This place has been around for 20+ years or at least thats how long I've been going here off and on. They have daily island trips. Fishing Schedule ---------------------------------------- Sport King Currently Offlinel ---------------------------------------- 3/4 Day Island Freelance Call for pricing and information! ---------------------------------------- Matt Walsh 1/2 Day Weekdays Departs 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM 1/2 Day Weekends Departs 6:30 AM to 12:00 PM Departs 12:30 PM to 6:00 PM Adults $38.00 Seniors $35.00 Children $28.00 Rerides $19.00 Price $38.00 ---------------------------------------- Overnight Freelance Departs at 9:00 PM Fare $120.00 ---------------------------------------- Charter Boats Available 1/2 Day, 3/4 Day, Full Day, and Overnight ---------------------------------------- Sea Life Excursions Avaialbe on Weekends ---------------------------------------- read more

This is my 3rd time out with them. The first time was ok, the 2nd was awful and this time was awful too. It is evident that they are not as passionate as some other whale watching companies. They leave late and come back at the same time it would be normally due. There is hardly any communication from the captain. In a 2hr trip he comes on and veryyyy briefly talks to people 3 times. But of course the worst part is the lack of wildlife they find. 2 out of 3 times we've only found 1 pod of common dolphins and they wouldnt even stop or announce the seals on the buoy when coming back in. I just feel that there is an overall lack of care and effort. I literally live 2min away but I would rather drive the hour to Newport beach to go to a different company. Which is fabulous every time I've went read more

The boat itself was okay but everything else wasn't. The port is too crowded, people wearing inappropriate clothing, crazy lines to every establishment... waiting to enter the boat was long and we had to wait next to the big trash containers. On the boat, the people were drunk and loud. Would not come again. At least we saw dolphins. read more

We enjoyed the cruise around the harbor. We saw a couple seals and learned some facts about the harbor and Long beach. The kids had a fun time. It gets a little rocky at times, but thats expected when you're on a boat. Be sure to bring sunglasses and a hat because it gets super hot if you're on the top in direct sunlight. i wish i had brought one. read more

We went out on 2/15/2015 on the 12 PM departure from the pier right next to Long Beach Aquarium. We saw at least a dozen of whales In four pods, several dolphins and seals. Great crew, great boat, amazing experience. read more

LA Waterfront Cruises - Whales seen on 1/15/2015 © www.haveyoubeenthereyet.com - Fishing Near Me - Long Beach, California

See all

Pros: You can take your own snacks and drinks onto the boat. Boat is clean and has ample seating. All outdoor seats are great views. The staff is friendly and helpful. A staff from the Aquarium of the Pacific provides the educational portion of the tour and goes around answering questions. We saw whales, dolphins and a pretty large Mako shark. Cons: Boat does not leave on time. No plan for when/if people get seasick. A couple of folks threw up...one over the railing into the ocean and another into a cup #gross. Overall our trip was enjoyable. I recommend wearing a hat and sunscreen. Bring your camera and some water. read more

It was a delightful experience. Traveled outside The angels gates and were able to see a female whale and its child. It was beautiful. Something different over all. Good experience for the kids but not if they get easily sea sick. read more

See all

We had a great time whale watching using this company. The boat had a decent amount of seats but not enough for everyone. Most people were moving around the boat so that was not an issue. The boat definitely needs some TLC. It needs an update and paint job. The small galley only offered basic snacks like candy bars and chips. We saw a very large pod of dolphins that were playing and active. Unfortunately we did not see any whales. I would use this company again. read more

John Batts who used to be the skipper for the City of Long Beach is currently the skipper of the Matt Walsh out of this landing. To make it short, he is by far the best 1/2 day skipper in the LA/Orange county area. It's obvious that he enjoys his job and makes every fishing trip fun. He always has a professional crew and is just a genuinely nice guy. I hadn't seen him in 10 years and he treated me like I saw him yesterday. read more

