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Oceanside Coastal Expeditions

4.6 (23 reviews)
Open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

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Tom D.

This was our second excursion with Oceanside Coastal Expeditions, and both were outstanding experiences! Captain Nate is as personable as he is knowledgeable, and made the trip fun in many different ways. We were on a brief visit to Camp Pendleton and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to see some sea life. Although I have a history of easily-triggered motion sickness, I never felt even a hint of discomfort. The weather was perfect - in fact, everything was perfect. We'd do it again, and recommend Oceanside Coastal Expeditions without hesitation.

Short beak common dolphins
Shane C.

If you're interested in San Diego whale watching, don't hesitate to book with Oceanside Coastal Expeditions. We went out on a Saturday morning mid-January and saw around 150 dolphins and a mother gray whale and her calf. Nate was a fantastic guide who clearly knows the waters around Oceanside, and his smaller boat is perfect for efficiently navigating the area. We headed out about 5 miles and began looking for marine life, and we enjoyed the beautiful day and views while listening to good music. We initially found the pod of dolphins and cruised with them, which was absolutely magical. The dolphins love Nate's boat and will purposefully swim right off the bow, leaping in and out of the water, lightly splashing you. As we headed back towards shore we found the mother and baby gray that Nate spotted earlier that morning. While we could only see the baby surface, Nate's slick drone work showed us how large the two were as the cruised just below the surface. If you've made it this far, do yourself a favor and book a tour. We'll definitely be back!

So happy

BY FAR THE BEST EXPEDITION IN CALI!!! Nate was extremely fun and took us right on top of the dolphins!! Hung off the side of the boat and was so close I could almost touch them. Saw Mola Mola and got a little hifive from it. What an amazing one of a kind experience. My heart is so full!! Would recommend this over and over again to anyone visiting or local.

up close with fin whales
Tamar C.

We just took our second trip with Captain Nate and it was amazing again! Last year we saw dolphins and it was magical. At one point he thought i was cold (I wasn't!) and was going to give me HIS OWN JACKET. He let us choose the music and our group was just us and two other people. This year was just my group of 4 and we saw fin whales!! Then Nate fired up his drone to show us just how large they are. Amazing. We are definitely doing this yet again next year.

Drone footage of fin whale from Nate
Ella D.

Nate goes out of his way to make sure you see something! We've gone the past 2 years and seen dolphins, sun fish, and fin whales. He played music of your choosing and used a drone to capture extra footage of the ocean life for you.

Jenny B.

Cannot say enough about this experience! Nate is an amazing captain and this was one of the most fun whale watching trips we've done! We got to see a whale up close, so close that it swam under the boat. Worth every penny to spend the afternoon on the water, on the waves and seeing wildlife upclose. Nate made us feel welcome, safe and navigated perfectly.

This is from their website, but nothing can fully capture how amazing this experience was!

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4 months ago

Great crew and team with deep experience in the ocean. Very professional, knowledgeable, and nice to spend time with.

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4 years ago

Nate was up front & accommodating when the weather & ocean conditions weren't ideal or going to make an enjoyable experience.

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Review Highlights - Oceanside Coastal Expeditions

Nate had prepared for our trip by working with other charters to pinpoint the best chances for an encounter.

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Hot Tub Cruisin - Hot Tub Yacht Rentals

Hot Tub Cruisin

4.3(163 reviews)
30.1 mi

We booked Hot Tub Cruisin as a Bachelorette activity this past weekend and had a great time! There…read morewere 12 of us on the boat, and it didn't feel overcrowded--everyone had a spot to relax and enjoy. When we first arrived, most of us needed to use the restroom (since there isn't one on the boat), and the girl working at check-in seemed a bit annoyed by that. However, once we got on the boat, she was totally fine and helpful. A few things to note: someone in your group does have to drive the boat, so plan ahead for that. You can bring your own 21+ drinks as long as they're not in glass containers, and you'll need to bring your own ice. Once you're out on the water, it's pretty lively with lots of other boats and people. We played our own music and just hung out--it was a really fun, chill experience. The two hours definitely go by fast, so keep an eye on the time. They're strict about going over, even by a minute, so we set a timer and started heading back 30 minutes before our end time. Overall, a fun and unique experience we'd recommend!

