Had a great time on our trip, didn't get to see any whales but saw lots of seals and porpoises, boat was very stable and the staff very knowledgeable, would not hesitate to go out with them again read more

I got two tickets for the luxury whale and dolphin watching cruise for my boyfriend and I to surprise him for his birthday. We were VERY pleasantly surprised at how much fun we had and how knowledgeable our guides were on the 2-hour journey. It was so enjoyable and so relaxing. We both agreed this will be a yearly event for us! read more

Our original whale watching cruise was cancelled due to windy conditions. I received an email notice a couple of hours before our departure time, with an explanation & a contact number. I was able to call & easily reschedule for the next day. We had beautiful weather the next day & enjoyed a couple of hours on the water, but alas, saw only a couple of sea lions. The boat is new & very clean. The staff was very friendly & knowledgeable. There are snacks & drinks or cocktails to purchase on board, if you like. On return back to the harbor we received tickets, that don't expire, to return another day & try again. read more

Got to see a few different dolphins during the 2 hour tour but didn't get to see a single whale. Very peaceful and quiet but wish it was more of a "tour" where the tour guide entertains everyone with facts about the local species. During the 2 hours we only spotted 2 species of dolphins. Just wish there was a little bit of entertainment for the price you're paying. read more

The first time we went was in August and it was absolutely amazing that's why I'm giving it 3 stars today. The second time was a couple of weeks ago for my birthday. When we left the cruise the first time they gave us a 25% off coupon. When I ordered the tickets the second time online and tried to use the coupons they said to pay full price, bring coupons with us and they will credit us the difference than. Well when we arrived to check in with our coupons they did not let us do that. The communication between the ticket ordering place and the check in place is horrible. That put a sour taste in my mouth for sure but I plunged through and said I'm going to make the best out of today anyways. When we went out it just wasn't as good as the first time at all. Depends on the boat captain and staff a lot! read more

Read their ad carefully. They do not guarantee you will see whales. Why? Because whales are only in the area between the middle of December and the end of March. But their title on Goldstar reads Whales and Dolphins. That's false advertising. If you want to see whales, go out at the right time of year. Otherwise, lower your expectations. read more

Boat only goes around and around harbor. Wine and cheese tray good. Music was live sax player but only for 15 minutes at beginning of trip and only 5 minutes at end. Didn't understand this. Pretty good gig for the musician to only play a little. She was good and played relaxing cocktail party music. Rest of the time they blared heavy metal, loud. Just awful. read more

Great tour. The boat was very comfortable and safe, I didn't have to worry about my grandson climbing on the rails. We didn't see any whales, but lots of dolphins, a seal sunfish and sea lions. The staff was super nice as well. It was great. read more

Fabulous company and especially accommodating for the handicapped! I was creating a trip itinerary for my niece who is 12 and in a wheelchair, she had never been on a boat so this type of trip sounded like the perfect plan. With lots of on line research in Oceanside area, the Oceanside Adventures sounded like it would be perfect. I was not disappointed and in fact I was AMAZED at the quality of service from the very first phone call I made. Not only was everyone I spoke to on the phone honest, sincere and incredibly pleasant the actual day of the trip went beautiful for my nieces family. I can not say enough wonderful things about this company and how much fun they all had. They saw hundreds of dolphins. Thank you especially to Carla for all of your help in making a little girls dreams come true. read more

Fantastic narrative of what we were seeing - common dolphins, humpback whales, sea lions. The ocean was rough, but when we were in the middle of the dolphins and whales, the engines were cut and we enjoyed watching the dolphins and whales. read more

Great experience! We really enjoyed ourselves. The staff was super friendly, unfortunatly we didn't see any whales but we seen alot of dolphins read more

Took a funday Friday with my mom and her partner. It was very easy to purchase tickets online. They have a nice calendar that you can pick your date and time. Once we arrived to the harbor, parking was close by. There was paid parking and further down there was free parking. It was easily accessible for us to get on the boat with a crew member assisting those who needed it. There are bench seats with shade. They have snacks, drinks, beer, wine etc available for purchase. The restroom is located in the back of the ship which was clean. We boated for a couple of miles out before we started seeing dolphins. Once we located a couple of pods, they would swim right next to the boat and play along the wake of the ship. We unfortunately didn't see any whales today. The only downside was that we were sitting in the back of the boat and was not able to hear the captain narrate our trip. I chose this establishment vs the one downtown San Diego was because it was a lot cheaper and it was 2 hr tour vs 3 hr tour. I was not sure if I was going to get seasick or not. Didn't want to be stuck for an extra hour if I got nausea. Good news, I didn't! I may come back in the early fall, might have a better chance to see whales then. Side note: There are a few nice restaurants on the harbor to grab a bite before or after your adventure. read more

Went whale watching! Was extremely fun. Saw a whale but was still a fun ride even if we didn't see a whale. Very good service. An adventure for sure! Tegan was a huge help ( hope I spelled her name right ). read more