LA Waterfront Cruises - Fishing Near Me - Long Beach, California

Crew and individuals were very accommodating for my wife and our 4 daughters. We took a 12:30 boat out for a few hours on a whale watching expedition. Didn't see anything in the way of whales or dolphins but you can't make Mother Nature come to you on their schedule sometimes. We did see a Mora Mora breach. But the peaceful ease with which the boat was moving through the ocean was relaxing and fun. Our teenagers had a really excellent time as did my wife and I. Point of note, my wife is in a wheelchair and the access to entry was wheelchair accessible. There is a long ramp down the dock and then up into the boat. Her power chair however was not able to go back up the incline upon return because of the steepness of the incline, but with help from a crew member we made it happen. read more

We took the Saturday 12:30 whale watching cruise and it was AMAZING!! Got to see a humpback whale breach a ton of times. The staff was very friendly and informative. Our kids had a blast and would recommended this for a fun day out. You can enjoy the delicious seafood right on the dock before or after your cruise. Note- Docks are less crowded in the morning. Would recommend this to everyone!! read more

LA Waterfront Cruises - Humpback whale we saw breach tons of time, was amazing!! - Fishing Near Me - Long Beach, California

See all

Fishing all day on Saturday. Boat was clean, Food was okay, but person serving was nice. Captain and Crew were easy going and made us first-timers/beginners feel welcome and helped us with baiting, changing hooks, assist with tangled lines, removing fish from hook, and taking us to spots where fish were definitely biting. For the people in our party who actually would listen, they provided several tips that helped us catch plenty of fish. Caught 16, but had to throw back 5 and for the first time fishing in the ocean, I was definitely happy with the outcome. Friendly service, positive attitude, and no need to prepare food because it was all taken care of made for a very good day. Also, restrooms were clean, because I know that scores high for some folks. Enjoy! read more

Me and my aunt had so much fun we saw so many dolphins and had a great time even though I got sea sick for a little bit. read more

See all

Decided to try something new with the family and came across this place on GROUPON. I heard mixed feelings about whale watching in general and I was a bit afraid that we wouldn't get to see a whale but hey who can control nature. We got to the place and the service was average, we waited in line for a half hour in the sun so that wasn't so fun, once we went aboard the ship it was relieving. We found great seats right in front of the ship and began our adventure. We got to see tons of people enjoying the water life, we also got to see some seal lions, dolphins and believe it or not WE SPOTTED A WHALE! I would recommend bringing children since it's more enjoyable to see them have fun. Beers, drinks and snacks are available on board. read more

See all

This trip was awesome! We were eating at the restaurant next door and they let us take our food on the boat. They have a snack bar on the boat that sells snacks, drinks, and beer. The ocean is beautiful, and we saw a few whales! I would definitely go again! read more

LA Waterfront Cruises - Fishing Near Me - Long Beach, California

Costa N. Is right went fishing thus past Friday and I seen with my own eyes them all passing a 5th of JACK DANIELS, casting over mine and other people's heads, talking shit bcuz I caught a yellow with a spinner reel deck hand started talking shit and I had to tell him "SO WHAT"!!! Plus they had about 10 guys fishing 4 the boat 2 take jack pot....NEVER AGAIN on the SPORTS KING read more

Fished on the Sport King shortly after she was completely overhauled. I only wen tout of this landing because I had gone to 22nd Street and they weren't running due to low angler count. The boat was ok. There wasn't much seating. I went to sit in the galley and was going to order food. Then I saw roaches in the galley. I couldn't believe there were roached on a boat that had just been overhauled. I did not eat. I was excited talking to other regualrs on this boat about some really hot fishing they had been experiencing. Next thing I know the captain decided to go to Catalina instead where the fishing sucked. So I got a two hour boat ride with no where to sit on a roach infested boat and mediocre fishing. read more

Called 2 weeks in advance to schedule a whale watching cruise for mothers's day and asked if they recommended reservations and they said they did. I set it up, asked if they need a deposit and they said no. I even took down the name of the person who took my reservation just to be sure I had it. The day of my family of four shows up 35min early and they were all booked up with no record of my reservation! The people at the desk said, 'sorry you'll have to wait for the next one in an hour'. They did nothing to make it better and really didn't seem to care at all. Just blew us off and said take the next one. It was a very frustrating experience! We did eventually go. The boat and the crew were very nice, however, there's not a chance I'd ever go through these guys again or ever recommend them. read more

