Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Princess Monterey Whale Watching

    4.2 (435 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Princess Monterey Whale Watching Tours Photos

    More like Princess Monterey Whale Watching

    Recommended Reviews - Princess Monterey Whale Watching

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Elodie T.

    Princess Monterey Whale Watching was a fantastic experience! I had wanted to go and happened to go to a restaurant nearby (Grotto Fish Market) that provided a $10/person discount so it all conveniently fell into place. I purchased the tickets at the counter the day before for the 9am boat - if you book in advance (at the counter or online), you will need to show up early on the day of, go to the counter and exchange for the actual ticket at least 30 minutes before departure. The base price was $75 per person, and an additional $20 got you vip access to the top deck. With the $10 discount, I paid $85 for top deck access. On 10/08, I showed up around 8:22 and there was already a sizable crowd waiting in line. The process was simple and they provided a quick safety speech before we boarded. The naturalist on board, Kristin, imparted a lot of knowledge and made sure to point out where she or the captain spotted wildlife. Initially, there were just some sea lions here and there, but the captain had charted a course towards Moss Landing and, as Kristin explained to us, this was also where the deep sea canyon started and there was a lot of activity there. After a good 40+ min of squinting at the sea, we arrived to our destination and didn't have to squint at all. We were incredibly lucky to see a mother & calf humpback whale pair first, then a sea lion raft (where SO MANY sea lions were diving and feeding off of schools of anchovies) paired with three humpback whales. Kristin did a great job of providing live commentary as we watched all the activity. We did eventually make our way back and Kristin walked around so you could ask her questions. I do get motion sick and I prepared by taking Dramamine beforehand, but I was still surprised by the rockiness. Make sure to be prepared if you get motion sickness too! It's absolutely worth it to go regardless, and they do have additional ginger items to help onboard for sale. I cannot recommend this whale watching experience enough. 100% worth every cent!

    Jessica S.

    It's always hard to predict what you'll see when you go whale watching. Sometimes there's a lot of whale activity, while others times there's not. On this particular evening, we got lucky. Not only was the weather perfect for a day on the water, the whales were very active. In addition to the whale activity, our docent was incredibly knowledgeable, giving us so many interesting facts and trivia about the whales, dolphins, seals, and sea birds. If you've never been whale watching, I highly recommend checking out Princess Monterey Whale Watching tours for their knowledgeable staff, clean boat with ample seating indoors and out, and the concession stand that saved my queasy tummy.

    Whale!
    Lisa D.

    I have never been whale watching, and I was excited to go on this boat. We went on Saturday, May 24th at 9am and got the VIP seats up top. We were not disappointed. As soon as we took off, we saw a pod of dolphins! The boat slowed, and we had the opportunity to photgraph them. It almost looked like the dolphins wanted us to see them play, and they were next to us immediately. It was spectacular. Lori, our naturalist, was so informative when telling us about the wildlife we'd encounter -- from sea lions to birds to dolphins to whales. Once we were deeper out into the bay, we reached our first whale. Each time we saw a whale, it was amazing. One whale towards the end of the trip seemed to be doing tricks for us, flapping on its side over and over and over. I would totally do this trip again with the same company. It was educational, the boat was clean, and the naturalists were so helpful. Side note: Several people got seasick - I would definitely recommend taking Bonine or Dramamine and not eating beforehand. (I took 50mg of Bonine at 8:15am on an empty stomach, and I stood 80% of the time on the boat, and I was never nauseated.)

    Monty H.

    Excellent tour. Saw multiple humpback whales and even had a sea lion jump out beside the boat! Crew is knowledgeable and keeps the boat far enough away from the whales to not annoy them, but close enough to where you get to see tons of whale backs and tails. Was not disappointed.

    Staff and boat ride are great! However, the unpredictability of whale watching can mean no sightings. In the end, we finally saw some Orcas. Then, we headed back. I would probably do this again because the ocean is an amazing site!

    Aletta A.

    Came here with an adventure group called Urban Diversion this past Saturday and really enjoyed my time and did in fact see quite a few whales. I was on the 12:30 departure. One person I was with said the last time he went whale watching, he only saw one tail and that was it, so I spent the whole way out esp-ing the whales. Who knows? It could've worked because the whales were active when we got out there and we were able to get close! Parking is easy since there is a lot and it's only $12 to park all day. The office staff as well as the boat staff were all very nice and answered all of our questions and had great organization. My group had the standard lower deck tickets, but if you can, I'd splurge for the upper deck. Lower deck does still have some good views of the whale tails, fins, and body but I think you'd get a better view of the whole body of the whales from the top deck. You are going to want to layer up and maybe even have another layer in a bag/backpack, because it sure does get chilly out there and the sun can disappear into the clouds quickly. The boat does sway more and more the farther into the ocean you get, so I'm glad I picked up some dramamine from the gas station and took those as I made the drive out to Monterey. Just take them even you think you'll be good. Trust me! Pictures are somewhat hard to snap because the whale sightings happen so quickly, but you can video and scroll through once you get home for the images of whale that you got, so just enjoy with experience with your actual eye balls. The folks with the good cameras will post their pics on the IG page or here anyway.

