Set sail from Oceanside during a whale watching excursion led by a certified naturalist guide. Board a comfortable 50-foot (15-meter) catamaran with covered areas for seating and cruise along San Diego’s coastline to spot whales and other marine life, getting as close as possible without disturbing them. Plus, choose from multiple departures to easily fit this whale watching tour into your schedule.

Catch sight of whales off the coast of Oceanside, California
Cruise along San Diego’s coastline aboard a catamaran
A family-friendly tour ideal for nature lovers and first-time visitors
Choose from multiple departure times to best suit your needs

What's Included

Local guide and professional guide
Cruise

Food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages (available to purchase cash only)

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

256 S Harbor Dr
256 S Harbor Dr, Oceanside, CA 92054, USA
Please CHECK IN at our kiosk in front of Rockin' Baja Lobster restaurant near the historic Oceanside Harbor Lighthouse AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO BOAT DEPARTURE TIME. 45 MINUTES ON HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS. If you are lost please call 760-277-3737. There are no refunds or rescheduling for no shows.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
On board, you will find a snack and beverage cash only bar (additional expense)
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

The boat is easy to board and large enough to ride the sometimes choppy waves comfortably.

Reviews

4.5

565 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 565 reviews

Great boat ride and crew!

Roy_E, Mar 2023

We didn’t get to see any animal life, but the crew was friendly and talkative. Just getting to be on the boat and out on the ocean was worth it in our opinion! We will be back!

Not necessarily as planned.

Hope_B, Feb 2023

Unfortunately, we didn’t see any marine life, however, humans can’t control Mother Nature. On the flip side, the staff was very nice and helpful and we got a nice boat ride! They gave us a stamp to book a free re-ride that doesn’t expire. I feel that was a very nice gesture.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

we are so sorry that there was no wild life to see. We hope you have better luck on your re-ride trip

Dolphin extravaganza

Jessica_B, Feb 2023

We saw a whale early and our guide, Chris, was very knowledgeable about how to best see the whale and when to look for her. He respected her by keeping a distance. We also caught up to a few pods of dolphins. They were so playful and fun!!! They liked to be right near the boat! My daughter got splashed by one. She was delighted.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

We are happy to hear that you and your daughter had such an amazing trip. We hope you can visit us again soon.

Disappointed we were canceled on twice

Crystal_D, Feb 2023

They canceled on us twice during our vacation due to sand bars so we were a very disappointed group of 18.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

We are so sorry our harbor will be dredged in May we wish we could have ran your trip

Fun day cruise

Dominio_M, Feb 2023

The crew was fun and very knowledgeable about marine life. Saw dolphins, sea lions, and sunfish. No whales this time but still an awesome tour. Animals are not predictable so it's understandable. Snacks and drinks available at a reasonable price. A fun mini cruise on an awesome ship.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you so much for joining us , we are sorry you did not see a whale , but sounds like you saw a lot of marine life and we thank you fr your 5 star review and for having fun!

No whales this trip but...

Janice_W, Feb 2023

No whales this trip but an enormous pod of beautiful dolphins! It was awesome. Also a a pretty large sunfish. I had never seen one before. Overall…great trip!

Response from Host, Feb 2023

We are so glad to hear such a great trip. We look forward to seeing you out with us again!

Great crew & comfy boat

CindyConser, Feb 2023

My mom, sister and I had a wonderful morning on yesterday's whale watching tour. Both Chris and Tohkan were so kind and helpful in assisting with Mom's wheelchair and making certain we were safe and comfy. We learned a lot and enjoyed watching rare dolphins playing in the waves. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

We are please to hear your trip with us was so wonderful. We hope to see you again soon!

Whale watching

Shelley_S, Dec 2022

The boat ride was nice considering it was cold outside. We saw one dolphin and seals! Plus we got to see the sun setting.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you for coming out with us !

Amazing morning

Niki_W, Dec 2022

Amazing trip, captain and deckhand were very knowledgeable and friendly. We saw whales and dolphins within a few feet of the boat.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Great feedback thank you so much, Amazing day!!