Beautiful is just now the key loved the dolphins though we didn't get to see whales but the drive was amazing

Neat little cruise, took the 45 min one with the Iowa battleship tour worth all of the25$ we spent. You have to go to ports of call & wade through the throngs of humanity. A little warm on the 1st deck but, it changes once the get moving. Beer & cokes are available with a nice little history tour. read more

Had a great time on 12/30/11... Boat wasn't crowded, crew was helpful, shop guy was cool... Thinking about going again on Monday read more

See all

I went on a Sunday morning whalewatching using a Groupon for $15 per person. The parking lot was ample. The restroom was clean. The boat took off 15 mins. late but no biggie - guess they wanted to catch last minute customers. We saw a whale and a few dolphins. read more

I read somewhere in their website that if you don't see any whales or dolphins they could invite you for a second try for free but I called them the next day and that said that they didn't guarantee any sights so I'm kind of disappointed read more

The sport king fishing boat. NEVER will i go on this boat again! The crew including the captain are so unprofessional and rude. They talk to customers like they are nothing when people got tangled the captain would yell to the crew to cut the line unlike other boats where they untangle the line for you. Barney and kid with the curly hair are so rude and snatch poles from people's hands when they hooked a fish! Strongly suggest you look for another boat to go on instead of the sport king!! read more

Did the whale-watch cruise that took 2 hours and didn't take off until 30 minutes after the stated departure time. We saw a few mini-dolphins and a sea lion. No whales. (they did say there was no guarantee of seeing whales). it was a nice windy cruise but 2 hours may be 30 minutes too long. The dock is behind a fish market in San Pedro. We went on a Sunday and it was packed all over the place. The seafood that was cooking did smell good though. The restrooms are either packed but there are also porta-potties. But i don't think i'll be back anytime soon as this place is even more crowded than Costco on a Sunday afternoon. read more

I come please place maybe once every other month when... I believe for the price they offer I always think the two hours tour... Is very affordable.... Sometimes we don't see the whales but we see the dolphins.... For my kids and my family is two hours of Thoroughly relaxation... It totally worth it.. I definitely can back next two weeks read more

Okay, here's a classic case where 1 star is one star too many. It's been three days since my experience with these LOSERS and my ass is still plenty chapped enough to write this very negative and VERY well-deserved review. Made a reservation for 6 people the day before and everything was efficient and friendly. Conditions looked great and all signs pointed towards a great day fishing with my three young nephews plus another friend and his young son. It's an annual thing for us to go out half-day with the youngsters and we were really looking forward to a somewhat new experience on the Matt Walsh, having read so many positive experiences here on yelp. But when we arrived there at 6AM--the appointed hour, as told by the booking rep the day before--we were told that we were the ONLY people expected on the half-day boat so it would not be going out at all, a minimum of ten required. Then they tried to sell us on going out on the 3/4 day boat, but with kids it is just too much time on the water and we declined. Then--and only then--did they tell us that 22nd St. Sportfishing, just down the street, WAS going out half-day and we could still catch them. They then gave us WRONG directions! It was a VERY foggy day, too, so it was somewhat miraculous that we did, after all, find the other fleet and got out on a boat. Upon arrival at that boat, the Monte Carlo, which we've fished before, we were somewhat astonished to find about 40 anglers waiting to board. I started asking around the other people to see if we might amass a group of 10 or more to get the Matt Walsh going, only to learn that at LEAST fifteen other fishermen had been told the EXACT same bullshit story we'd been told--that we were the ONLY ones and therefore there'd be no Matt Walsh that day. When I attempted to call these liars on the phone, we only got a message saying their office was closed for the day, despite the fact that not fifteen minutes earlier there were a few people there with all the lights on. Nice, eh? Here's a thought, Matt Walsh: you asked for my phone number so why not CALL me and TELL me there'd be no half-day? Oh, because you'd rather try to con us into the 3/4 day when we arrived? It's called "telling the truth because your reputation is your most important asset in any business:" look into it. Because when you don't, the word gets out, doesn't it? Had a so-so day on the "San Pedro Specialist" or something like that, which sailed instead of the Monte Carlo. Smaller, older boat with a lazier crew, we caught lots of garbage fish (mackerel and perch, all throw-backs) following the crew's advice to use smaller hooks while those nearby were NAILING nice snapper and sheepshead doing the opposite with large tackle. Next year? Santa Barbara. read more