We have been on whale watching tours before and learned to lower our expectation of seeing wild sea life to being able to spot just a few sea lions and a couple of dolphins. That is what we set out to have for this tour. Our 6-year-old son likes boats and was excited to just be on a boat in an open ocean. Never did we expect to see not one, but *two* blue whales. Sure, that was a luck of a draw, but the crew's reaction and subsequent service was unexpected. First, one would never suspect that a boat like that could go THAT fast. Why were we going fast? Because the Captain (or "boat driver guy" as he introduced himself) was attempting to get the best possible view of the blue whales w/o disturbing or annoying the mammals. He was knowledgeable about the breathing cycle and behaviors of the whales and each time they dove, he was trying to rush to a place where he expected them to come up for air. He was right 100% of the time. It also appeared that the board was equipped with a sonar device and he was able to detect the depth and the animals under the boat - that is a huge positive difference compared to other whale watching tours. Being able to see what's going on under the boat is essential to spotting wild life, I think. To top that off, both the Captain and the First Mate where so stocked to see the whales, they were willing to forgo their break to continue chasing the pair. Prior to committing to a longer trip, Captain did ask us if there was any objections. There were none and we were able to find, take pictures and videos of the whales couple more times. This was outstanding!!! Crew qas very processional and friendly. They were also welcoming. What stood out was that they were passionate about studying the wild sea life behavior and habits and what seemed more so than the passengers of the vessel. Goes w/o saying, the vessel (including the bathroom) was clean and we observed the crew dis-infecting all surfaces before we embarked. This was also a plus a Covid-19 era. We highly recommend Oceanside Adventures for your next whale watching tour. While it is not guaranteed that whales can be seen, however, what is guaranteed that if one (or two) are spotted, the crew will make every accommodation to ensure the best possible viewing opportunity of the citing. read more

Staff was great. Amazing trip! Saw hundreds of dolphins feeding and some sea lions. Learned a lot about both of them

Larry did a great job going the extra mile to find whales. Great family memories made today!

I called in advance to let them know we had a birthday girl on board. They had a welcome sign with a birthday message at the check in desk and did a shout out on the boat for us which was a really nice and welcoming touch. The crew were great - helpful and informative and the lady at the check in desk was also very welcoming and helpful. We didn't have the best weather - hazy and gray, but we had some good sightings on our trip. Found a couple of gray whales almost immediately and followed them around for a while. We also saw (and got close to) a few dolphins which was cool. It was chilly on the boat so definitely take a sweater as you never know what it will be like even when it's a sunny day inland. The boat was full but didn't feel overcrowded and you could get a good view of the whales. Overall an enjoyable trip and easy to park nearby for free. read more

Great time whale and dolphin watching. We will do it again.

Nice outing to take in nature on the sea. Easy pace for all ages. Dolphins and whales being searched with each seen making sunny day fantastic! read more

Family went whale watching last year. Absolutely loved it! We saw a lot of dolphins and other sea life. The staff was professional and kind, and we will definitely go ahead. read more

We had a lot of fun on our whale watching tour. The first time we went out we didn't see anything. They gave us our boarding passes back and told us we can come back anytime. We came back and got on the boat again for free and saw a fin whale. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. read more

We had an amazing ride on 4/3/18 clear sky and calm water. Captain and crew were knowledgable and friendly. We saw Dolphins and grey whales. Felt safe and comfortable. Thanks!! read more

Saw dolphins and a grey whale! Fun and went the extra mile literally to see a whale!!

Captain Shane and his crew provided a respectful, dignified experience for the sea burial of my husband and guide dog on Saturday. The vessel was clean and we were greeted with hand sanitizer & masks. We were informed of what to expect, then the crew withdrew to allow the family to handle our goodbyes in privacy. I definitely would recommend Oceanside Adventures to anyone who is in need of a burial at sea for a loved one. read more

It was a terrific whale experience from start to finish. Purchasing the tickets at the little kiosk was a pleasure. Access to the brand new catamaran boat was easy, even for our senior legs. The boat was spotless and the crew was marvelous. We saw two different whales during our adventure. One was just up the coast near Camp Pendleton's south beach area. We did not approach the whale for fear of it entertaining shallow water to avoid us. The second whale was a 45' humpback about 12 miles off the coast. We observed this whale many times as it surfaced for air. Great trip. So glad we wore proper clothing. It was a cool day on shore and quite cold at sea. Can't wait to do it again! read more

We had a great trip and saw lots of dolphins and 3 whales. I loved that it was a smaller boat. Staff was great - shared interesting information but didn't spend the whole time talking over the loud speaker so we could enjoy just being there. read more

I am going to retract my previous 1 star review of this business and give them 5 stars. After further review the person who originally contracted the business had requested the type of evening which we had. I was just the person that had met with the captain and given the deposit. Everyone except myself had a fantastic time. It is a beautiful boat and I'm sure anyone that goes on any type of trip will have an awesome time. I hope this is of value to anyone looking to book a boat out of Oceanside Harbor. read more