If you're even thinking about booking a hot tub boat, stop thinking and just DO IT--especially with…read morethis company! From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of incredible. The boat was clean, comfortable, and perfectly warm even with the breeze on the water. It's not every day you get to combine luxury, adventure, and pure relaxation all in one, but, what truly made the day unforgettable was the amazing service. Huge shout-out to Kyle - he was fantastic! Super friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to make sure we were having a memorable experience for my friends bachelorette party. Do not be discouraged by the other ratings on this site, I highly, highly recommend and think this is the perfect addition to any plan in San Diego. It will create a lifetime memory. Plus you get to see Sea Lions on your way out!

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Hot Tub Cruisin - Hot Tub Pontoon boat cruise

Hot Tub Pontoon boat cruise

Hot Tub Cruisin - Sunset Cruise Hot Tub Party Boat

Sunset Cruise Hot Tub Party Boat

Hot Tub Cruisin - The party boat only gets better with a hot tub

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The party boat only gets better with a hot tub

Pedal Port - 4 seater pedal boat!

Pedal Port

4.3(7 reviews)
26.6 mi

Doing something on this lake had been on my mother's bucket list for years, so we finally made a…read morevisit. I booked the pedal reservation weeks in advance, and the registration was simple. The ladies greeted us with smiles, the four person boat was easy enough to navigate, and the lake was peaceful. Wow $15 per person was a bit steep for an hour of peace, it was reasonable and everyone had a good time. The only areas for improvement was that the day had started off grey so I left two voicemails to ensure the boats would be available and that despite it being a Friday afternoon in May, that someone would be there. While I never received a return call, everything ran smoothly. The second feedback is that there were spiderwebs on the middle table between the two seats. It would have been nice for that to have been cleaned before our arrival instead of discovering it as I took my jacket off. In any case, we had a great time and despite the heavy load of four grown adults, two of us had no trouble peddling. It was a beautiful day. Update: the reminder email was really well written. If a note could be in there on how or times to reach during off season would be sufficient. As for the webs, one gal was training the other, so I'm sure it was a simple oversight. I changed my review from 4 to 5.

Hi Wynn, Sorry I didn't see your response on Yelp, so I am…read moredelayed in responding. I can't seem to reply to your comment so posting here. To clarify, I first rented your mini-pontoon on September 1, 2024 - that cost was $60...we had 2 adults and 3 children on the boat. That is more expensive than what was offered at the lake before and many people can't afford that. I did see the Friday night special offered in November for $10 , so yes we did take a boat ride then too. I believe there were 4 nights last year that had reduced rates. Regarding accessibility, I am the spokesperson for the residents in Harveston that would like to see the cruise-style pontoon boats back in our lake. It has been heartbreaking to hear from residents who can no longer use the lake like once did. I have heard from a disabled Veteran who used to go on the boat with his dog and no longer can on the ones you offer. My elderly neighbors are no longer able to use the style you have either and I used to go out with them. These are just a few of the people that have been affected. I have shared my cell before in an attempt to speak with you directly and help get the cruise pontoon back in the lake. We have found a USA manufacturer (not China) who makes the same kind we had before. We are willing to purchase it for the lake. I say all that to say, I hope you understand this is not just coming from me, and certainly nothing to do with "my standards" as you remarked, but from many residents and lake goers that cannot use the lake as they once did for boat rides. This lake and situation are unique in that we cannot drop our own boats in the lake; residents are limited to just what is available at the boat dock. We have an online petition that was circulated just within Harveston residents (private group) and we have over 100 signatures. Thank you for your consideration. 310.945.7677

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Pedal Port - The dock and boats

The dock and boats

Pedal Port
Pedal Port - Inside the boat house

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Inside the boat house

San Diego Whale Watch - The Privateer

San Diego Whale Watch

4.7(1.1k reviews)
31.7 mi
15 years in business
Free parking

The Captain, Naturalist, crew and snack bar staff, and ticket area folks were great. I went out on…read morethe Sunset Whale Watch trip and we saw large pods of dolphins. There were many babies jumping with their moms. As many times as I have gone whale watching I still love learning new things. The Naturalist talked about how really young dolphins don't know where their blow holes are located. When the little cute babies jump out of the water they leap very high so they are sure to get their blow holes clear to breathe!