6 of us went out on the Sport King 3/4 day boat 7/14/15. I had been tracking that boat's results for the past couple of weeks and was impressed with the fish count and the low number of anglers reported on Mondays through Thursdays. Apparently, that data is completely and purposely erroneous. On our boat there were 64 anglers ( heard the mate tell the captain while handing him the daily boarding tickets). There were 27 yellowtail caught. That info came from a Saltwater Game Official who was on the boat collecting data. So, this morning I check the fish and angler count reported. Anglers ACTUAL: 64 REPORTED: 41. Yellowtail ACTUAL: 27 REPORTED: 108. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I called the day before leaving and was told, at that time, there were 15 anglers reported going out, so I figured that may get up to 30 or so by the next morning. I was told to be there between 5 and 5:15 a.m. We got there at 5:05 and discovered that they issued slots on a first come first serve basis, something I haven't seen at other marinas since the 80's. Needless to say there was nothing near the stern. Obviously, the regulars knew about this. Had we known we would have been there at 4:30 am. We left ten minutes late while waiting for last minute walk-ons to register and get tickets. As we were pulling out, and NOT before, the captain announced that bait may be a problem and there would be rain checks if we wanted upon returning to the dock (not true). At the bait dock we loaded about 5 scoops of some nice size sardines. Five scoops for 64 rods. Needless to say, we ran out of bait 1 hour after we began fishing, almost to the minute. Most of those baits were victims of cut and tangled lines. With the current as it was the only people with even a shot at hooking up were the 8 or so anglers at the stern and stern corners (the boat is 65'X20'). After the first hour the rest of the day consisted of frozen squid strips. I threw some iron and lead heads but it was too packed to retrieve without tangling the few (40 or so) people left fishing. The Captain? Unprofessional and obnoxious. As we were heading out we saw one of the mates take a bottle of vodka up to the bridge. That explained the captain's demeanor. The crew? Worthless. Sorry leadership leads to a sorry crew. Don't be fooled by the fish reports on this boat, obviously somebody was seeing WAY more than double when it came to the fish and "imagined" a little LESS than half of the anglers. 0 stars if possible. read more

Bad bad bad experience!!! So happy that is over. In a minute we were on open ocean the captain speed up and the disaster begin. We wouldn't see any fish even if they was next to us. We were sitting inside and preying that this trip will end soon. Kids and adults was scared and many of them throw up. That was not quite relaxed and cool trip that was ride from the hell. Never ever again! read more

I took my mom here for her birthday and she enjoyed it. The crew members were very nice and helpful. We took the 45 min cruise around San Pedro. We learned a lot of interesting things and they even sung happy birthday to her. Only thing is we have a Chinese man as the captain and his verbal wasn't so great so alot of the stuff we had to ask what it was because we couldn't understand. We also say sea lions. It's a cool relaxing family thing to do and I will be back eventually read more

Sad to hear that the landing has closed down. A lot of memories on the Sportking and Matt Walsh. Heard the Sportking will still be running charters out of Pierpoint landing... read more

Went fishing on the sportking on thursday day. What a horrible experince first the captain is not a very nice person. He yells at the way we fish. We pay for our tickets n shoulnt be scared. Deck guys are horrible worst ive seen. I belive there brothers. The older one doesnt want to help no one. Will never i mean never will go on this boat again. Horrible place read more

