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.

What a great day for whale watching!…read more The crew is amazing! Ivy, Tekon, Saxon, Chris. Hope I got all the spelling right! I've been on this boat and it's not always a guarantee as nature is nature but today was perfect. Calm seas, thousands...yes thousands of dolphin and a dozen whales. Mostly humpback but we saw two finback as well. So rad. Can't wait until next time!

This was an amazing experience! Captain Bill was helpful, accommodating, and so fun to sail with on…read moreLa Bella Vita! It was my sister's 60th birthday and he made it such a special time. I cannot emphasize enough that you should take his cruise! A beautiful boat, an excellent captain and a wonderful Oceanside adventure!

Today we had an amazing time aboard the "Summer Wind" sailboat with Captain Glen and crew member…read moreMolly. Start to finish the outing was perfection. The sailboat was pristine, the weather was absolutely perfect. We were a party of 6. Captain Glen met us in the parking lot and escorted us to the boat. He encouraged both of my grandchildren to take turns at the helm. His professional, friendly, attentive demeanor was second to none.

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!

I'm rounding up a little; if half stars were allowed, this would be a 3.5 from me…read more The good: Nice crew, clean boat, lots of food options available (very pleasant surprise), we saw whales (huge bonus but out of anyone's control on the boat), the captain made sure to spin around to let everyone see them when we did spot some, though - that was cool. One of the crew members took pictures on a DSLR and sold them to us if we couldn't get good enough pics ourselves. You can buy early access to the ship to pick out a good spot, or you can buy a VIP ticket to have access to your own section of the boat right up front. The things I didn't enjoy - which, honestly, I'm not sure how the crew would handle any differently than they did. Some of the people on the boat were super rude. Lots of coughing in close quarters without covering their mouths; one group of people was so hellbent on getting the perfect pictures that they all stood in front of each section of people at least once, running side to side instead of giving everyone turns. The captain did ask that everyone take turns, but the behavior stayed the same all ride. A couple of people actually stood in front of other people who remained seated, completely blocking their views. The bad: You were supposed to get there early to check in and line up, but there is nothing to do in the area, and no seating, so prepare to stand in a line for an hour if you get there right when they say to. The photo package was really expensive for what you got. 3 hours is a long time to be on a boat not learning about things - lots of lulls in programming.

Amazing whale watching experience! The crew was friendly and knowledgeable, and we got incredible…read moreup-close views of whales and dolphins. The smaller boat made the trip feel much more personal and exciting. Highly recommend!

BUYER BEWARE: This excursion looks appealing because it promises a small group and a fun, fast boat…read moreexperience. However, booking with this company comes with a real risk: if the boat isn't completely full (6 people), they may cancel your trip. We planned a special outing around this excursion for our wedding anniversary, only to have it canceled with less than 8 hours' notice. Ironically, their own policy requires customers to give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel. If you don't want your plans disrupted at the last minute, I strongly recommend booking with a more reliable company.

Went whale watching last Friday and while I was not really excited to go it was a great time…read more We saw a fin whale and a humpback whale and hundreds of dolphins. The three hours went fast and the bigger boat did not make me seasick

We had the most incredible private 6-person sunset whale watching tour with Captain Caitlyn! From…read morestart to finish, she was knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely passionate about marine life. You could tell she truly loves what she does, and it made the entire experience even more special. Our group got to see gray whales (including a mom and calf!) and playful dolphins, and Captain Caitlyn shared so much interesting information along the way. She struck the perfect balance between education and letting us soak in the magic of the moment. What meant the most to me personally was how comfortable she made everyone feel. My mom is usually very nervous on boats, but Captain Caitlyn's calm, confident presence completely put her at ease -- and she ended up loving the trip! It was also so empowering and fun to be on a power boat run by an all-women crew. The whole experience felt safe, exciting, and unforgettable. I would absolutely book with Captain Caitlyn again and recommend this tour to anyone looking for an amazing, up-close ocean adventure.

Three of us took a half day fishing trip on the SoCal. Great trip, caught Bonito and overall had a…read moregreat time. The crew with Captain Brian was great. They were very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this fishing trip!

This charter was spectacular. We have been celebrating our late dad's birthday for the past 20…read moreyears with fishing charters in San Diego, and this one was by far the best. The crew was incredibly attentive. I never had to ask for assistance because someone was always there before I even had the chance. It was unexpected and very much appreciated. The woman serving food and beverages also made a point to check in throughout the trip, which really stood out. We caught a lot of fish, and the experience was seamless from start to finish. The briefing at the beginning was quick, clear, and efficient, so we had our poles in the water right away. Highly recommend this charter and crew. An unforgettable experience.

Absolutely amazing and deeply fulfilling time on the water on 4/15/26 with Captain Kyle. He was the…read moremost delightful and educational captain, tour guide, environmentalist and fun person you could hope for. We saw an uncountable number of 4 different kinds of dolphins, a fin whale and many California sea lions. The small boat was very safe, amazingly nimble, fast and would never want to experience anything on a boat any bigger. I am prone to seasickness but was never even a remote issue. Thank you for an amazing time!!!!!

We went February 15, so during fray whale migration. Saw a pod of five whales, lots of dolphins,…read moreand sea lions. Our tour guide Rick was great, clearly loves the wildlife which is what we want . I would bring a blanket for your legs during the winter and bring hats/hoodies. The ride can be chilly, they do tell you to wear layers and we were glad we did even with 60 degree day.

Our captain Jennie very knowledgeable about the animals we were seeing and the geography of the…read morearea. We saw a pod of dolphins and a humpback whale. Great experience. It's a must whenever I have out of town visitiors!

I highly recommend this company, and I'm so glad I booked my tour with them! Unfortunately, we…read moredidn't spot any whales or dolphins--which was a bit of a letdown--but we did see orcas. Unlike the large, slow tourist boats, these small speedboats are incredibly fast, allowing you to cover a lot of ground and just have a blast riding the waves. I'd suggest bringing a warm sweater along with waterproof pants and a jacket--you'll definitely need them!

If you want the best whale and dolphin experience...call Captain Rich...you will not be…read moredisappointed! We had five people and had the best experience. We saw a couple young fin whales and a mega pod of dolphins up close! It was amazing! This is the way to whale and dolphin watch!

Our daughter had arranged a sunset cruise for our wedding anniversary with Tailwalker. This was the…read morebest anniversary experience we had on this cruise! Rick was an amazing captain and took care of every detail to make our trip memorable. He even got us beautiful Roses along with wine and cheese ! Thanks to Rick for all his efforts to make our trip the best!!

Drew was such an amazing guide! He let us take our wedding photos on one of these beautiful…read moregondolas and his energy made us so happy. Lake San Marcos is stunning and we had the best experience from the view of our gondola! Will definitely be back and absolutely recommend

My wife and I recently decided a great way to spend a holiday Saturday with our son, his wife, and…read moretheir daughter, would be to spend some time on Lake San Marcos - and what better way to do that then a gondola? After some quick research on Yelp, we made our reservations (VERY easy to do) and met everyone on said Saturday at the Black Swan dock. (side note - they want you there 20 minutes early...this does NOT mean you can check in 20 minutes early...chances are very high that the person checking you in is your gondolier, and he/she will be on the water at that moment). We had Conner (VERY traditional Italian name....cough) - and he was awesome. He shared some great details as we made our way along the shoreline, including some of the local nicknames for the houses on the water. He was VERY knowledgeable about when the lake was created, the various depths, and gave us tips on when to avoid being on the water (July 4th was high on that). We brought along our own drinks and snacks, and thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Highly recommended!