We had a phenomenal time spending the day on the water with Oceanside Adventures. Peter is very knowledgeable and helpful when it comes to group bookings, availability and highlights of this excursion. The boat is very clean, safe with professional and well groomed staff that were able to answer all of our questions with confidence. They are extremely knowledgeable of ocean life, habitats, etc. The team made all efforts to provide us with a good time. We saw a hammerhead shark which is very rare as well as some dolphins. Unfortunately we were unable to see a whale but the staff kept us on the water longer and toured around in hopes of finding something. Since the company posts what they see daily, we could tell it was just a case of bad luck that day. I would definitely recommend Oceanside Adventures for group gatherings, tourist activities or just a lovely way to spend your day on the water. Thank you Oceanside Adventures!! read more

It was a beautiful day. We had the opportunity to see quite a few whales. Only wish the would have come out of the water a little more and for a longer period of time read more

Took the whale watching tour on 3/18/22. We saw no whales only dolphins. What was the most disappointing was the fact that when asked directly the crew indicated they hadn't located any whales for their other trips as well. The experience could have been saved if the crew had told some jokes, educated us on whale life, provided cool fish facts. Anything would have been appreciated other than staring out over a blank empty ocean. When asked about the type of whales we might see one of the crew picked up a chart and reluctantly pointed to a whale but made it clear he was annoyed. After no interaction, it was made known that gratuities are appreciated. I always tip but did not tip this lack luster crew. The vessel itself was clean and seaworthy. We were told we would receive a return ticket if we did not see whales but we were only given a discount coupon. I hope others have a better experience than we did. read more

Great time on a Monday at the 12:00 cruise. Lucky for us, the boat was not crowded so every person had great views and could walk around the boat. I'm sure it would also be a lot of fun with more people to hear the oohs and awes as we saw dolphins, sea lions and one stunning California whale. The crew was very pleasant and patient to wait for the whale to surface four different times. Highly recommend. read more

Beautiful outing for the whole family! Don't miss this incredible opportunity to see marine life in our backyard!!! Incredible staff provide education to youth and adults. Kudos Oceanside Adventures read more

Great time! Very knowledgeable crew. Found whales immediately and dolphins were amazing. Beautiful experience! Thank you! We will be back!

Crew was amazing. Very knowledgeable. Enjoyable ride. We saw sea lions, jumping dolphins and two ginormous blue whales!! I would recommend to anyone!! We went with our three kids under 13 and they loved it. The crew was just excited to see the whales as we were. We got to stay out longer watching them. read more

We had a wonderful time on the tour. No whales but lots of Dolphins and Sea Lions. The crew were very nice and knowledgeable and the boat ride was roomy and very enjoyable. read more

We have visited the San Diego area numerous times and always thought about trying a whale watching tour and finally did it. We were there in Oceanside for a week at North Coast Village. It is an easy walk from there to the Harbor, either out the front gates and over the bridge, or along the beach to the jetty and then straight up. We booked online, which was easy. Checked in 30 minutes ahead as directed. Easy. Gave us time to browse the shops and such at the Harbor. Boarding was prompt. Space on the boat was sufficient. The benches on the boat were nice and sturdy and had cup holders built in, which I thought was a pretty novel idea, with the ocean motion. I was told there was a restroom on board, but I did not need it. Good to have though. There is a small snack bar, that has anything you would want on this length trip. Candy, peanuts, that sort of thing. Water, soft drinks and also beer, wine and a decent selection of liquors for a mixed drink. I myself love having local beers when traveling, and they had two or three options. On the way through the harbor, they pointed out a few things, including some sea lions sleeping on a dock. As we made our way into the ocean there was a large buoy with more sea lions. They made some cool sounds as we motored by. Then on out to sea. The ride was smooth. Let me qualify that. It was not smooth like a lake. It is the ocean. Be prepared to hold on. That said, considering this is the ocean, ya know.... the Pacific Ocean.... aka the large one... it was smooth. Get it? It is not a lake. Hold on to your cameras, phones, hats, etc. And if you stand, hold on to a railing. If you have been on the ocean before, you know. About an hour into the trip, there were no sightings and I was settling in for a nice ride on the ocean. I just decided that it was very nice being out on the ocean. A nice view of the coast. Cool breeze. The color of the water was incredible, and you just do not see that from the shore or the pier. In my mind, I had already decided that this was worth it already. Bottom line is, it isn't expensive.... very fair cost... even if it was just a boat ride. Then.... a pod of Dolphins. Oh, did I say a pod? It was a SUPERpod. All I can say is wow. There were easily over a thousand of them. The Captain drove towards where they were and we were surrounded. FYI, dolphins have no problem with boats being near them. They were safe the entire time, and often dolphins are the ones getting too close for OUR comfort. They are just fine. I especially liked the one I named LeBron. That one jumped a good 5 to 6 feet out of the water. Straight up. We spent a good 20 to 25 minutes with the superpod then it was time to head back. At the end, we were given a coupon for a restaurant at the harbor, and a 25% off coupon for a re-booking, which I think is very fair. We did use the coupon (free drink with an entree - no limit), so that saved us $10 plus the restaurant gave us an extra 10% off. And as I said, the price of the 2 hour cruise was a good deal even with no sightings, so 25% off to try for whales on another day.... not bad. Now, my ADVICE FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING. People that complain about getting sea sick. 1. Be serious. 2. It's the OCEAN. 3. Do not EAT anything more than a light snack and do not drink alcohol heavily or at all just before the trip. 4. After a half an hour on the ocean, if you feel good, grab a beer or drink at the snack bar. 5. Do NOT nap on a boat or in a vehicle if you get sick. Only makes it worse. 6. Stare at the horizon, until there is a Superpod. Whales? Where are the whales? Ok, listen... I live in the desert. People ask me, "where are the snakes?" Answer: Hopefully, they are OUTSIDE. So, where are the whales? They are IN THE OCEAN. My biggest piece of advice is, take ANY whale watching tour with the idea that at the very least, you will have a nice trip on the ocean with a cool breeze and enjoy it. Then, if you see something, GREAT. Sunscreen, binoculars, hats.... cameras with full charge.... some cash for the snack bar.... all good ideas. And throw a little cash in the tip jar on the way out. read more