Such a great experience for our first Whale Watching trip, great even with our 3 year old! Worth…read morethe cost, we were out for a bit over 3 hours. Check in process was easy, just follow the email instructions, all very clear. Bring sunscreen, a hat or sunglasses. You can bring your bags and snacks. There is plenty of space under the benches for your belongings. Lots of options for seating all around the boat, both inside and out. Also 2 restrooms available. As well as a Galley with snacks and souvenirs! I didn't realize, but they also sell photo packages of the wildlife from the trip. So you can focus on documenting your group and the good time, They'll capture the animals! :) This crew was Captain Vanessa, Naturalist Ruth, Deck crew Colleen and Sara, and Galley Oscar. They were all so helpful and accommodating. I cannot tell you how warm and inviting they all were. You could definitely tell they loved their jobs. For me...So, despite Dramamine and sea sickness bands I got really nauseous; and I think my 3 year old did too but couldn't verbalize, because she passed out about 1.5 hours into the trip-so I was just kind of sitting towards the back holding my toddler mid trip. Which is about the time when the whales appeared! (Up to that point we saw different birds, pods of dolphins and sea lions.) So these whales on our trip were on the starboard side when they appeared, but I was on the port side, kinda stuck sitting with my sleeping toddler. At one point Colleen came and asked if she could help me move to see the whales, but that was easier said than done, especially not feeling well. I let her know she was sweet but we were okay. Well as the boat tracked the whales, I guess Colleen and Sara both mentioned to the captain that we were kind of stuck in the back on the Port side and the captain ended up turning the boat towards the whales so I could see them. It was the sweetest thing and I felt so seen as a mama. :) I didn't know how a whale watching trip could go above and beyond, but they did! We did a 12:30pm tour on a Monday and there seemed to be a good crowd, but they were not at full capacity, which meant moving around was an option for those that wanted to. We will be back, this was a great choice!

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San Diego Whale Watch - Privateer and Whale

Privateer and Whale

San Diego Whale Watch
San Diego Whale Watch - Blue Whales off the coast of San Diego. Sept 2, 2011

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Blue Whales off the coast of San Diego. Sept 2, 2011

Tiki Time Bay Tours - Cheers

Tiki Time Bay Tours

4.7(149 reviews)
34.6 miFleetridge, Point Loma

I surprised my boyfriend with tickets for Tiki Time Bay Tours for his birthday and had a couple…read morewere friends with tag along as well. Whether you're a local or visiting San Diego this is a really fun activity on the weekend with yummy drinks and good vibes. Originally we were booked for a 10:30am tour that goes out to watch the sea lions out on the bay, unfortunately not enough people booked that one so it was cancelled. Even though our original plan was cancelled Tiki Time Tours went above and beyond to make sure we had a good experience and not only complimentary upgraded our tickets to a more expensive tour, they also gave our party a free round of drinks for the inconvenience! I think this speaks a lot about a company; anyone can be happy with customer service when everything goes according to plan, but the most important times to step up is when plans get cancelled/changed and that's exactly what they did for us! Instead of the sea lion tour we ended up doing the Tiki Live! tour at 3pm. This tour is about 2 hours and while you're out on the water you mingle with everyone else and play games that can win prizes for yourself, your party or the whole boat! The games were fun, interactive and silly. At some points we got close enough to shore and made people on land be a part of our games! Donny was our tiki tour master and he was really funny during the whole tour. In between games he just let the music play so we could enjoy the atmosphere and drinks. My entire group left with nothing but great things to say about the whole experience. My friend even won a free tour for another time so we will definitely be returning for more tiki fun.

