We went with our family and friends and thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip. The team provided a…read moregreat tour and we were lucky to see many whales. They made sure everyone had a chance to enjoy the views. I definitely recommend them for whale watching!

Because Moss Landing is one of the best whale‑watching places on the West Coast and it's just an…read morehour drive away from San Jose. After some research we picked Sea Goddess because they have one of the largest whale‑watching boats in the area and we had a ton of fun whale watching! The tour guide for our trip was Julette, she is very friendly, super knowledgeable and high energy. We learned a lot about the marine animals in Monterey Bay and the life of humpback whales. We were extremely lucky to spot almost 20 humpback whales in our 3 hour ride!! Pro tip: If you are worry about sea sickness, definitely pick a tour with bigger boat because it will be a lot less rocky at sea. Also make sure you take non-drowsy motion sickness drugs like Dramamine 8 hours and 1 hour before boarding. This will help reducing the symptoms.

Picked this company because of the reviews and everyone was right! After booking they provided a…read moredetailed list of everything we need, including parking and clear directions. Because of their location in Moss Landing, we saw several whales within minutes of leaving the harbor. In addition, we saw otters, sea lions, and dolphins. Both the captain and guide were professional and checked on us during the excursion. Also very knowledgeable and shared lots of great info. The boat is not as big as some of the tours we saw, which was nice because we all got a great view without being on top of each other. Highly recommend for all those reasons. The big plus is location. Don't have to deal with traffic getting in/out of Monterrey.

I've tried out various whale watching tours in the Monterey Area & I always choose Blue Ocean over…read moreeveryone else. Why? 1. Capt Kate is so knowledgeable about everything we are seeing 2. Capt Kate doesn't book the boat full this way everyone has a great view 3. The boat itself is more suitable for an optimal viewing experience 4. Capt Kate will seek out various viewing opportunities. 5. Capt Kate keeps a respectful distance to the whale and never chases them 6. It's out of Moss Landing which is right where the activity is. Most other whale watching companies go out of the Fisherman's Wharf which means you have to spend 30-40 minutes traveling just to spend 35 minutes with the whales and then spend another 40 minutes it's traveling back. Bottom line you get more bang for your buck with Blue Ocean and it is truly a whale watching EXPERIENCE rather than a boat ride.

What went well? Whales! I have been on The Sanctuary out of Moss Landing several times and it…read moregets better each trip! Plus the whales are 5 minutes from the harbor. The Captain and marine biologist are really passionate about what they do and helping all the passenger get great views of the wildlife. And the boat is nice and never crowded.

We had a wonderful memorial cruise for our parents. Captain Chase was great, respecting our…read moreprivacy while saying goodbye, but also friendly and informative during the rest of our cruise. Brian was fantastic and flexible with organizing the whole thing, which had to be rescheduled twice. Will totally go out with them again, hopefully on a less sad occasion.

Mattie and Isaiah made the trip! They were both energetic, knowledgeable and entertaining. We had a…read moregreat time and saw many humpback whales. Highly recommended.

We had an amazing trip 3/28/26 We saw 400-500 pod of…read moredolphins and 10 Humpback whales!!! Beautiful day , took a lot of pictures and videos !!! Would do it again in a minute!!

Absolutely incredible experience with Fast Raft Ocean Safaris & Captain Kate!…read more If you're anywhere near the Monterey Peninsula, local or visiting, you must experience Fast Raft Ocean Safaris. We had the privilege of heading out with Captain Kate, and what unfolded was truly beyond words. We witnessed countless humpback whale calves breaching all around us-so many that we didn't know which direction to look-left, right, behind the boat...it felt like nature's ballet on full display! The raft itself is impeccable-comfortable, smooth, and incredibly close to the water, which makes the encounters feel all the more intimate and powerful. It's small-group, thoughtfully guided, and environmentally conscious. Captain Kate's knowledge, passion, and deep respect for the ocean and its creatures created a sense of reverence and wonder that elevated the whole journey. This is not your average whale-watching tour-it's in a league of its own. A soul-stirring, jaw-dropping, life-affirming kind of outing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Whether you're a local looking to reconnect with the majesty of your own backyard or a visitor hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this is the one to book. Truly unforgettable.

I've taken Fastraft a few times. It's always an amazing experience ! The raft gives you the…read moreability to be up close to the whales or dolphins while being completely safe. Leaving from Moss Landing allows you to be directly over the ocean trench so the wildlife is close to the harbor. It's amazing. Laura D

We had the best experience with Captain Joonya and were so lucky to see so many otters, seals, and…read morebirds on our trip. We even saw multiple groups of mating otters & a mother and baby!! The boat is so comfortable and beautifully decorated. My 99 year old grandmother had the best time & appreciated the extra blankets provided on board and how comfortable Captain Joonya made our family feel! We will definitely be back for another charter in the future!!