We had an amazing adventure!! Very knowledgeable staff and crew. We got to see a blue whale and a ton of dolphins as we headed back in. It's a day we won't soon forget!! read more

Beautiful and clean boat. Fabulous crew too. Though we did not see much sea life(and not really expecting to this time of year),we throughly enjoyed our cruise. We were even given voucher to back with the year. read more

Boat ride was fun and relaxing, and also safe for our young son. Views were beautiful. Crew was great and friendly and information. We saw dolphins and a sunfish. Hoped to see a whale, but it was great time nonetheless. Free parking! read more

Well worth the money. Beautiful day, comfortable cruise-no whales but hundreds of dolphins surrounding the boat. Very exciting.

Had a lovely day sailing on the catamaran. Although we did not see whales, saw dozens of dolphins, seals and birds. Host was very friendly and answered all questions enthusiastically and knowledgeably. read more

We decided to jump on the noon adventure, and was so glad we did. We saw dolphins and sea lions. AND WHALES. Pretty close to the boat, too. It was magnificent! The captain was very informative and obviously knowledgeable in navigating the boat towards whales. The group on the boat was VERY quiet until we saw a whale, then WOOHOOOO!! We spotted them about 4-5 times, with the last one being 35-40 feet (I asked). They were honest and told us how lucky we were on that trip. In any case, even without whales, it's a beautiful trip out into the ocean. read more

Oceanside adventures was a wonderful experience. We got out on the boat and it was really relaxing there were not that many people I kept thinking it would be packed but it wasn't. Everyone was so nice and got along with each other it was very pleasant. We saw some wonderful dolphins there were a couple of schools or pods, the wildlife expert was explaining the structure of their life in the ocean to us. We did see some fins of some whales but they were very far away!! We couldn't really get close to them but the wildlife expert did explain the oily slick where they were hanging out and that we were only able to get so close because you have to be careful. Aside from that we saw some beautiful seals on a buoy in the middle of the ocean and then we saw more seals later. On board they had some cute toys for the children they had brought a big box that had toy seals, sharks, whales and other wildlife, It was cute to watch the children playing with the toys it gave them something to do. On board they also had a small galley where they served a few drinks and chips and there was also a clean bathroom in the back for everyone to use. It was an absolutely beautiful day it was a cathartic moment for me and I will be back. read more

Very nice and clean boat. The tour folks were great and very professional. We had an extraordinary time, sighted 8 blue whales. The captain allowed us to stay out longer because of all the activity and sightings. It was an experience my family will never forget! read more

Took the nephews, it was tons of fun! The crew were super nice and incredibly informative.