Don't have a website if you are not going to keep it current. EVERYWHERE it said weekday cruises leave at 10. Showed up at 9:40 to find out it already left at 9:30. Unreliable and a huge disappointment to our out of state visitor who leaves in the morning and now can't go. read more

Fun and exciting cruise! I used a Groupon that was 2 adult tickets for $25. Worth the money even though we didn't see any whales. We saw sea lions right away hanging out on a bouy. A little while later we started to see groups of dolphins. You could see them swimming right below the surface near the boat. Every so often they would jump out of the water. The cruise lasted about the 2 and a half hours. They do offer chips and soda for a small price on the boat(cash only!) We rode on the boat Christopher. This boat did have bathrooms. The captain of the boat was very nice and so was the lady who was there to educate us on what we were seeing and answers all questions. I would def do this cruise again next time I visit cali! read more

LA Waterfront Cruises - View of the boat Christopher - Fishing Near Me - Long Beach, California

We went out on a 3/4 day boat on a Monday morning and had a great time. There were 30 people on board which included about 6 kids. The boat took off at 6:00 AM and returned about 5:00 PM. The price for the fishing trip was $65 and they only accept cash. As we took off on time, we immediately went to the gas pumps to refuel. I found it odd that the staff couldn't have done that earlier but oh well, maybe it's just me eager to get to the fishing grounds. After we refueled we then went back to the dock to pick up three more fishermen which I found odd again. I had to get up at butt crack of dawn to get on this boat, why can't they be on time too? Apparently they were some regulars and it didn't take long for them to board...whatever, you can't sweat the small stuff all the time, especially when you are fishing. So after another brief stop to pickup bait, we set off en route to Catalina Island. We landed at the island and started our fishing. After about fifteen minutes of fishing we got stopped by the Department of Fish and Game and they boarded our boat. We weren't allowed to fish for another twenty minutes while they inspected our catch and checked to see if we had our fishing licenses. It is what it is and I understand that they have a job to do which was not a big deal to me and actually made me feel good because after all these years of purchasing the state fishing license, I have only been checked a few times which justifies me spending the $55 for a license. After a few citations being issued (and from what I hear can be pretty hefty) we were allowed to fish. We checked a few spots which yielded species such as white fish, barracuda, blue perch, calico bass, and sheep head. The day was steady and every time the bite was "off" the captain would go to another location to find the fish, which we appreciated. The deckhands were very helpful and attentive to your needs too. The galley was well stocked and like any other fishing boat, you can start a tab throughout the day. We scored our go to galley double cheeseburger ($7) which is a must have when you are on these boats. For some reason those burgers are outstanding and worth every penny. Overall it was a great experience of good fishing, good food, and relaxation. Our day yielded a sack full of fish for dinner and good times. L.A. Harbor would've scored the 5 star if they only wouldn't have made all those stops....Oh well. We'll be back. read more

Bought whale watching tickets from Groupon but the company gave me difficulty when I tried to redeem them. If I could give this company negative stars I would. read more

Was an amazing quick experience! This 45min boat trip around the harbor is great for kids and anyone who has never been on a boat. A great starter for anyone! I havent been on a boat since my catalina trip back in 5th grade, been about 13 years! Me and my husband enjoyed the ride in the front of the boat for the best views. We loved how the staff told us all about our surroundings. We took the last boat trip schedule at 6pm. We had dinner at one of the famous places right next to dock 1 (where you purchase your tickets) and were afraid we wouldnt make it in time but fortunate they do provide about a 15 minute grace period to help last minute goers like me! I got to say I've been here a couple times during weekends and always saw the boat full so never tried it. We decided to come on a Wednesday afternoon and almost had the boat to ourselves! Since it was the last boat trip, the awesome captain let us board with our beer! (The also sell beer, soda, water and etc. (Candy+chips)) on the boat! Thanks to their staff we had a great afternoon. Forsure we will be back! read more

The cook on the sport king fishing boat is arrogant, rude and does not understand customer service whatsoever. The captain likes to be little fisherman on what type of fishing poles and tackle they use and how they fish. These people don't get that we just paid good money to fish and just want to have good time. We paid to use whatever tackle we want and fish how we like. Also the the captain is cussing and yelling constantly, out of control read more

