Went whale and dolphin watching for the first time, Erica and Mark made it so fun and informative!…read moreThey were super nice and made the experience worth it. They did everything they could to get us to see as much as possible. Will be going back here again!

After stumbling across Captain Erica Tik Tok's page, we wanted to book an adventure. We have been…read moreon other whale watching adventures in Newport and Newport Coastal Adventure is by far the best. We are hooked and will ONLY go on their adventures now. Went on a 2 hour tour with Captain Erica and Molly, down in Newport Beach. They were absolutely the best. Captain Erica was knowledgeable and friendly that we were able to enjoy the whole ride. We saw a momma grey whale and baby and hundreds and hundreds of bottle nose dolphins. As Captain Erica said, we must have had lucky people on board to experience both on the same tour. Molly got some awesome and amazing shots that she was able to share with us. We thoroughly enjoyed the surfing dolphins that were created by the wake from our boat. The conditions were perfect, and the experience was worth every penny. We're already planning our next tour for the upcoming season and can't wait to book an Oxnard adventure with them. Hopefully we can get this dynamic duo again. Can't speak highly of Captain Erica and Molly. Total worth it. See you guys soon.

Davey's Locker Room gave us an absolutely amazing fishing experience. We rented their premier…read morefishing rods, reels, and tackle, for the day and everything was top-notch. We caught a bunch of different varieties of fish, and I was even competing for the top fish of the day! The boat itself was excellent, and the entire experience was smooth, fun, and memorable. The people on the boat were awesome, and the crew members went above and beyond for everyone. They were respectful, helpful, hardworking, and brought great energy the whole trip. My buddy flew in from Texas for our yearly fishing trip tradition, and this trip could not have gone better. We honestly couldn't be happier and will definitely be back. Highly recommend Davey's Locker Room for anyone looking for a great day of fishing! Thanks capt Phil! What an experience! This was the 3/4 day

Another great day on the Freelance! Mike and Wyatt were always on point to help out anytime they…read morewere needed! Caught our limits for Rockfish, Salmon Grouper and Sculpin. Cap definitely knows the right spots!!

Incredible, epic time out on the water with Newport Surfrider and Captain Dustin. Weather was…read moreperfect and being out on the ocean just is amazing. We had fun the entire time and can't wait to do this experience again in the future. Saw so many dolphins and a huge sun fish. Highly recommend A+++

Captain Dustin was the best! He navigated us right into a massive dolphin pod and was also very…read moreknowledgeable about the surrounding area and marine life. 10/10 experience!

Are you interested in a thrilling trip across the sea to adventure and awesome natural wonders?…read more From the moment we left the dock until we returned I was completely enthralled. The booking is easy, Captain Nick is a total pro. His presentation is knowledgeable and entertaining and he is funny! We saw whales dancing off the Newport Pier, we saw a massive pod of common dolphins. The spray in my face the wind in my hair! I loved every minute. I enthusiastically recommend this immersive ocean-going adventure!

Cannot recommend them enough! Although we didn't get to see whales we saw more than a lifetimes…read moreworth of dolphins literally inches from us. The advantage of a small boat (maximum 6 ppl but will allow kids under 5yo) is that it can get right into the dolphin pod, and boy do they love swimming with us! We also saw sea lions, and go CLOSE! The captain made an effort to learn all our names, and give us the most memorable adventure. Absolutely book these guys and you won't be disappointed!

Our experience was so excellent! Dani, our captain, and Jill, our guide, made this whale watching…read morecruise unforgettable. We saw ridiculously scenic coastline views, which added to the magic of the trip. While we only saw bottlenose dolphins (tons of them), the cruise was still spectacular and definitely worth the ticket price. Plus, due to a last minute change on their end we happened to get upgraded to the higher end smaller boat with less people. There were lots of moments of sheer joy (we geeked out pretty hard) at getting to visit the dolphins up close in their natural environment. Others around us expressed feeling similarly. What also set this cruise apart was Dani and Jill. Their extensive knowledge about local marine life and its patterns enriched our experience significantly. They shared fascinating and often hilarious insights (Jill is a character - in all the best ways) about the dolphins and the surrounding ecosystem, which made the cruise both highly entertaining and educational. Their genuine excitement for marine wildlife is so evident and it really made the experience all the more enjoyable and fun. We had a great time, and we can't thank Dani and Jill enough for their dedication to making sure everyone had a memorable adventure. Highly recommend this cruise to anyone looking to get out of their head and spend time soaking up amazing views! Ps. Don't be an idiot like me - remember to wear sunscreen because a boat can't outrun the sun (obviously... ‍) Pss. Rent the $5 binoculars

