Fantastic whale watching experience in San Diego! The weather was perfect, which made the trip even…read morebetter. We were lucky enough to see a whale that truly put on an amazing show--such a memorable moment. The crew was efficient, friendly, and very informative throughout the entire trip, which made us feel comfortable and engaged. Everything was also very budget-friendly, which made it an even greater value. Overall, a great experience and absolutely worth both the time and the money. Highly recommend!

Heard it was migration season so decided to book a 9am tour on a Friday…read more The tour was two and a half hours long and we saw so many dolphins it was bananas! We also saw a baby grey baleen whale which was such a treat. But even sightings aside it was a lovely way to be out on the water. The crew to our boat were great. Knowledgeable and ensured everyone was having a good time. They recommend you get there 45 minutes early and definitely do so! You sign in and then line up. A lot of people can be fit on their boat (if you get the group one) and the line can get pretty large and it's first come first sit. For 10 bucks a pop you can go on early. For 200 dollars you get the exclusive front top deck. I recommend sitting at the top. Please note that means sometimes no shade so bring a hat. You can sit on the first level or inside in the shade. The boat has a bathroom and after 3 miles you can get drinks! If you park in the lot attached to their location it's 10 dollars. Or you can street park on Quivera road which I recommend as it was super easy and not a walk at all. Would highly recommend regardless of if you see any whales just for the joy of being out on the water.

We had the most incredible private 6-person sunset whale watching tour with Captain Caitlyn! From…read morestart to finish, she was knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely passionate about marine life. You could tell she truly loves what she does, and it made the entire experience even more special. Our group got to see gray whales (including a mom and calf!) and playful dolphins, and Captain Caitlyn shared so much interesting information along the way. She struck the perfect balance between education and letting us soak in the magic of the moment. What meant the most to me personally was how comfortable she made everyone feel. My mom is usually very nervous on boats, but Captain Caitlyn's calm, confident presence completely put her at ease -- and she ended up loving the trip! It was also so empowering and fun to be on a power boat run by an all-women crew. The whole experience felt safe, exciting, and unforgettable. I would absolutely book with Captain Caitlyn again and recommend this tour to anyone looking for an amazing, up-close ocean adventure.

If you're going whale watching in San Diego, I truly believe Gone Whale Watching is the best…read morechoice. We went whale watching twice this month, and both times we were lucky enough to see Fin whales with them. Captain Dom and Erika are incredibly knowledgeable. They explained so much about whales, dolphins, and their environment in a way that was easy to understand and fascinating. They use drone to search whales which I really like. The atmosphere on the boat was very warm and welcoming, and we always felt safe and comfortable throughout the trip. Highly, highly recommended! We will be back soon!

November 2025 First time whale watching and myself, my 5y old, and my hubs had the best and most…read moremagical time. We started with gorgeous weather on a large beautiful boat, and about an hour in we saw 3 humpback whales, a pod of 40 Lag white side dolphins (which glow!), and a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Among others were hundreds of birds and sea lions!!! Seriously we ended up staying out an hour later it was wonderful! The crew were so nice and attentive, and included a marine biologist to explain what we saw, where/how to look, and answer any questions! The snacks were great! The boat was roomy, cozy inside and out, and had seating and views from all over. Best part it was not over crowded and they were super smooth and fast sailors! Def recommended!

I called several companies to inquire about whale watching tours. I really liked the way Melissa…read morespoke to me over the phone. She was not only patient but she was also so enthusiastic and informative. The other companies I called seemed nonchalant or just very blah. So when I decided to call back to book the tour with Wild Pacific Whale Watch, Simon was the one who answered my call and was just as friendly and provided great customer service. The tour itself was so fun. We booked the 9am tour and checked in at a table situated by the H&M building in Point Loma. It was very easy to find and when it was time for the tour, the gentleman advised us to board the Peregrine. Although we didn't see any whales, we saw a bunch of dolphins and seal lions. Since we didn't see any whales they gave all the guests a 50% off voucher with no expiration date to return. The crew onboard consisted of Captain Quinn, Greg (the tour guide and naturalist) and Cameron who assisted with the snack bar and other duties. Greg was full of facts and was so nice. He knew so much about the wildlife. Everyone was wonderful! This 80 ft luxury boat is a newer boat and has stabilizers to help deter rocking which makes it less likely for seasickness. We felt fine but we did take some Dramamine just in case. I highly recommend this tour.

