whales and just had a great time getting wet on the boat ! We even got to try their underwater viewing pods which was a big reason for booking with Captain Dave's ! Captain Chuck and Hannah were awesome and the photographer captured some awesome photos and gave us a photo to take home which was really nice ! Will definitely be back in the future ! read more

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Misleading advertising for whale. Instead, it should be called dolphin watching, which was good to see them in their pods. But they advertise as if you're going out to see a whale which is very rare sighting. Also it's misleading advertisement when they say you're going to see other sea life, in reality you only get to see 1local sea lion..... so the overall outing was not too bad, the time frame and amenities were good, but maybe a bit overpriced for what you actually experience, due to the misleading advertisement. read more

Captain Gary took us out on a private charter aboard The Orca. What a fantastic voyage with the kids. 2 blue whales, hundreds of dolphins, fish we've never seen before, and sea lions galore. Captain Gary also patiently entertained the kids endless questions. Highly recommend if you are in or near Dana Point. read more

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

Loved this crew. Very knowledgeable and we saw a pod of grey whales and two kinds of dolphins: long nose and bottle nose! Would recommend to everyone!! Bring a hat or suns glasses and DRESS WARM. You can bring your own snacks and water. Plenty of parking out front. read more

Capt Dave's - Rode on the luxury catamaran named Lily complete with snacks and a bathroom! - Boat Charters Near Me - Dana Point, California

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In response to your response. No, I did not respond with profanity. Frustration yes, profanity no, and let's pretend I did (I didn't) look past the words and focus on the situation and how your clients are feeling rather than words. I asked several questions which were replied to with canned answers. They asked if there was any they could do, and I said you can honor the reservation and we can take the trip as planned. Don't ask what you can do if you're not willing to deviate. Your reservasionist could not supply any valuable answers nor could they even provide any alternative solutions. I would have purchased the 3 empty seats had I know the bottom line was so important to your company. Your afternoon trip earlier was sold out, so obviously you had a busy day and yes we booked the tour 3 hours before disembarking time, and if at that time no one is booked and you know it's going to be an issue, you should remove the booking option to avoid putting your potential customers in a position where they are halfway through a two hour drive. I'm sorry your feelings were hurt on a 2 minute and 23 second phone call. We had to scramble to find completely new plans after being over an hour into the drive. Would you prefer to trade places? Or do you think dealing with 2 minutes and 23 seconds of frustration is probably the easier side to be on? read more