This was by far the worst whale watching tour I've ever taken. I've done whale watching multiple…read moretimes before -- in Boston and other locations -- and every other tour actually went out into deeper waters where whales are usually found. This tour, however, barely left the coastline. If whales could be seen that close to shore, I could have just stood on the beach and saved my money. The trip was advertised as 2 to 2.5 hours, but it only lasted about 1.5 hours. Most of that time was spent heading back toward the harbor, and then we sat near the harbor entrance for around 20 minutes just watching sea lions. I honestly don't understand why anyone should pay $50 per person just to look at something you can easily see from the shore. It felt misleading and disappointing. The boat never seriously attempted to go offshore, where whales are actually located. What made this even more frustrating was that I specifically asked the staff before booking whether we were likely to see whales, and they assured me we would. Do not waste your money on this tour.

Highly recommend going out with the Capt Dave's crew!…read more Had an amazing time out on their Manute'a boat. Cannot say enough about how cool it was to view the wildlife through the underwater viewing pods. It was an unbelievable experience to come nose to nose with wild bottlenose dolphins. We visited on a busy day on Memorial Day weekend, and the crew still took time to make sure that everyone on the boat was having a good time and getting their questions answered. I also brought along my rambunctious 2 1/2 year old son, and felt totally safe on the boat, which felt very secure for kids. On our cruise we saw dolphins, a fin whale, a sun fish, sealions, and common dolphins. A great day. Special thanks to Matt and Amanda for all their fun facts and knowledge sharing! We will definitely be back later in the year to look out for blue whales and white sided dolphins.

We experienced the private charter whale watching catamaran and had the BEST day ever! We were…read morecelebrating a birthday and both Captain Cass and first mate Amanda made sure we could relax and enjoy the beautiful day with our favorite people safe and worry free. Not only did the crew accommodate us but so did a passing Fin Whale that the captain located! Everything about the experience was spectacular! From the original booking to follow-up communication, to check-in, to loading and unloading- everyone associated with Captain Dave's was friendly, fun loving, and very professional. It was more than just a nice day- it was an opportunity to create a special memory shared intergenerationally that we will treasure always. Thank you to Captain Cass, Amanda and everyone at Capt Dave's who work together to ensure a great experience! Wendy Massey Mission Viejo

From the front desk to exiting the boat, great service & attitude. Everyone was eager to help and…read moremake sure you're having a great experience. The captain put us on quality fish and everyone made sure you were positioned to catch them. Thank you & will be back soon.

On 4/28/26, the crew was great on our extended 3/4 day, limited load. There were 7 of us, included…read more4 first timer teens/tweens. The crew was very helpful and proved interest in showing a good time for all and good food from the galley. Although I expected to go to Catalina Island, with the extended time/cost in mind, it was understood why they did not. We did hook and land a lot of fish. We will do it again soon.

BEST DAY EVER ON THE WATER!!! I wanted to do something special for my son for his 15th birthday…read more I called SoCal Charters and arranged to take my son and some of his fiends out on a private whale watching trip and we had THE BEST TIME EVER!!! Captain Jeff was just fantastic. He gave us a great tour of Newport Harbor pointing out the various points of interest along the way. Once we cleared the harbor and opened the throttles up and really started to fly across the water. The whales are still enjoying the warm waters and we saw some amazing marine life. The boat is really nice and holds up to six passengers and has an amazing Tuna Tower where the kids had a great time hanging out and looking out for whales. I would definitely recommend SoCal Charters to anyone looking for a private whale watching trip, harbor cruise or maybe even a romantic dinner cruise (without the kids, of course)!

Wow! What an amazing day we had with Jeff at SoCal Charters. I called a day in advance and reserved…read morea whale watching trip for my hubby and I the next day. It's been on our bucket list for years and I was looking for something more intimate than the larger boats I've seen before. Jeff was very easy-going, nice and professional.. The boat was exceptionally clean and comfortable and I loved the name, "wasabi". Within the first hour Jeff spotted a huge Blue whale! We were able to view it multiple times. I appreciated that he took his time for it to re-surface, and asked us whether we were okay moving on in search of other things. Shortly after we ran into a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins, and after that a huge pod of Common Dolphins that played right along his boat. We will definitely be back. Thank you again for the five star experience!

it was great! The weather was perfect. The boat crew and educators were knowledgeable and friendly…read more And we saw a blue whale!

the company was very good about sending a reminder about our reservation. The cruise was…read morecomfortable, and we saw whales!! We saw a mother and child finned whale, multiple times. The captain did a great job positioning the boat so everyone got a good view. All in all a great experience.

Great Duffy boats, well maintained, and the guys on the dock were great. We had a wonderful…read moreexperience with Newport Harbor Boat Rentals.

Excellent customer service. Getting on and returning the boat was super efficient and seamless.read more