Absolutely amazing and deeply fulfilling time on the water on 4/15/26 with Captain Kyle. He was the…read moremost delightful and educational captain, tour guide, environmentalist and fun person you could hope for. We saw an uncountable number of 4 different kinds of dolphins, a fin whale and many California sea lions. The small boat was very safe, amazingly nimble, fast and would never want to experience anything on a boat any bigger. I am prone to seasickness but was never even a remote issue. Thank you for an amazing time!!!!!

We went February 15, so during fray whale migration. Saw a pod of five whales, lots of dolphins,…read moreand sea lions. Our tour guide Rick was great, clearly loves the wildlife which is what we want . I would bring a blanket for your legs during the winter and bring hats/hoodies. The ride can be chilly, they do tell you to wear layers and we were glad we did even with 60 degree day.

We were able to see dolphins, sea lions, and whales on our whale watching trip!!! Captain Jeff was…read morevery knowledgable about the sea life and area. Because of the small boat, he was able to move quickly to get to two different pods of dolphins and two whales!

Incredible Morning Dolphin Tour with Captain Ray!…read more I booked the morning small group tour with my sister, and it turned out to be just the two of us and our captain, Ray such a special and intimate experience! Ray was incredibly passionate and knowledgeable. We really appreciated the way he shared facts and explained everything in such an engaging way. While we didn't get to see a whale, we were lucky enough to encounter a massive pod of dolphins -- probably 30 to 50 of them -- swimming so close to our boat! The moment of scanning the open sea and suddenly finding such a large group of dolphins in their natural habitat was absolutely magical. The whole experience went beyond our expectations. Thank you, Captain Ray, for such a memorable morning!

I was supposed to go out on the Dominator, but the boat was switched to the Diawa Pacific due to an…read moreillness from the Dominator's captain. H&M informed me the day before my trip. I arrived at 7pm for a 9pm departure. I was greeted by the crew and captain. There were only 14 of us slated to go on the 1.5 trip after the big bluefin at the outer banks. After boarding the vessel, the crew helped stow gear, informed everyone to sign the manifest, choose a bunk, and then get the tackle ready for the next day's adventure. The brief seminar concluded and everyone proceeded to articulate his own tackle according to the crew's recommendations. The line and hook sizes were determined with the actual bait in mind. Fish the bait size, not the hook size seemed to be an echoing theme throughout the trip. A good night's sleep was had by all as we arrived at the Cortez boat in flat calm and even greasy seas. Even though we were one of the last boats to arrive at the grounds, the captain quickly put us on jumping and active 20-80lb bluefin tuna. The crew chummed the area and soon the first angler yelled, "Fresh one," as the glint off of his gold Trinidad began to sing the song that all fishermen love to hear. A steady pick started to happen after the first fish was hooked. Most anglers were getting bit on the heavier line, but the fish seemed to be eerily shy of my 40 pound test line. Nary a bite happened that first drift. Bluefin are usually pickier than a 5 year old around broccoli. This day was no exception. I asked the crew for a bit of advice and they said to keep working and plugging away. Frustration started to set in as rent rod gear fishermen were being pushed to their limits as I continued to do the tuna shuffle around the boat without much luck. Then I decided to do take a chance. I dropped my line size from 40lb to 25lb test and the results were immediate. I hooked up my first fish after a 10 minute soak of a sardine, but after 15 minutes of battle, I pulled the hook and Charlie the Tuna swam back to the depths. The crew encouraged me to keep fishing. I asked a fellow passenger what time it was and he said that it was only 8:45 in the morning and we had all day to fish. By the time I pulled the hook on my second hook up, 25 fish had been landed with most being in the 60-75 pound range. I knew my time would come if I just kept working and stayed positive. My Torium 16 would soon find out if it was up to the challenge. Line started to pick up speed coming off the reel as I took a legitimate swing at a big bluefin. The hook held and the battle began. For the next hour, a crew member stayed pretty close to me as I gingerly worked the tug of war game with the big fish. The crew member continued to give little pieces of warranted advice on how to land the beast. After an hour into the fight, I started to get a bit tired. The crew member said that the battle was coming to its conclusion but more fish are lost at the rail than at any other time because fishermen get excited when they see the prize near the surface and start to get a little "horsey" with their movements. Slow and steady worked during majority of the battle, so I continued the same steady movements as the fish began to rise. The beautiful colors of the bluefin shone brightly in the mid-morning sun as the fish laid on its side and was appropriately double gaffed by two the crew members. The encouragement during the battle didn't go unappreciated. The rest of the day went pretty much the same with some personal bests and some heartbreak at the rail. Everyone eventually landed at least one fish as the entire boat went home with limits as well as a memories that will get us all through another week of work. On another note, the toughness award goes out to the captain of the Diawa as he toughed out a rough incident with the bait tank chair. After a quick visit to the galley for medicine and a bandage, he was back on deck with his crew. It was a stellar day which was only made better by the excellent service of the members of the Diawa Pacific.

