Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Baja Ballenas

    5.0 (4 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

    Baja Ballenas Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Baja Ballenas

    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

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Baja Ballenas

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Whale Watching Tours 710 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    San Diego Whale Watch

    San Diego Whale Watch

    4.7
    (1.1k reviews)
    11.1 km
    15 years in business
    Free parking

    Such a great experience for our first Whale Watching trip, great even with our 3 year old! Worth…read morethe cost, we were out for a bit over 3 hours. Check in process was easy, just follow the email instructions, all very clear. Bring sunscreen, a hat or sunglasses. You can bring your bags and snacks. There is plenty of space under the benches for your belongings. Lots of options for seating all around the boat, both inside and out. Also 2 restrooms available. As well as a Galley with snacks and souvenirs! I didn't realize, but they also sell photo packages of the wildlife from the trip. So you can focus on documenting your group and the good time, They'll capture the animals! :) This crew was Captain Vanessa, Naturalist Ruth, Deck crew Colleen and Sara, and Galley Oscar. They were all so helpful and accommodating. I cannot tell you how warm and inviting they all were. You could definitely tell they loved their jobs. For me...So, despite Dramamine and sea sickness bands I got really nauseous; and I think my 3 year old did too but couldn't verbalize, because she passed out about 1.5 hours into the trip-so I was just kind of sitting towards the back holding my toddler mid trip. Which is about the time when the whales appeared! (Up to that point we saw different birds, pods of dolphins and sea lions.) So these whales on our trip were on the starboard side when they appeared, but I was on the port side, kinda stuck sitting with my sleeping toddler. At one point Colleen came and asked if she could help me move to see the whales, but that was easier said than done, especially not feeling well. I let her know she was sweet but we were okay. Well as the boat tracked the whales, I guess Colleen and Sara both mentioned to the captain that we were kind of stuck in the back on the Port side and the captain ended up turning the boat towards the whales so I could see them. It was the sweetest thing and I felt so seen as a mama. :) I didn't know how a whale watching trip could go above and beyond, but they did! We did a 12:30pm tour on a Monday and there seemed to be a good crowd, but they were not at full capacity, which meant moving around was an option for those that wanted to. We will be back, this was a great choice!

    Overall I come away from this whale watching group less than fully impressed…read more It had both positives and negatives. The positives of the trip were that it left on time, the price was reasonable, and that the boat was clean. However, one significant negative is the crew, both on the boat and on land. The entire crew is white (all of the owners and managers probably have not even realized this fact until this very moment). On the boat, there were three blue-eyed blondes (one male and two female), and a guy with brown hair. One land there were two brown-haired females. Every single person is white. How about hiring a person of color? There were tons of customers who were persons of color (myself being one of them), why can't you hire a minority? Your staff is a reflection of you, your biases, and your business. I would strongly encourage you to to take a company picture, then see if you can find a person of color in the picture (you could think of it as an employee game of "Where's colored Waldo?"). Even though the trip is officially called "Whale Watching", we didn't see any whales on my recent trip. Since that's not entirely in the hands of the operators, I'll give them a pass on this. We did, however, see a lot of dolphins, and many were very active. In order to possibly makeup for the trip having not seen any whales, the tour operators get VERY up close and personal with the dolphins. A bit too close, because some dolphins, including baby dolphins, were forced to swim under the boat (which had two large size propellers blasting). A number of passengers expressed concern about the safety of the dolphins with the boat being so close. Wildlife can get injured by humans getting too close. That's what we all hear about when large ships and container vessels get too close to whales and other marine life. If it got out in the media that some tour operator got too close to the wildlife and injured the wildlife (which, to be clear, did not appear to happen here), the PR crisis would be severe. It would go viral instantly online and the whole world would scream, "Don't get too close to the animals/wildlife." That's what happens at National Parks, and it's bad PR. So, here's a rundown of what could be improved regarding the animals: 1. Hire some people of color. I realize you probably terrified of us, but we're not going to steal your family members, your boat, and/or your money. We're also not going to scare you so much that you end up jumping off your own boat, Skipper! 2. Not seeing whales is not justification for getting too close to dolphins and putting their well-being at risk. Anybody, yes, anybody, with a hint of common sense would know that having infant dolphins swimming so close to 2 fully-horse powered motorized propellers is not safe. Maintain a safe distance. You did a good job by offering to rent out binoculars. Good job on that one Skipper!