I went on their whale watching trip twice last month when family was in town. Their prices are great and their staff is very friendly. We never saw a whale but we did see hundreds of dolphin and it was a beautiful day to be out on the water. My only negative comment has to do with the music. The easy listening was fine but the 1980s head banging music really detracted from the trip, made it hard to talk, and just wasn't a good fit. (And I LOVE 80s music.) This isn't a party barge so leave the Guns and Roses back at the pier. read more

First time going out whale watching. Very comfortable boat leaving from Oceanside harbor. Although we didn't see any whales we saw 2 very large pods of dolphins. One was a large species without beaks that feed on squids. The other were common dolphins. They raced the boat and gave us a wonderful show. A very fun 2 hours. Will try again when the whales are more in season. read more

Great morning on the ocean! The boat is clean and the crew is friendly and helpful. We took two kids (2 yo and 6 yo) and we felt completely safe on board with both of them. Plenty of opportunity to see dolphins and sea lions on our tour. It was a great two hour excursion! read more

Very cool trip to take with kids of all ages. Big comfortable boat, snack bar and cocktail bar on deck. The staff was very kind and knowledgeable about the sea life we came across. Tons of dolphin viewing. Great time for the entire family! read more

We had amazing trip a few weeks ago, saw so many dolphins, a shark and a blue whale. We even had a discount coupon making it that much better. The crew was amazing. read more

We booked last min when another company canceled for the day I was worried because the time on the boat was shorter but I was not disappointed!!!! We had a great time !! My husband two kids 9-10 and I seen a mother gray whale and her calf !!! We followed at a good distance for viewing and keeping the animals safe ;) my only advice is wear shoes u can get wet water came on board and all r shoes were wet :-/ but the staff was very hospitable helping when and wherever they could !!! We will be going again very soon :) read more

This was one of the best tours I have been on. I am not big on boats since I get sick easily but I had a great time. The crew was very interactive and the captain knew exactly what to look for and where to go. The boat was very clean and in great condition. I would recommend them to anyone read more

We had a phenomenal time! Captain Shane and Tiegan were super cool and just being on the water was awesome.

We had a good time. The crew is really nice. We saw a huge pod of common dolphins. It would have been nice if the capt. had stop talking at some point through the experience so that we could hear them and enjoy them in peace. The info he shared was interesting, but very LOUD and nonstop. Other than that, great trip! read more

My 83-year-old mother-in-law had a dolphin cruise on her bucket list, so my husband and I decided to book the three of us for the Dolphin and Whale Watching Adventure with Oceanside Adventures for the afternoon of August 22nd. We made the 500-mile drive to Oceanside, California for this trip. The check-in process and parking directions are very accurate on their website and they are timely... everything went on without a hitch. The catamaran was not full (to practice social distancing), masks were required, and the catamaran was extremely clean with plenty of seating (snacks and drinks available at a reasonable price). The crew was young, knowledgeable, and all were very nice and all were accommodating. This is a two-hour cruise that sets sail from Oceanside to see dolphins, whales, birds, sea lions, and other wildlife. On our trip, unfortunately, we were only lucky enough to see birds and sea lions. So disappointed! BUT, because we did not see any whales or dolphins, Oceanside Adventures gave us our tickets back before we exited the catamaran so that we may re-sail, at NO cost, any time we would like. Because we had just made this trip for overnight and were making the 500-mile trip back to Arizona the next day, they re-booked us for the very next morning (August 23rd)... with fingers crossed as this was on my mother-in-law's bucket list to see the dolphins! Again, everything was timely and we set sail. However, this time we were fortunate and were able to see hundreds of dolphins (along with several bird species, sea lions, etc.) and hear from our captain about dolphin life, habits, and behaviors. It was absolutely amazing and so worth the re-sail (along with the nice ocean breeze) and well worth the money! Oceanside Adventures is a classy outfit with an outstanding crew! I would highly recommend the Dolphin and Whale Adventure to everyone! read more

Two hour boat ride 5 miles from shore and 5-6 miles down shore. Saw sea lions on red buoy and several pods of common dolphin. No whales on this trip. Boat comfortable with shade for those who wanted it. Clean. Safe. Snacks on board. 2 crew who were friendly and knowledgeable. Pleasant ride. Sunny weather. Hints: bring sun lotion, jacket, water, money for tip. There is a marine head on board but encourage a land bathroom visit before boarding boat. Would definitely do again! read more