Just do it!

Jessica_C, Nov 2022

The crew was amazing, so friendly, great vibes, so excited to see the humpback whale along with all the guests. Awesome trip.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you for the review we are happy to hear it was a good trip

Great service!

Cindy_J, Nov 2022

We got there ahead of time and checked in. While we waited one of the employees let us know they were going to cancel our trip due to other people not showing up. They were so nice and refunded the costs and gave us free vouchers for the future. So- it’s hard to rate the experience because we didn’t have one. But the company employees were kind and they took care of us even though our experience didn’t go as planned.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

We are sorry to hear that the trip didn't go out as planned and we hope to see you out here again very soon

Great family memories 🐬🐬

Chris_L, Nov 2022

What a great experience seeing all the dolphins. My moms first dolphin watch. My brothers birthday. Thank you for a great tour !!

Response from Host, Dec 2022

We are glad to hear it was a fun experience for you and your family thank you for the review

wonderful time

Walter_L, Oct 2022

Had a great time. Crew was very knowledgable took the tme to explain everything. No whales but a nice relaxing boad ride.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you so much for your review !

Dolphins Galore

Sandy_S, Oct 2022

Our guides Tikhan and Chris were excellent at spotting the dolphins and explaining the nature of them and their habits. We had an excellent citing of thousands of dolphins. The boat was clean we felt safe the entire trip. I would highly recommend this company.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you so much for your review !! We will share this with our crew .

Great trip

Emily_B, Oct 2022

It was a beautiful day to be out on the ocean. We watched a large group of dolphins jump and play around us. We had a great time.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

The crew made everyone...

Nelly_V, Oct 2022

The crew made everyone feel at ease and they would answer visitors questions, it was a relaxing experience.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for your review we are happy it was a great trip and relaxing .

Out of town family visit

CharlieButterfield, Oct 2022

My cousin was in town from Colorado and, although it is off season for gray whale migration, we had a wonderful time seeing common dolphins. The crew was very upbeat, knowledgeable, and shared many interesting facts about dolphins and whales. The eagle-eye Captain Chris even spotted a juvenile Mako shark thermo-regulating on the surface! Ollie and Thycan (sp?) were humerous and a fun crew! I highly recommend OA for a good time with family in town who may never get an opportunity to see marine mammals and wildlife on the open ocean! Cheers and many thanks Oceanside Adventure.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for your wonderful review we will share it with the crew ( Tikhon too) such a great trip you saw so much. Thanks again

Worth the money, go, enjoy!

Tim_S, Oct 2022

Saw a huge pod of many dolphins after a long trip out (about an hour in). Have your phone charged good and take lots of video. They are quite fast, found we did better with video than photo. They will swim along the boat too, you’ll have a good experience. Will you see anything? Our guides were awesome, very funny and great with the young kids on board. They said it’s a big ocean, with much out there, and these guys have to come up for air. It’s just a matter of finding them, which I’m sure the local fisherman and radar help them to do. A bit hard to balance if you don’t have your sea legs, so hold on. Sitting down, no issues. We saw a mako shark on the way back as an added treat. No whales, but it’s all good. Worth the money. Enjoy.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you so much for your great description of your trip we really appreciate it. Hope to see you again.

Great tour

Debbie_E, Sep 2022

We only saw dolphins but it was a beautiful day to be on the water. The crew was very nice and informative, tried hard to find a whale but it's a big ocean out there. The catamaran was clean and comfortable, it was windy so the water was choppy but the catamaran handled it well I would recommend taking this tour very highly!!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for the 5 star review and the wonderful recommendation!!

So much fun!!!

Margie_G, Sep 2022

We were lucky to see a dolphin super pod, a humpback whale and 2 blue whales! The crew Chris, Ollie and Pecan were very friendly and helpful!! So much fun!!!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you and yes very lucky your trip was one of the best all year!! Thanks again

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