RANDOM SUNDAY -…read moreStunning Views - Drinks + shots - Stunning views - chances to win money and prizes My friends randomly saw this boat and said we should do it for fun. Tickets were around $47 per person for a 2hr water tour around the Bay in a boat decorated in tiki decor. For tourist this tour is great with a ton of fun information about San Diego and stunning views in the water. Minimum 8 people on the boat or there may be cancellation of the tour. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS. The guide will have some friendly trivia for a chance to win good cash prices, free drinks, gift cards, etc I think that was pretty fun to include in while getting a tour. If you are sensitive to getting seasick, I would recommend a Dramamine beforehand. Although the boat was spacious, it still felt the wakes from the other boats and you can go rocking. In addition there were slow times of moving and turning. Or you can just chuck down a few drinks and feel numb to it all! They have a Tiki Bar with a drink menu (no food) to purchase from and if you bring snacks to eat - you can't eat it on the boat. Drinks were good but their "house" made shots were pretty good! We had a couple rounds of those while on tour - paid round by a passenger or a free shot in the house by the staff. The awkward but not so awkward would be mingling with other folks on the boat that you don't know. One of my friends kept interjecting with another party and while they seem to not mind I could tell they were being polite but if it were me I'd probs be annoyed if someone kept interjecting while I'm having a good time with my friends. Although we all got along and occasionally shared cheers with shots. Luckily the boat was near empty with just a few of us to have some space to do your thing. Overall, nice little 2hr time in the water. Would highly recommend the later session to catch the sunset. Until the next review....

Photos
Tiki Time Bay Tours - Rady's

Rady's

Tiki Time Bay Tours
Tiki Time Bay Tours - The Tiki boat.

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The Tiki boat.

Oceanside Adventures - Mom & Baby Gray Whale taken by our drone photographer Mark Newman

Oceanside Adventures

4.7(484 reviews)
0.1 mi

Great experience, the combination of luck and an experienced captain today we saw Humpback and…read moreMinke whales and Dolphins. The captain got us great views while respecting the animals and giving them their space.

I've lived here my entire life and have never been whale watching but have always wanted to,…read morehowever it's just not an experience I'd typically consider splashing out on for myself (**spoiler alert - my visit was less than two weeks ago and immediately after disembarking I told my husband I wanted to get on another tour stat!) For Christmas, my husband's aunt gifted tickets to our entire extended family to enjoy a whale watching tour together so we finally landed on a date and it was an awesome experience from start to finish. We arrived about 15 minutes early for our 9:30am boarding time, checked in at the kiosk and were given paper tickets to be handed over to the crew as we came aboard. Once onboard, we were introduced over the speaker to the captain and crew and given a quick rundown of the itinerary and safety procedures. We navigated through the harbor where we spotted our local sea lion neighbors basking in the sun which especially delighted the kids and the out-of-town/state passengers, sailed out of the harbor and into the open sea. It was a pleasantly calm morning with hardly any wind and very smooth sailing. The only slight downside was that it was a particularly gray morning, so there was little distinction between the color of the ocean versus the sky but it was very clear and we could see for a long distance. We got probably close to halfway through our two-hour tour without any sightings but once we were about 5 miles off the coast, we started hearing transmissions between the crew over their walkies so we knew to start keeping our eyes peeled. The next half hour or so was spent watching three beautiful fin whales take turns coming up for air, swimming under the boat, rolling playfully and showing their light-colored bellies. It was so fun to be able to move about the boat freely to try to get the best view, some photos and videos, while being filled in by the crew on interesting marine facts. Finally the whales took their deep dives, at which point we were informed they wouldn't be coming back up for air for a while and it was about time to head back. The cruise back was equally smooth as the adventure out, and we got in right on time and prepared to disembark but not before getting coupons for a future expedition and adorable fin whale stickers to commemorate our tour. I can't WAIT to go on another whale watching tour with Oceanside Adventures - it was the best time!! I would 100000% recommend.

Photos
Oceanside Adventures - Oceanside Harbor

Oceanside Harbor

Oceanside Adventures - Pacific white sided dolphin

Pacific white sided dolphin

Oceanside Adventures - Oceanside Harbor photo credit Alan Crosthwaite Photography

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Oceanside Harbor photo credit Alan Crosthwaite Photography

Oceanside Coastal Expeditions - whalewatchingtours - Updated July 2026

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