I had a great trip with Oceanside Adventures. They have a really good deal, as some operations can be rather expensive. They are professionally run, very knowledgeable about the local history and wildlife, and attentive to client comfort and safety. They are very enthusiastic about what they do and respectful to the local wildlife. It's also a bonus that we saw a gray whale and a pod of common dolphins at the end. Either way, I would do another boat trip with them in a heartbeat! read more

We had a wonderful time on the cruise. We saw Sea Lions and a Pod of about 50 Dolphins. The Dolphins put on a great show jumping and spinning. I have been on tours like this before but never did they get so close and so active. The Captain assured us the Dolphins were not on the payroll. The crew was nice and the Captain explained all the sights. read more

Friends took us on this tour as a birthday present and it was a great outing. We didn't see any whales but did see lots of dolphins. The captain knows his stuff and was able to get them to swim along with the boat in the front and the back. They are so close, it was really cool. We were fortunate that it was a beautiful and calm day. The boat and the staff were all excellent, friendly and knowledgeable and the boat was very clean and comfortable. I don't particularly care for boats and I took seasickness medication in advance just to be safe. Even though it was a calm day, I'm glad I did. Make sure to follow their directions for free parking on the other side of the tunnel. read more

My husband and I took the 2:30 whale watch yesterday, Sunday. We were able to get a reservation yesterday morning, on line. Quick, easy and we were on board! Clean, large, comfortable boat, everyone had a great view. The crew gave great natural history info and we were fortunate to see a large pod of common dolphin. They were so cool! The trip was two hours and I would definitely go again on my next trip. read more

Apparently more interested in making a profit than their customers. They called one hour before tour to cancel because they did not have enough people. Too late to book another whale watching company so lost out on this vacation experience. If you truly want to whale watch, go to a different company that will not cancel for monetary reasons. They were recommended to us by the Carlsbad visitors center. I will make sure they know how we were treated. This outfit apparently is new, but the way you build business is by serving customers, not ruining their afternoon. One cannot even call to talk to them. You are directed to a ticket company who charges a fee to book a trip. Neither their web site nor the ticket company mention that they will cancel if not enough people buy tickets for them to make a profit. read more

Went on 8/6. Was awesome. Guys piloting the boat saw and went to a mega Dolphin pod. About 800!! They were jumping and swimming all around the boat. Was a very memorable experience. Service was great too. read more

What an amazing adventure! The crew members were all very knowledgeable and were happy to answer questions. Our trip didn't find the dolphins till pretty close to the end of the trip, but our captain took some extra time so that we could all enjoy these magnificent animals. Thank you! read more

You guys need more communication and activity on the boat. We saw sea lions, and about 20 minutes later we got into the dolphin pods (this was about an hour into the "tour"). Of course, there were no whales (didn't expect to see them this time of the year, but I know there are exceptions), so maybe they should call this the Dolphin Watching Adventure. I still would've gone, but my guests would not have been disappointed, and if there was a whale, then great! My pan is with the exception of seeing the dolphins (sleeping sea lions on a buoy is not exciting), there was nothing to do. There was no music, no entertainment, very little commentary, and over-all, very BORING! It most def is NOT a party boat, it was more like a taxi ride to and from the dolphins; very little conversation. There was a bar, but I don't want to get drunk on a boat knowing I have to drive as soon as I disembark. The ride back to the pier (four miles) was excruciating and was about 45 minutes of me thinking, "I am so bored I just want to swim back"! I even told my guests I would HATE this job because it was soooo BORING! Liven it up, guys! Do some trivia questions, or play some jams, or do something to interact with the guests. It's like little to no effort was put into this, except "driving" us, using the Fish Finder to take us to the pods and then a one minute blurb about the dolphins. I originally rated this as a 4 because of the dolphins, but in hindsight, I changed it. I put more effort into my review than they did on the tour, so I had to down-grade my stars. Make an effort to actually provide a tour, not just a ride, and then we won't be regretting our decision to do this two-hour "bore-tour", and you'll make much better tips! And don't get me started on the traffic getting to and from Oceanside. We only drove from San Diego (an hour away), but spent almost five hours in traffic (no accidents, just too many people). Add that onto that "action-packed bore-tour", and we had about 15 minutes of excitement! It could have, should have been much better... read more

Our family of 4 loved this adventure! Staff was friendly and informative. Saw a lot of amazing wild life, this is a must do!

We just did a whale watching tour with Oceanside Adventure. Great boat and crew. We followed two large "fin whales" for almost an hour. We also saw a large pod of dolphins. Fun, safe, and a very professional experience. read more

Simply the best! Saw a humpback, got some cool pictures and learned some new things about whales. I'd do it again.