It was a gray cool morning, and all 6 of us were bundled up, as if we were going into a snowstorm…read more That was a wise decision. Ten minutes after leaving Moss Landing we encountered 4 humpback whales foraging, 10 minutes later 2 more, and half a mile away more blows. In 3 hours we encountered at close range probably 40 humpbacks. We were able to get fluke photos of 18 different whales and using Happy Whale identify 17 known individuals and at least one whale not in the Happy Whale database. Fabulous morning on the water with Captain Kate Spencer.

Absolutely incredible experience with Fast Raft Ocean Safaris & Captain Kate!…read more If you're anywhere near the Monterey Peninsula, local or visiting, you must experience Fast Raft Ocean Safaris. We had the privilege of heading out with Captain Kate, and what unfolded was truly beyond words. We witnessed countless humpback whale calves breaching all around us-so many that we didn't know which direction to look-left, right, behind the boat...it felt like nature's ballet on full display! The raft itself is impeccable-comfortable, smooth, and incredibly close to the water, which makes the encounters feel all the more intimate and powerful. It's small-group, thoughtfully guided, and environmentally conscious. Captain Kate's knowledge, passion, and deep respect for the ocean and its creatures created a sense of reverence and wonder that elevated the whole journey. This is not your average whale-watching tour-it's in a league of its own. A soul-stirring, jaw-dropping, life-affirming kind of outing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Whether you're a local looking to reconnect with the majesty of your own backyard or a visitor hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this is the one to book. Truly unforgettable.

Amazing experience with Enocean! First time seeing humpback whales up close (within 5 minutes of…read moreleaving the harbor) and it was magical! Slater and team have extensive knowledge about the wildlife and will guide you along the way to get the best photos and videos!

Had such a fun experience and saw so many humpback whales! Slater and Margo were both…read morefantastic--friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole trip even better. The smaller boat was a huge plus since it wasn't crowded, and it made for a really comfortable experience out on the water. I'd recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. Now I just need to come back and hopefully see some killer whales next time!

Thank you @seaspiritsantacruz for another amazing day out at sea! It was amazing to see these…read morebeautiful whales in their natural habitat. We also observed seals, sea lions, jellyfish, sunfish, birds, and more. I highly recommend @seaspiritsantacruz for your sea adventures. Our female captain and female deckhand host were gracious, informative, and wonderful. They provide blankets if needed. Bring cash to purchase the snacks, soda, beer, or wine on board and of course to tip the staff. . . . . . . . . #seaspiritsantacruz #santacruz #thingstodoinsantacruz #awesomeadventure #whalewatching #sealife #funtimes #femalecaptain #femaledeckhand

Update: got a phone call from the owner Raina...I should say 2 and the last one she stated she will…read morecontinue to call me until she gets a person... when I did call back and instead of hello there it was a well... not so politely.. her response is below... which honestly I agreed to change my star but no compensation nor a really good apology... it was more I want to destroy a small company and their family etc hmmmm why would I want to destroy a small company if I own one myself... 1st... never did I dish the Captain or the assistance Darcy so your response is so bogus. 2nd commonsense, I never expected your team to pull a shark out of a hat... so ridiculous to even say that and that was not my purpose of the 1 Star like I explained to you... it was you advertise to go to a certain place and that I called and ask and stated which time frame I should go because I wanted to visit the Shark Park of course if the weather permits it.. not that I expected your crew to make Make miracles. 3rd why would I call the company if it was the first place I called to ask for their advise she told me to take the mid-morning and later I find out it was the owner (Raina) whom I spoke with. Now she is saying it's the mid day but what's funny on there website for mid-day states "IF the sun permits we will go to the shark park"... I'm posting a pic of their mid-day only to show what is now being recommended after the fact I took the tour.. Word of advice Raina as a owner of a small business myself.. you don't fight with a costumer and blame the costumer like you were doing it with me... you make it right... I get some negative remarks but I don't count the mins they talk.. I listen and wait until their done... I use their feed back to improve or make changes and be apologetic. I even ask my clients for their opinion how can i improve myself and my company. Trust me it changes the whole conversation and at the end we are both happy and they call me again for my business and without me asking they change my rating.. it's what you call communication and not act unprofessional. THE ONE STAR REMARK DID NOT GO TO THE CREW.. I WILL GIVE THEM 100 STARS...THE ONE STAR WENT DIRECTLY TO THE PERSON WHO HELPED ME OVER THE PHONE... WHO GAVE ME FALSE INFORMATION AND FALSE ADVERTISEMENT WHICH LATER YOU YOURSELF TOLD ME IT WAS YOU... that's were my 1 Star goes to... *****Really bummed with this company... Sea Spirt ocean Safari is the name of the company... they are a new company the crew was nice but false advertisement.. I just took a 3 tour with them.. let me just say if you just want to go see Whales, Seals, Sea Otters and stand still for about 20 mins and let them slowly explain about the otters and to see some brown sea weed looking thing just to kill time then this is the company to go too. If i personally wanted to go see this... then I would have gone to the regular Company I normally will go to... or selected a company closer to my area... like Im San Francisco pier 39.. they offer all this... The reason why I selected this company was because it advertised the Great White Shark... and i was told by one of their employees...if i would take the morning trip you get to go to the Shark Park and see Great White sharks... if you selected the 1pm then it was a 50/50 chance of going...well I got played... I drove two hours just so I can see some Great White Sharks and that never happened... when asked if we were going....the assistance said no because we spend to much time seeing whales... like wth really...so why advertise it... So the rest of ride I was hella bummed because I was so excited to go to the shark park.. What an "Ocean Safari" tour it was.... Don't get me wrong I love whale watching, sea Otters etc but when a company advertise something and doesn't complete it well its false advertisement on their website to the people answering the phones... I know I'm not the only one.. there was also a group of 6 that showed up and they were bummed too.. who knows how many more people where bummed... the funny part of it all is that they decided to take us out again to see a whale one last time lol but we have no time to see a shark... I would have understood if it was a weather issue but it wasn't I gave 1* not because of the crew but because I had to otherwise I couldn't post..

