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2.5-3 Hours
Get ready for the best whale watching in San Diego!
Whether you are from Los Angeles, or anywhere else in Southern California (or even USA!), it’s definitely worth the drive for this whale watching tour that never goes out of season! Not only will our friendly crew provide you with sightings of beautiful whales & dolphins, but you’ll also get an educational experience where you can learn about these animals that visit the ocean near San Diego harbor.
Our on-staff marine biologists will, of course, have a bunch of cool whale facts to tell you on your cruise, but if waiting to learn isn’t your style, take a look at our educational links.
We’d love to be able to show you real whales on every trip but sometimes these big beautiful animals just don’t want to be seen. So our promise to you is this, if you don’t see a whale or dolphin then you’ll receive a free pass to join us again for another whale watching trip.
December through April
You can observe part of the amazing 10,000 mile annual migration of the Pacific gray whale from Alaska to Mexico. At 30 to 50 feet in length and weighing up to 40 tons, these whales leave their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea and make the trek south to the isolated lagoons of Baja to give birth to their calves. We’re fortunate enough to see both south and north bound migration all the way through April. We’ve even had sightings as close as 1/2 mile from our bay!
May through November
Means the migration of the great blue whales and mighty fin whales. The blue whale is the largest animal to ever exist on the earth!! They can range in length from 90 feet to over 100 feet and weigh up to 200 tons! The fin, or finback whale is second only to the blue whale in size and weight. Among the fastest of the great whales, it is capable of bursts of speed of up to 23 mph (37 km/hr) leading to its description as the “greyhound of the sea”. Minke, humpback, and sperm whales are also possible sightings. All of these amazing whales are generally found 5 to 9 miles off shore feeding on our local banks.
Throughout the year
Various types of playful dolphins (Short-beaked and Long-beaked Common, Pacific Bottlenose, Rissos, and Pacific white-sided) are encountered on most trips with some pods numbering into the thousands! These dolphins will regularly seek out the boat on their own to greet you and to show their amazing acrobatic abilities. California sea lions, Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola), and a wide variety of sea birds also await you on every trip!
Parking:
During the summer months, holidays and weekends there is a lot of traffic in Mission Bay so please plan to arrive early to find a parking spot.
There are two parking options for San Diego Whale Watch:
FROM I-5 I-5 to Sea World Drive exit. West on SeaWorld Drive. 1/4 mile past Sea World entrance to West Mission Bay Drive. Stay to right. Proceed through traffic loop to first stoplight. Left at stoplight onto short access road. Right at end of short access road onto Quivira Road. Look for San Diego Whale Watch signs.
FROM I-8 I-8 West to West Mission Bay Drive exit. Right at end of off ramp. Go over bridge. Go past Sea World Drive. Go 1/4 mile past Sea World Drive. Veer right onto West Mission Bay Drive. Proceed through traffic loop to first stoplight. Left at stoplight onto short access road. Right at end of short access road onto Quivira Road. Look for San Diego Whale Watch signs.
Our ticket / check-in booth address is 1617 Quivira Road, San Diego, CA 92109. It is a small grey booth between H2O jet ski rentals and the Fish & Chips shop facing the marina.
From the Red Marlin Restaurant:
Walk east along the boardwalk in front of the restaurant keeping the marina on your right and the hotel pool on your left. Keep walking until you see the Fish & Chips Shop. Our ticket / check-in booth is a small grey booth between H2O jet ski rentals and the Fish & Chips shop facing the marina.
From the Fish & Chips Shop (Sportsman's Seafood):
Our ticket / check-in booth address is a small grey booth between H2O jet ski rentals and the Fish & Chips shop facing the marina.
San Diego Whale Watch is committed to building a healthy future for the world’s oceans by deepening the connections between people and nature (by bringing people into nature) and empowering our passengers to make ocean friendly decisions — on our trips and beyond. We have partnered with another organization called Oceanic Society in order to make a positive impact in the tourism industry. You can join us and help conserve whales and their habitats by ensuring our whale-watching adventures are plastic-free:
Bring a reusable water bottle
Carry a thermos or reusable mug for coffee/tea on board
Pack your lunch/snacks with reusable containers and wraps
A growing number of people are taking substantial steps to reduce their use of plastic, including avoiding single-use plastic containers. For more tips and ideas on how you can reduce your plastic footprint and other ocean-friendly actions, join our community at www.BlueHabits.org.
We encourage you to bring these items along with sunscreen, sunglasses, layers to keep warm, and a camera. We ask you please NOT bring alcohol, cigarettes or vaporizers, and drones.
I hereby authorize Cruise San Diego to publish the photographs, video, or audio recordings taken of me, and my name, for use on Cruise San Diego’s instagram, printed media, promotions, and website.
I acknowledge that since my participation in publications and websites produced by Cruise San Diego is voluntary, I will receive no financial compensation.
I further agree that my participation in any publication and website produced by Cruise San Diego confers upon me no rights of ownership whatsoever. I release Cruise San Diego, its contractors, and its employees from liability for any claims by me or any third party in connection with my participation.
Interested in trip protection? Adding Trip Protection to your tickets ($4 per ticket)
allows your purchase to be refunded up until 24 hours prior to start time. Regardless of whether you choose the trip protection option or not, your tickets can be refunded up until 24 hours prior to start time. Any refunds requested past the 24-hour window will not be refunded unless you have opted for the trip protection add on.
Please note trip protection is per person.To add trip protection to your tickets, please contact our office.