    Russ K.

    Had an awesome trip out on Saturday morning. Saw a bunch of humpback whales and the crew was very knowledgeable.

    Grey whales
    Pat G.

    Had a good time in early March. Saw a few grey whales. The guide was very informative. Staff was great and professional. Boat was clean and comfortable. It was just me and my wife. If we brought our kids my older two would've enjoyed it. Think my 6 yr old would have been bored. Some people seemed to have gotten sea sick. Be prepared for that. It was a calm sunny day at the wharf but was pretty chilly and windy outside of the bay, so we were glad we brought jackets and dressed in layers. After we saw whales and were headed back we went inside to eat our lunch we brought with us. It was a great afternoon and do plan on taking our kids eventually. Money worth spent.

    Office
    L S.

    We met a woman in the office the day before our cruise. She was delightful! However, this afternoon when we arrived there was a, ' gentleman' I use the term loosely. My friend was tossing crackers to the birds. You would have thought she was shooting at them. This guy walked up to her and literally yelled at her like she was committing a felony. I approached him and told him he didn't need to scream at her. He lied and said he told her twice. That was a lie. Then he proceeds to tell me that I can't bring my little backpack onboard because it has wheels. I brought it inside the office and asked for a claim check. The woman inside told me he was wrong and I can bring in onboard. I returned to the line and he kept staring at us! He then said something to the captain who then turned and looked at us! Way to make us feel welcome. If I hadn't already paid I would have walked away. I wish I had gotten his name but I'm sure the crew know who I'm talking about. The cruise was wonderful but this interaction really put a damper on it

    Eliza D.

    Not worth the $$$. My husband and I visited Monterey for the first time and bought two tickets for the 5 pm whale-watching trip on 7/31, 2024 paying an extra $20 each for top deck access. The captain called to inform us that we were the only ones booked and they needed at least 15 paying passengers to cover the gas. We rescheduled for the 6:30 pm trip. I had reservations due to the massive fog and impending sundown, but we decided to stay optimistic and go. Despite being prepared for the cold, the top deck was freezing, and there were no heaters. After two hours of seeing nothing but a few random birds, we went down to the enclosed lower deck. For $190 for two people, this "excursion" was extremely overpriced. I wouldn't recommend this company at all. It felt irresponsible for them to go out in those conditions, likely knowing the chances of seeing whales were slim. So disappointing.

    We had such a great experience. Got to see about 15 humpback whales, some really up close! My 6 year old loved it. What really inspired me to leave this review was the kindest lady that works at the stand named Jam. She treated us like family and meeting her was just as memorable as whale watching. Jam is a truly a gem! Today was a day we won't ever forget. Thank you!

    Monterey Bay
    Heather S.

    Absolutely fantastic experience whale watching this morning with you all. The crew was quick to spot whales and though we tried to keep count, lost track somewhere after 10. As great as the trip was in regard to the whale watching itself, I want to highlight their customer service and name drop some of the individuals who truly saved the day today. The customer service provided for my partner who has mobility issues was just phenomenal. Our day started off rocky as I've never been more disappointed as a potential client as I was today by Monterey Bay Whale Watch. My partner and I had been following their instagram page for a while now and have been looking forward to whale watching with that company. We booked a reservation online and drove two and a half hours to go whale watching with this company specifically! Thankfully we arrived at their place ahead of scheduled departure because after arriving they turned away our service and we were able to last minute find your company. As soon as we arrived at Monterey Bay Whale Watch we let the woman at the desk know we were there to check in, and she was immediately dismissive telling us they wouldn't be taking us out on the boat because my partner utilizes a wheelchair and had a neck brace on. She was incredibly rude to both of us, never asked if my partner had any mobility capability or what the neck stabilizer was for. She began issuing a refund and said they were at capacity, that there was no way they could fit a wheelchair on the boat, and that if we wanted we could try another company but verbatim told us no one would take us. We were discouraged and just going to go to the aquarium to not waste the drive down when we passed Princess Monterey and I decided to take a chance and ask if they would take us. We met Katie and she was incredibly kind. She said that they had space but warned us that there were quite a few stairs we'd need to go down to board the boat. Not only did she inquire about my partner's mobility capability, she proceeded to reach out to another crew member, Toby, to assist in stabilization as my partner went down the stairs to board the boat and he even helped her walk up to the upper deck! Throughout the trip both Toby and Katie came by to ensure that my partner was comfortable and if she needed help navigating the boat during the choppy waters. No one, let alone someone with a disability, deserves to be discriminated, disregarded, and treated the way my partner was this morning. However, I truly cannot thank the crew at Princess Monterey enough for the experience we were provided with. We look forward to coming back for another trip with you all soon!