    Photos
    Privateer and Whale
    Privateer and Whale
    San Diego Whale Watch
    Blue Whales off the coast of San Diego. Sept 2, 2011

    See all

    Blue Whales off the coast of San Diego. Sept 2, 2011
    Wild Pacific Whale Watch

    Wild Pacific Whale Watch

    5.0
    (21 reviews)
    13.1 km
    Locally owned & operated
    Family-owned & operated

    My husband and I had an incredible first whale watching experience with Wild Pacific Whale Watch!…read moreWe chose to go for our anniversary, and we are SO glad we did. We got to see humpback whales, sea lions, and so many common dolphins. The crew was all so welcoming, friendly, and happy to answer any questions you have. It was a smooth riding experience and plenty of seating. It wasn't very crowded on the boat and was very spacious. They even have a whale watching guarantee on their website that says if you don't see a whale then the next trip is free which is really neat. This is a small and locally owned business whose crew is very respectful of the wildlife. They ensure to keep a distance to keep the wildlife safe. They do offer drinks and snacks for purchase or you are free to bring your own! It lasted 3 and a half hours. It was an unbelievable experience and I highly recommend Wild Pacific Whale Watch! Pro-tip I found a great deal on Groupon for it to be more affordable for my husband and I to go. Also, they had a promo code going that Capital One shopping found for me. :)

    I had never been whale watching before. So I sought out a business I could trust with my safety…read moreand who would get me to the whales. Welp... they did. And much more. We went out in July 2026. The weather was great! Their boat was very clean and well kept. Lots of space for everyone. Not rocky at all. The crew were super friendly, knowledgeable, and seemed to really care about what they were doing. Shout out to Captain Redbeard! And the person who was giving us the information while we were riding. She knew everything, it seemed, and was obviously passionate about it... which I loved. We saw every kind of sea bird, a humpback whale, and a half of a megapod of LONG Beach Common Dolphins. It was so amazing! The humpback whale was a juvenile. It was so majestic. No matter where you were on the boat, you could see the dolphins. There was a feeding frenzy, so every creature was there. It really makes you realize how small we really are. I actually got a little teary eyed because it was so breathtaking. I am considering making it a monthly adventure for me myself and I. Anywho, this family owned local business is worth it. The process was easy, the vessel was comfortable and safe, the crew were educated and friendly, and the experience was wonderful. 10/10 would recommend!

    Photos
    "Probably Not A Wave"  A flipper on an Adult Humpback Whale
    "Probably Not A Wave" A flipper on an Adult Humpback Whale
    Gray Whale Fluke
    Gray Whale Fluke
    "Kelping" Adult Humpback Whale enjoying a grouping of Kelp the whales use for grooming.  Melissa explained it's called Kelping.

    See all

    "Kelping" Adult Humpback Whale enjoying a grouping of Kelp the whales use for grooming. Melissa explained it's called Kelping.
    City Cruises

    City Cruises

    3.7
    (989 reviews)
    11.3 km
    $$$

    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 :)

    Photos
    City Cruises
    City Cruises
    The ship

    See all

    The ship
    Oceanside Adventures

    Oceanside Adventures

    4.7
    (483 reviews)
    50.0 km

    Great experience, the combination of luck and an experienced captain today we saw Humpback and…read moreMinke whales and Dolphins. The captain got us great views while respecting the animals and giving them their space.

    I've lived here my entire life and have never been whale watching but have always wanted to,…read morehowever it's just not an experience I'd typically consider splashing out on for myself (**spoiler alert - my visit was less than two weeks ago and immediately after disembarking I told my husband I wanted to get on another tour stat!) For Christmas, my husband's aunt gifted tickets to our entire extended family to enjoy a whale watching tour together so we finally landed on a date and it was an awesome experience from start to finish. We arrived about 15 minutes early for our 9:30am boarding time, checked in at the kiosk and were given paper tickets to be handed over to the crew as we came aboard. Once onboard, we were introduced over the speaker to the captain and crew and given a quick rundown of the itinerary and safety procedures. We navigated through the harbor where we spotted our local sea lion neighbors basking in the sun which especially delighted the kids and the out-of-town/state passengers, sailed out of the harbor and into the open sea. It was a pleasantly calm morning with hardly any wind and very smooth sailing. The only slight downside was that it was a particularly gray morning, so there was little distinction between the color of the ocean versus the sky but it was very clear and we could see for a long distance. We got probably close to halfway through our two-hour tour without any sightings but once we were about 5 miles off the coast, we started hearing transmissions between the crew over their walkies so we knew to start keeping our eyes peeled. The next half hour or so was spent watching three beautiful fin whales take turns coming up for air, swimming under the boat, rolling playfully and showing their light-colored bellies. It was so fun to be able to move about the boat freely to try to get the best view, some photos and videos, while being filled in by the crew on interesting marine facts. Finally the whales took their deep dives, at which point we were informed they wouldn't be coming back up for air for a while and it was about time to head back. The cruise back was equally smooth as the adventure out, and we got in right on time and prepared to disembark but not before getting coupons for a future expedition and adorable fin whale stickers to commemorate our tour. I can't WAIT to go on another whale watching tour with Oceanside Adventures - it was the best time!! I would 100000% recommend.

    Photos
    Oceanside Harbor
    Oceanside Harbor
    Pacific white sided dolphin
    Pacific white sided dolphin
    Oceanside Harbor photo credit Alan Crosthwaite Photography

    See all

    Oceanside Harbor photo credit Alan Crosthwaite Photography

    Baja Ballenas - whalewatchingtours - Updated August 2026

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