Amazing whale watching field trip today. We saw sea lions, common dolphins, and humpback whales…read more The boat was beautiful and very clean. I appreciate how accommodating the staff was for kids with medical limitations, no better place to breathe fresh air than out at sea!

I've been fishing out of H&M landing for many years now. This April I rode the legend for a 2 day…read moretrip. Good service from the landing, easy check in and since my annual Mexican fishing license had expired the H&M tackle shop was able to renew my annual Mexican fishing license on the spot. Trip price was great, $705 including meals for a 2 day trip. Even better was that I had some gift certificates that H&M offers each year before the holidays that give you $100 value for $80. So I used 2 gift certificates and brought my trip price down to $505 out of pocket. I'll fish out of H&M landing again in the future.

Why the loss in of a star? My five and four standard is getting tougher to make. When managers do…read morethings that piss me off, they are going to be held accountable. For example my rod tip eyelet came off after I boarded a multi day trip on the Relentless. This was going to be my main rod for the trip. I took it up to the tackle shop and pleaded for help. It was 15 minutes before closing. This young punk said he was the manager and told me they would not do it. The incredible Danny Wade fixed it for me anyway. Down on the boat some guy came running down, all in a panic, saying the manager was demanding $7.83 for the repair. I gave him $50 and told him to give the change to Danny Wade. I killed it that trip with that setup. When I got back in, I asked Danny if he got the change money. He did not. Grrr!

From start to finish, this whole experience was fun and leisurely. Harbor Tour Tickets are a great…read morevalue for the money and the ship is fun to walk around with three levels to choose from. They have snacks and drinks with alcohol options if you want to imbibe. The ride itself is extremely smooth, which is a blessing for someone like me with motion sickness. Throughout the ride they narrate what you are seeing and discuss interesting historical facts. On our tour, we saw seals! Overall I highly recommend this tour as San Diego is so gorgeous!

We did the bottomless brunch, and overall it was a fun one-time experience, but at $150, it…read moredefinitely felt a bit steep. The brunch includes buffet-style food and bottomless mimosas. I had about four mimosas in the time, and the food was decent, though I didn't get to fully enjoy it because I went upstairs to check out the deck and came back to find my untouched plate had already been cleared. That said, the staff was friendly and the views were beautiful. The boat mainly does a loop around the water.

Wonderful morning on the water. Staff was communicative and helpful in moving us to another time…read morewhen the weather forecast looked bad for our scheduled day. Great information during the cruise. Would have been fabulous even if we hadn't seen whales, which we did. Would definitely do it again next time we are in San Diego.

We had the experience of a lifetime! The crew of Captain Troy and Fathom, Derek, Ariana, and Dylan…read morewere so knowledgeable and made our adventure even more pleasant. The care they showed to each and every passenger was top notch. Sailing on such a fantastic and historical vessel America was mind blowing. The 2 species of whales and dolphins we saw and heard will be something we remember forever. If you've ever wanted to go whale watching, DO IT and contact Next Level Sailing.

CITY CRUISES @ HARBOR BAY…read more Parking is available on the side and costs about $2.50 per hour, but it's free after 8 PM. Since I booked the nighttime dinner cruise, I only paid around $5 for parking, which was super reasonable. Getting into City Cruises San Diego was really easy the check-in process was smooth, they just took our names, and we were good to go. My boyfriend and I went on the two-hour dinner cruise, and it was such a fun experience. The ticket is around $150, but honestly, it felt worth it. Just being out on the water at night made it special. The service was great, and the staff was super friendly the entire time. The food was actually surprisingly good. They had a wide variety of options--from salads to entrées and appetizers and everything was well done. Plus, there were unlimited desserts, including fruits, cakes, and more. They even greeted us with champagne, which was a nice touch. There was also a DJ onboard, which made the vibe even more fun. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this as an activity if you're in San Diego. It's easy, fun, and something a little different. Also, they often have discounts online, so you can probably get a better deal. Overall, such a great experience, we had an amazing time.

This was a great city cruise tour not only did they have a great price but they offered snacks and…read moredrinks while on your tour which is nice . It was a good amount of people not crowded at all there was seats available. The gentleman giving us the tour showed us so many cool sites and history . This is a must if you're in town and want to enjoy the views and have a nice view of San Diego :)