Fantastic trip on the slough to see otters. Great boat. Great staff. Definitely recommend.read more

This is such an amazing experience. I've been on three tours of the slough with this group and will…read moredefinitely be back. The naturalists and captains are well informed, warm and friendly people. As a photographer, I've gotten some incredible photos and videos on this tour. Lots of seas otters, many holding baby sea otters, a black skimmer, a white pelican diving for food, many other birds, a pair of seals fighting, a pair of otters fooling around, seals with their babies, sea lions, the Western Flyer, John Steinbeck's boat. There's so much to see with every trip.

We took an otter tour on the occasion of my 50th birthday, and it was incredible! We saw 67 otters…read moreand 12 pups, not to mention countless fascinating shore birds and seals. The naturalist was an extremely effective communicator, completely engaging, and Captain Joe was welcoming and fantastic as well. We loved it so much and it definitely exceeded our expectations; we'll be back and have already recommended the tour to many friends. Thank you!

We had an incredible day out on the water with Mike and Mary yesterday! It was my first time whale…read morewatching, and I was fortunate enough to get the complete experience. We saw over 10 humpback whales and got to view a full breach by one! We also saw 3 different species of dolphins. The boat was modern, well maintained, and very comfortable offering comfy chairs at the back as well as an indoor section (with seating) to protect from wind or rain. Mike and Mary are both very knowledgeable and friendly, and made sure we had an excellent time!

Overall, I had a really great experience with Oceanic Expeditions. I went out recently while…read morevisiting the area and after following them on social media for years, knew I wanted to book a trip due to the small boat size (only 6 people max). I went on the 9:30am trip with two couples and we were lucky to have great weather and overall calm waters. We were lucky to see many humpbacks and several breeches and to see humpbacks relatively close to the shore. The reason however I docked a star is that we were back at the dock after 2.5 hours, when the trip was very clearly listed as 3 hours. Given that this was a pretty expensive experience, it left me feeling a bit confused and cheated. Even though we had seen a lot of "action" and I had a wonderful time, I still feel that we should have been on the water for the amount of time the tour was marketed for - if it was 10 minutes short I wouldn't have been as bothered losing half an hour is a significant portion of the trip. I have been on many whale watching tours and they are typically marketed with a range of hours or a minimum amount of time, and the duration has always met that minimum. I do think Oceanic Expeditions would be better marketing this as 2.5-3 hours if they are not going to be on the water for the full 3 hours.

We took this tour yesterday and it was amazing. First, you're in an electric boat so it is quiet…read moreas you leave the harbor. We immediately saw sea lions and seals sunning themselves on a dock and multiple species of birds nesting and hunting in the harbor waters. But, it was out in the slough where the real magic happens. Sea otters, seals ,sea lions and birds abound. You can hardly turn your head without seeing something amazing. The tour also had a naturalist with years of experience in the Elkhorn Slough. She identified animals and birds for us and told us about the efforts to restore the slough. It was a fun and informative tour that I highly recommend. 10/10

I've done their boat tour twice now and I can't stop raving about them. You can easily book a tour…read moreonline and they are easy to find with plenty of parking. The guys who run it are fantastic. Friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Not to mention the boat is electric and it runs so quietly. I went a few months ago with John for the first time and it was lovely. We saw so many sea otters! I decided to bring my brother on Tuesday. I figured it would be pretty similar from the first tour. Was I wrong! We had the most amazing tour! First, we happened to see humpback whales from the boat. Just so you know, that doesn't normally happen. We were very lucky and a special moment for us. In addition to that, there were so many pelicans flying around and diving into the water to catch fish! It was incredible. We will come back again especially knowing that you never know what you will see on a tour. Just fantastic!

Otters, sea lions, whales with a beach and bench to watch the ocean. Well worth your time…read more Port a potties only. Uneven sandy trails but amazing views. Not wheel chair accessible. But sea otters! Sea lions! Whales!

Elkhorn Slough is a great place to visit on kayak - or even by foot if you enter the path across…read morethe road from the Elkhorn Yacht Club to view wildlife from two big viewing platforms. I went on for two kayak trips over the weekend -- Friday mid-day was choppy and windy, ebb tide with a LOT more animals and birds. Sunday early morning started out flat water at flood and got a bit windier as the ebb started. Fewer animals than Friday but more tourists, and also, jellyfish that blew in with the flood. Keep well clear of the animals - the guidelines I learned this weekend are: - keep 100 ft away (5-8 kayak lengths) - if a seal or otter is looking AT you - you are too close! - if a seal or otter takes evasive action, you are too close Just go out, keep your voices down (they carry well over the water and scare animals and birds) and enjoy watching nature!