Excellent tour. Boat is silent. Seals aren't…read more Restaurant at the dock is good too My 12 lb calm little dog was welcome too

This tour was so great! The El Cat catamaran is electric so it's super smooth and quiet as it…read moreguides you over the calm waters of the Elkhorn Slough. The guide was so knowledgeable and a great host to guide us through the 90 minute tour. We saw so much wildlife! Otters, seals, sea lions, loons, cormorants, and many other birds. Otters were my favorite of course! I noticed folks can even kayak through the waters which I think would be pretty cool to get up close to the sea life. I felt so educated when I left and appreciated this experience so much. I highly recommend!

Captain Christian is the absolute best...super welcoming and friendly.....I would highly recommend…read morechartering with Bella on the Bay. He accommodated my family and paid extra attention to my elderly mother. Thank you for the awesome experience Captain, looking forward to more bookings in the future.

Captain Christian was the best! Contacted him a couple months before our trip to make reservations,…read morehe was quick to respond, very friendly. A week or so before our trip to Monterey our agenda has changed and we needed to switch our reservation to another day. A quick call to Captain Christian and he was able to accommodate our request. Very informative about his boat, the ocean and Monterey. Look forward to our next trip out here and will definitely be making reservations with Captain Christian.

We had a great time. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the scenery was incredible, and they…read moretook every effort to make the trip enjoyable. Trisha was our Zodiac captain, and her knowledge of the area and the wildlife and their behaviors was priceless. We saw several pods of Orcas, a pod of Humpbacks, and another of porpoise. She's a excellent captain and her knowledge and command of the boat and the weather and tidal conditions made for a very enjoyable trip.

Private charter for 6…read more Highly recommend fishing with Greg! 6 of us in a group booked a charter for rockfish in November. Greg was very easy to work with during the booking process. I communicated with him via text, and he was very responsive. The boat, Sea Marie, is a bit smaller than some of the other boats I've been on, but there's ample space for 6, including some seating in the cabin area. It was a very clean and comfortable boat to be on. Greg certainly knows the right spots for rockfish. And despite a stronger than usual tide and hefty winds, Greg kept diligently repositioning the boat to get us on top of the fish. We were restricted by some regs from going farther and so stayed more nearshore. Got limits of blues for all. Importantly, Greg bled each of our fish as they came into the boat. This made for beautiful, white fillets later. 4 of the 6 of us had never gone fishing before. Greg was very patient with the newbies. Baited hooks, untangled lines, gave good advice. During the trip, Greg was also great to converse with. Just a great all around guy to be around. After we got back, Greg cleaned the fish exactly as we wanted. Some wanted fillets, others wanted them whole but gutted. We even wanted the carcasses to make stock, and Greg very graciously cleaned the carcasses to make them easier for cooking later. He divvied things up and bagged them for us. It was evident to us that Greg cared about our experience, and you can't ask for more than that. We hope to see Greg next year and head out when the weather is a bit warmer to go deeper for some reds.

Captain was great had a wonderful experience today. Family and I are planning in future to do this…read moreagain. What an EPIC trip.

I've been asking my husband to take me segwaying for a LONG time. He surprised me on our 10th…read moreanniversary! Genuinely, Monterey is the best place to do segwaying. My husband and I have been to Monterey plenty of times but with the segways we took the local paths/dunes that we would never want to walk/bike. What a great way to see how beautiful Monterey is. We saw some seals and amazing waves! Luckily gloves were supplied because it was cold today. Graham was our guide today and we had a wonderful time with him. He was very patient with us when teaching us how to use the segways, made sure we were aware of any bumps and great with the crowd in congested areas. Very funny, sweet man. Absolutely recommend when visiting Monterey. There would still be plenty of time to go to the aquarium or hang around the downtown area if you do an early tour.

It was my 1st time riding Segway. Jerry taught us how to balance ourselves n ride in less than…read more15mins and then we started our tour. The route had breathtaking views of the pacific coast . We also stopped at a Monarch sanctuary to see butterflies, hummingbirds. Highly recommend this fun activity with friends and family