the staff was very accomodating. i forgot to pack glasses for our sunset cruise. they specifically…read morewent to their closed market and got 2 glasses... saving the day (sunset). we got to see all the wildlife that morro bay had to offere. definitely will do this again!

We rented an electric boat for a sunset cruise to celebrate my wife's birthday and had a great…read moretime. The boats are clean and very comfortable for 6-8 people. Being able to bring our own drinks and food and play our own music on their Bluetooth speaker is really nice. Be aware that driving against the current results in the boat going about 2 MPH; compared to driving with the current or slack tide, you can travel 5+ MPH so allow enough time for returning to the dock.

If your going out on a charter boat pick any one else other than "Starfire" unless you don't have a…read morechoice. The captain was great but the deck hands all seemed to have an attitude. One deck hand named "Josh" cussed at a customer and we heard another one cuss at a customer. Poor communication when it came to cleaning fish. Most of us were asking each other what was going on. The passengers around us were not happy with how the boat was being run. We all decided this would be our last trip this boat. I will say that the boat limited out but be prepared for fishing 400' depths (arms my get cramps reeling in)

Always get your limit with these guys. Doesn't matter what boat. All three boats are hands down the…read morebest charters in Morro Bay.

Have been out with captain rich several times always had a great trip actually just booked againread more

I have waited for this trip since April. My first trip canceled to wind. Even though it was a…read morebeautiful day where I was 20 minutes away It was, not good the captain says and the captain knows best. But my day came yesterday, Beautiful day at 6AM we meet at Morro Bay. I met the 3 other fisherman, Mark and his son Cassidy, and his son Carter. This trip which is a put together trip I was sone person that did not have to pay for the whole boat. Just my 1/4th. Captain Rich was on time to pick us up on his boat and off we went through the inlet and out to see north towards Cambria. Captain explained to us what our plans were and the options we could choose. Halibut was our primary target, rock fish and ling cod 2nd, and if the salmon were biting that could change everything. On our second drift Carter caught a nice California halibut a few inches over legal. After several drifts nothing on Halibut so we changed to rock fish. Captain Rich put us on the meat as we all started to fill our limits with Reds, Ling and a mix of other rock fish. As it slowed the Captain said let's go find some sandy bottom and get back to Halibut. His intel said that the salmon were just not biting so we all agreed let's find the halibut. WE had a few bites and then I hooked up with a nice 15 pounder. Captain had some nice sandy bottoms for us to try and get them, but they just did not cooperate. All in all I loved this trip and the captan and fishing style. I have been on the Virgs and Black Pearl 6 times a year but this is the way to really enjoy fishing . Personal attention to the gear and how we are using it. Fun, Fun, Fun I look forward to many more trips with CCFC.

What a fun day! Ricky and Gunner gave us a wonderful adventure. It wasn't long, but it was fun…read more Both fellows had a perfect delivery. It was easy, relaxing and a beautiful day. I would not recommend the double cheeky Mai Tai, as it was way too sweet. Other than that, it was fabulous.

We had an absolutely wonderful time on the Tiki Cruz Adults Only Sunset Cruise!…read more We were celebrating my husband's 65th birthday, and he thoroughly enjoyed it--and so did I! We were lucky enough to see otters (including an entire raft of them!), sea lions, and seals, along with all the beautiful boats and scenery around Morro Bay. Our tour guide shared so much interesting history about the Morro Bay area, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The bartender was incredibly friendly, the music was spot-on, and the entire boat ride was so peaceful and relaxing. They even provided cozy blankets to keep us warm and comfortable as the evening cooled down. It was such a fun and memorable way to celebrate his birthday! We highly recommend the Tiki Cruz Sunset Cruise 100%! If you're looking for a relaxing, fun, adults-only experience on the water, definitely give them a try!

I can't say enough positive things about our experience with Avila Beach Whale Watching. The…read morebooking process was a breeze and directions to the boat super clear. The boat was extremely comfortable and super easy to get on and off. Only 6 people so everyone is able to see the show. Captain Mark is personable, experienced and safety conscious. While you can never be guaranteed as to what you will see, the experience we had totally exceeded our expectations - lots of whales breaching and showing off their flukes and dolphins accompanied us for a while playing alongside the boat. This was my first trip with this company, but it won't be my last!

Truly an amazing experience! We saw countless whales, and at times it felt like there were whales…read moreeverywhere you looked. We saw multiple groups of whales lunge feeding, with whales, sea lions, and tons of birds all feeding together. We also saw lots of dolphins and had a chance to cruise alongside them for a while. Our guide, Mark, was fantastic. He clearly knew the whales and their behavior, always kept us informed about what was happening and where to look, and was happy to answer all of our questions. The highlight came when Mark spotted a whale away from where we were watching and decided to head over to check it out--even though we were already seeing some incredible activity. We're so glad he did. Shortly after we got there, the whale breached right in front of our boat! An unforgettable moment that we never would have experienced without Mark's knowledge and instincts. Our original trip had actually been canceled the day before because of bad weather. While that was obviously disappointing, it was completely outside their control, and we really appreciated how they handled it. They added an extra third trip the following day so they could accommodate us. We also brought our three-and-a-half-year-old along, and he had a great time. He was comfortable throughout the trip and really enjoyed the experience. It may not be for every three-and-a-half-year-old, but it definitely worked great for ours! It was the best whale-watching experience our family could have asked for. It truly couldn't have been any better!

