Watch for whales and dolphins off Newport Beach aboard a double-decker catamaran with bow seating and 360-degree views. A diverse array of marine wildlife thrives in the protected area just outside Newport Bay, and you'll have the chance to see humpbacks, gray whales, finback whales, blue whales, seals, and several species of dolphins. The boat has a 96% success rate spotting whales or dolphins, making this a great way to explore California wildlife in a gorgeous natural environment.

Wildlife-watching cruise in a two-deck catamaran
See native wildlife in the Newport Bay
Enjoy views of the California coast from the water
Multiple times offered throughout the day

What's Included

Landing and facility fees

Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Food and drinks

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

309 Palm St
309 Palm St, Newport Beach, CA 92661, USA
Located on the Balboa Boardwalk in Newport Beach. Suite A.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infant seats available
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Minimum drinking age is 21 years
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
A maximum of 20 people per booking

Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 115 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.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Wet day trip, wee bit bumpy, nice boat trip but slas no whales for us, did see a few dolphins and sea lions though so still worth it

Reviews

4.0

148 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 148 reviews

Family Fun

Veronica_R, Oct 2022

Great family experience for all from my 4 year old to my 69 year old mom, it was fun! It was awesome to have the option to purchase snacks, drinks, and enjoy the ocean views. We didn’t see whales but we saw dolphins.

Watching Dolphin & sea lions cruise

Liza_M, Sep 2022

We enjoyed our cruise…. Celebrated my cousin’s bday yesterday starting with the cruise…. Loved seeing the dolphins & sea lions

Seeing the dolphins was...

Atherine_C, Aug 2022

Seeing the dolphins was great. Me and my family had a great time. The boat ride was comfortable and the captain was nice and knowledgeable.

Do your homework

Tiffany_G, Aug 2022

The dolphin watching was amazing. However, the tour we booked through Viator did NOT exist. We ended up being given a time an hour and a half later than we booked on large boat with a hundred people as opposed to the advertised 15 people small boat. Very misleading. Even a boat worker told us Viator advertises tours that don’t exist.

Dolphins Galore

Cathy_O, Aug 2022

My family and I were surprised to see just how many dolphins were swimming together!! The sights of them were amazing and thrilling! We were also lucky enough to see some tuna as well! Unfortunately, we did not see any whales but we still had a great experience. The captain also did a great job by getting us up close & providing important information on marine wildlife!

Excellent day for touring...

Carla_T, Jul 2022

Excellent day for touring the service was great. The announcement was great fun for the siting and spottings. Highly recommend for friends to go together or for families.

Cancellation attempt - no response

Tom_T, Jul 2022

I tried to cancel because our niece whom we were taking (coming out of a long medical stay) was sick. No one got back to us or responded?!

First ferry trip

Gurinder_R, Jul 2022

Kids had a great time watching dolphins🐬 in the sea 🌊. My kids enjoyed their first ferry ride 👍👍😊

Watching the Dolphins and the sea lion's

Robbie_H, Jul 2022

Watching the Dolphins and the sea lions unfortunately did not get to see any whales. It was still enjoyable.

Awesomeness.

Andrew_T, Jul 2022

Captain Andy was great, the crew was very nice. Perfect trip on seeing a wildlife. Overall was amazing, my family and I will definitely come back.

Carino

Monica_B, Jun 2022

Many dolphins but unfortunately no Whales😞 .......anyway a pleasant afternoon. I would Do It again!

Some fun.

Danny_H, Jun 2022

The boat ride in the open air. However, no whales to see. I do not want to say anymore. Thank you. I only seen Dolphins no Whales.

The crew were so friendly...

ELENITA_B, Jun 2022

The crew were so friendly and approachable. the captain of the ship gave information about the dolphins /sea creatures that we saw.

They were on time, boat...

Sudha_B, Jun 2022

They were on time, boat was clean and not too crowded, we saw dolphins, enjoyed the breeze and views, overall a great boat ride.

Whale watching

Ami_P, May 2022

Whale watching was fun but no whales. Saw lots of dolphins. No issues with boat and staff here. I’m ish instructions about check in were better. My reservation took me to one address and there was a long line there. Got to front and they directed me to a central location where I guess all of us who bought tickets were sent ( so it seemed lots of places sell the tickets and one company actually runs the show and check in ). So i think Captain Dave’s is the actual company that takes you out. We almost missed the boat because if this., hence the not 5 star.

Not recommend

Charlotte_W, May 2022

I am not satisfied with this tour. We booked a small boat (6 people) at 12 pm. The address on website is different from the actual checking in address. It took us 15 minutes running back and forth finally found the checking in site, resulting in being late for 5 minutes, our boat already departed. Since We couldn’t wait too long, we took the big boat tour including 47 people at 12:30pm. We saw a lot of dolphins but no any whale. I feel overall it is not worth the money spent. Won’t recommend!!

Very disappointed, paid...

charles_p, May 2022

Very disappointed, paid for catamaran but when we got to the venue they said we paid for the basic boat, the boat was very crowded

What a Whale Show!

Toni_S, Apr 2022

Wonderful experience! We cruised beside a mother whale and her baby along the CA shoreline. Beautiful weather, great crew, perfect day!

Great time aboard the Legacy

Joel_S, Apr 2022

Captain Andy was helpful, informative, very cheerful, and an excellent captain. We got to see patches the dolphin, and some sea lions. Had an incredible time

Awesome experience

Holly_K, Mar 2022

Got to see a Fin Whale and a pod of common dolphins!! The captain was very informative and made sure we got to see everything

...

Explore Similar Things to Do

Help Center Customer Care Privacy and Cookies Statement About Viator News Viator blog

Terms & Conditions