Thank you for making today a great day for our family. Your staff is friendly and knowledgeable and was able to locate not only two pods of dolphins but 3 different types of whales to add to the excitement. We will be back next year to do it again. read more

Oceanside Adventures - Boat Charters Near Me - Oceanside, California

Went this past Sunday only saw tails and blow hole sprays from far away not the greatest viewing. Glad I didn't pay full price for this. Saw sea lions at the marina 10 feet away for free. read more

Don't miss this experience when in the Oceanside/Carlsbad area! Wonderful 2 hours on the boat. Our deck guide was fabulous, knowledgeable, polite and even gave us coupons! We saw several seal life animals. Highly recommended! read more

Very friendly staff! We only saw one whale and calf, but it the experience was still great! Highly recommend!

This place was awesome - well worth the money and the tour guides were just cool people. We got to see dolphins and whales and the kids loved it. Better than any other tours I've taken! read more

Crew was great! Very informative and even friendlier! Will be a must every trip to Oceanside! Thanks guys

Not really sure about the actual adventure, but it's a real adventure getting to the dock. Used my car GPS to get to the location which took me to the opposite end of the Harbor and back again. Making our way back, we were greeted by a robot personnel who reported curbside we had missed the boat. After trying to reschedule a later trip for the same day and hanging around for a couple hours, we were told no space. Robot says no refund and the booking agency VIATOR also unable to refund my money. Since I live in another state rescheduling is impossible, and the personnel nodded that I lost my money, so I could give away my trip. VIATOR SAID THEY WERE DONE HELPING BECAUSE OCEAN ADVENTURES REFUSED TO REFUND MY MONEY. LOST $146.00. ADVICE: DO OT USE A BOOKING AGENCY & PERHAPS LOOK FOR ANOTHER OCEAN ADVENTURE!!! San Diego might have user friendly policies! read more

Absolutely one of the worst experiences of my life, and one where I felt I was living a "never ending" nightmare. The tour was suppose to be 2 hours but ended up being 2.5. The waters were terribly rough and the captain should have turned the boat around instead of continuing to push on. Within ten minutes of the journey entering open waters, the waves were so big and choppy the ship was bouncing, rocking and slamming all over the place. At first some didn't mind but it's turned south pretty quickly. The unfortunate part was there were many families on the ship including young children under the age of four and one mother with a little baby. That should have been enough for the captain to realize he better turn around. Instead there were children crying and scared for their life. People were flying all over the place and getting soaking wet from the high waters. I mentioned to one of the employees that I wanted to turn back because at this point I was feeling terrified and he mentioned that it was up to the captain to make that decision. As the journey continued on, the waves became rougher to the point half the people on the ship were throwing up violently(myself included.) Never in a million years would I ever think signing up for something that is suppose to be a fun whale watching attraction turn into a living nightmare. I don't ever think I'll ever have the capacity to step on to a ship again. read more

We went on a 2:30 sea tour and saw 2 different pods of dolphins and sea lions. Great crew, clean boat and over all a great experience. We did not sea any whales, as only a few have migrated through the area this December but it was well worh the ticket price. Thanks for the great view of dolphins in the ocean. read more

I enjoyed the sunset cruise we (group of 18 women 50-60 years old) took on 4-23-16. Our group leader had asked that our cruise go outside the harbor knowing that it would be more interesting and would afford us the opportunity to view sea life, risking rougher water. The sea was rougher than expected but we made the best of it. The crew was awesome serving us drinks and playing great rock N roll music. They even got us up close to a group of dolphins. A few of the women of our group decided to be very adventurous and stand at the bow of the boat to ensure their would experience the most movement and waves crashing on them - they got drenched - what a blast! I would recommend this company for a cruise as the boat was clean, well maintained and the entire crew was helpful and very attentive. read more

The boat was only 2 months old and very roomy, clean and comfortable with seating inside and out. The crew was hospitable, friendly and went out of the way for us to get up close to a blue whale that was hugh and he breached for us right in front of the boat (maybe a 100 yards). We encountered several pods of dolpins that put on quite a show for us. It was a fun adventure. We are San Diego residents and I can't wait to go again. read more

Terrific cruise, great staff. Got several great glimpses of a blue whale. Captain was very knowledgeable about local marine life. I highly recommend this outfit. Very pleasant adventure. Their website contains a list of the marine life seen on recent excursions. Check that out to be sure it's the sort of thing you want to do. You can't expect to see lots of whales at once unless it's migration season. read more

A beautiful day for a boat trip on their 47-ft catamaran. Staff friendly & knowledgeable. We took the 2-hr adventure & were able to watch several grey whales making their way back up the coast to Alaska. The boat is kind of small so we were bouncing a bit on the waves. The boat has snacks & beverages which made for a Fantastic trip. read more