Wow. It was awesome trip The whales and dolphins were so…read morebeautiful.. the crew was wonderful. we are going back again soon.

Incredible experience on the whale watching tour! Captain Dakota was entertaining and always…read morewilling to answer questions. We got to see sea lions, sea otters, dolphins swim along the boat, and lots of humpback whales! If you get seasick, make sure to prepare with medicine! It can get a bit choppy. A MUST if you are in the Morro Bay Area. Seriously was so cool.

I cannot really speak to the adventure of sailing itself because sadly our family took ill the day…read moreof our planned trip, but I wanted to review the business with five stars because they were so accommodating and understanding of our situation. These people definitely deserve your business. And when we come back next year we are definitely going to try again. They said they would refund our money and were totally understanding.

We took a sailing excursion on 1/17. Our first time on a sail boat & definitely not our last. We…read morecouldn't have asked for a more beautiful & perfect day. Captain Kevin was a great host. Although it wasn't an ideal time for whale watching he took us out 7 miles from the coast & we saw 2 gray whales & plenty of pods of dolphins. On the way back to the marina the wind picked up & we were cruising at 8 knots & the front of the boat dipped in the water. It was exciting & thrilling. This was the highlight of this trip to the central coast. Captain Kevin is awesome & we can't wait to see him again when the peak whale season starts.

I would say the crew was amazing. Extremely helpful and…read morenice. The boat was filled to the max and honestly, it felt very crowded. It was definitely hard to move around which also could've been because there was extra people on the boat that got on the wrong charter boat. I could have done without the smoking. Pretty much every minute of the trip was filled with smoke instead of sea area. We did go on a charter to experience fishing and smell the fresh air. We will not be returning to the though I'm sure that most charters are filled with nonstop people smoking.

Wow! I mean. Wow!!…read more I'm an angler. I fish a lot. By "a lot" I mean every break from work, time to myself, wanna get away and nothing else to do. Well, there's always something else to do. Fishing. A few years ago, an angler friend who drove down to San Diego to fish tuna told me wonderful stories about Morro Bay and the size of the fish they catch up there. He made it sound like the Land of Plenty. We anglers love to tell fishing tales, just look at the length of this review so far, so I took it all with a grain of salt; by salt I mean a good flavorful blackened fish rub. HELLO! After the fishing trip ended, he sent me an invite to join a Facebook group called Friends of the Black Pearl. I accepted the invite because I had just deleted my old FB account because I kept getting put in Facebook Jail, 30 days being able to see posts and comments from everybody else but not able to post or comment myself, TORTURE! People posting and commenting stupid stuff and I couldn't check them. Anyway, what's this review about? Oh yeah. The Black Pearl. I started to see the photos of the fish people caught and thought I myself, hmmm. "6 hour drive in the car by myself. Hotel room by myself. Get some fishing in the next day. Hotel room again by myself. 6 hour drive home by myself." No sooner than I finished the thought, maybe while I was still thinking, I had already booked my first trip and hotel. It was the " by myself" part that did it. What? I love my family. I just need to miss them every now and then. My first trip the weather did not permit the boat to leave the bay due to the extreme conditions. However, three things happened. 1 - We were still able to catch a lot of decent sized fish. Not the monsters I was expecting, but definitely bigger than anything I would have caught in San Diego. 2 - I saw a Captain, Captain Brian, drive a boat with the most skill I've ever seen a Captain display on a day trip. I mean, the sea was rough yet he was able to keep us on the rock pile so we could keep fishing. I had never seen such a thing. I didn't even know it was possible in such high surf and wind. 3 - I met and bonded with the most exceptional crew ever. From Gambit preparing amazing means then handling the rails deck handing with best of them to the other deck hands making sure tangles were immediately addressed and angler had the time they paid for. It was like 4 star hotel hospitality training. Amazing!! However, I didn't see the huge fish I was promised. Then that's when I learned the term "Jurassic Park". Turns out that when the sea conditions permit, the boat is able to leave the harbor and sail to the coast of Big Sur. With that information etched in my brain, I scheduled a 1.5 day and did the drive and hotel thing again a few months later. This time... We made it! OMG!! Monsters!! Now with monsters come tangles because you're fishing so deep and let's face it, the fish you hook are fighting for their lives and don't come straight up. They're swimming all over the place in their panic and wrap themselves around other anglers' lines in their fight for survival. The harder they fight the more fun I'm having. " Yeah Baby! You better fight if you wanna avoid this beer batter and hot grease. Fight like your life depends on it!! It does!" I crack myself up. Since I've been fishing this boat, I've joined a few sponsored trips, made a huge amount of friends, caught lots of fish and even taken my son and best friend to fish with me. I don't even bother to fish rock fish in San Diego anymore. I've experienced the boat's new remodel, new crew members, I've even enjoyed Lisa's fine cuisine on every trip. Oh! Didn't I mention that? Lisa, the boat owner, specially prepares the meals at home for every trip. So you don't just get boat burgers, you get real food. I'm talking brisket and pulled pork sandwiches. Hot dogs with home made pickles, pickled cabbage and sour kraut. Potato salad (), baked beans and so on. A different meal every time. Today, a trip on the Black Pearl has become my happy place. When I need a break or just want to fill my freezer, or even just wanna see Gambit, Captain Brian and the crew again, I plan this time for myself. As an experienced angler, it's really not about catching fish, it's about the experience while fishing. Check out these photos over my years on the Pearl.