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David D.
    35
    2054
    20394

    1 month ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 4
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Princess Monterey W.

    Princess Monterey W.

    Thank you for the kind words! We are glad you enjoyed your trip!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mary H.
    73
    42
    43

    8 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Great experience price is high but what we saw out there on our 3 hour trip was amazing we saw 7 whales

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Russ K.
    0
    52
    65

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Pat G.
    0
    49
    36

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Princess Monterey W.

    Princess Monterey W.

    We are glad you enjoyed your trip. Thanks for sharing your photos.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of L S.
    30
    31
    2

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Naty N.
    11
    10
    3

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Don H.
    0
    10
    3

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ana G.
    0
    11
    2

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emi B.
    250
    60
    3

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Princess Monterey Whale Watching

    How cold is it in the spring on the boat out in the water?

    50's. With a breeze and ocean spray. Dress warm and bring a stocking hat. They sell them at the snack bar on board

    How long are the boats?

    Boat they use in 2019 is 90 feet. They claim it’s 100. I looked at the specs on their Coast Guard papers. They don’t have the 100 footer(s) anymore.

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Princess Monterey Whale Watching

    We set sail right on time and after about 20 minutes we spotted some humpback whales and about 50 sea lions.

    Mentioned in 86 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Bella On The Bay Monterey - Peace to sailing!! Woo hoo!!!!!

    Bella On The Bay Monterey

    5.0(134 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Captain Christian was the best! Contacted him a couple months before our trip to make reservations,…read morehe was quick to respond, very friendly. A week or so before our trip to Monterey our agenda has changed and we needed to switch our reservation to another day. A quick call to Captain Christian and he was able to accommodate our request. Very informative about his boat, the ocean and Monterey. Look forward to our next trip out here and will definitely be making reservations with Captain Christian.

    Sailing with Christian was, without a doubt, the highlight of our trip to Monterey, Carmel, and Big…read moreSur!! Of all the activities we planned, this experience stood out the most. From the moment we booked with Christian, we knew we were in for an unforgettable day... Christian is warm, friendly, and a true expert in sailing. His boat is stunning & spacious. His knowledge of the area reflects his years of experience, and it's clear he knows the Bay like the back of his hand. He navigated the waters to ensure we had the best experience possible, keeping us in the sun & warning us when to expect a little bit of colder wind - he accommodated us with warm blankets & cups for our champagne! He made us feel completely safe throughout. We were blessed enough to spot a few whales, which made the views even more exciting. We were celebrating my boyfriend's 30th birthday, so we had an impromptu photo shoot. Christian captured beautiful photos of us that we cherish! All in all, He went above and beyond to make us comfortable and even teaching us a bit about sailing--a dream for both of us. He allowed us to connect our playlist to the speakers, or choose one on his Spotify, and enjoy. While he gave us plenty of private time to soak in the breathtaking scenery, we also loved chatting with him and hearing about his life during the tailend of the trip. This was an incredible experience, and we can't wait to sail with Christian again when we're back in the area. Don't hesitate to book this adventure--you won't regret it!

    Photos
    Bella On The Bay Monterey - Bella (Tierra Lynn)

    Bella (Tierra Lynn)

    Bella On The Bay Monterey
    Bella On The Bay Monterey - Captain Christian is a true Gem!

    See all

    Captain Christian is a true Gem!

    Fast Raft Ocean Safaris - The Fast Raft is a 33-foot Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) with twin 300-hp engines built for military patrol use.

    Fast Raft Ocean Safaris

    5.0(92 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    Women-owned & operated
    11 years in business

    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

    Photos
    Fast Raft Ocean Safaris - Breaching humpback whale with a sea lion watching and the Fast Raft observing from a distance

    Breaching humpback whale with a sea lion watching and the Fast Raft observing from a distance

    Fast Raft Ocean Safaris - Humpback whale tail w barnacles

    Humpback whale tail w barnacles

    Fast Raft Ocean Safaris - Fast Raft cruising with the iconic smokestacks of Moss Landing in the background

    See all

    Fast Raft cruising with the iconic smokestacks of Moss Landing in the background

    Princess Monterey Whale Watching - whalewatchingtours - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...