A buddy and I did a 3/4 day deep sea fishing trip on the Sport King on Saturday 7/25. We left at 6 AM and returned at 6:45 PM. After we paid the $65 fee, we enter the boat and are charged $2 for a bean sack bag to place your caught fish. Didn't think much of it at the time, but I would never have guessed this was a sign of more negative things to come about. As we depart, I can't help but notice we have 3 deckhands for the trip, I say the 1st guy was about 30-35 years old, the 2nd deckhand is about 16 years young, and the 3rd deckhand is literally about 12 years young. It was nice as the boat already had live bait ready to go so we would not have to stock up in harbor. As we're heading out, the youngest deckhand goes upstairs and knocks out on the upper deck staff only area. He sleeps until about 9:30 AM. They barely offer any help to passengers who need to prepare their fishing lines. As we riding on the rear of the boat to Catalina, we are told by regular fishermen that you have to fish out of your assigned # (which was on the side of the boat). Of the many fishing trips i've taken, never has it been assigned spot fishing...the spot you chose when you get on is the spot you fish out of for the rest of the day. Now my buddy and I are a little flustered about this but agree to go to our spot on the port side of the boat. I decide to grab a bite to eat because i'm feeling a little cranky. The cook tells me to come back in 20 minutes. I do this a total of 3 times before the cook tells me she'll call me when my food is ready. I give her no attitude because I know she's got a boat full of people to feed, so I respectfully give her her space. She does have a little attitude but to me it's not that big of a deal. As we cruise around Catalina, its now 10 AM and the Captain "Micromanager" finally finds a spot with yellowtail. After being on the boat for 4 hours with zero fishing, everyone claps and is ecstatic. Before we can drop our lines into the water, Captain Micromanager will not let the 16 year old deckhand drop bait into the bait side tanks until he give the approval. Everyone is waiting around and many were impatient because we should be able to bait our lines since we're stopped. I kind of give the deckhand a little attitude to drop bait, but he tells us its Captains order for him not to drop bait. It isn't until 20 minutes later I understand why he refused to drop bait, because Captain Micromanager is a freaking jerk with a loud mouth and temper!!! After cruising Catalina for 4 hours, Captain finally allows the deckhand to drop bait and off to the races we go. There are yellowtail everywhere and adrenaline is pumping throughout the boat. Captain Loudmouth (his 2nd nickname) is on the speaker yelling at the top of his lungs at everyone to drop their lines, where to cast, and how to fish to many of the non seasoned fishers. The whole time, he literally is on the speaker madly screaming at everyone, complimenting his return fishermen, and to a few extents, talking negatively to rookies. This is stuff you do not do to paying guests, degrade them!!! After fishing at the spot for about 25 minutes, Captain Micromanager tells us to pull in our lines, and heads to another spot. Only a few people caught yellowtail at this spot. We cruise for another 30 minutes again until we find our next spot. We drop anchor at our new spot, and the deckhand again is not allowed to fill the bait side tanks. Captain finally gives the orders and off to the races we go again. People start catching a few fish, and the deckhands gaffes to pull out the bigger fish. I am lucky to catch my 1st yellowtail at about 18". The deckhand gaffes my fish into the boat, and unlike every trip i've been on, the deckhand carries the fish to your bag. Throughout the whole trip, the deckhands off minimal help to rookie fishers. This goes on for the rest of the trip. I say out of the almost 13 hours we were on the boat, we only fished for about 3 hours maximum, the rest was cruising around for new spots. I know the majority of this post is negative, but it was my honest-to-God experience I had on the trip, as well as my buddies experience. I do have to give a few positive comments, I finally caught my first yellowtail as Captain strictly went strictly after the big catch areas, The oldest deckhand was extremely helpful educating beginners how to set up their lines, bait, and cast their lines. He taught me a few tricks and I was finally happy to see some kind of good customer service come about from this trip. Never will I put step foot onto this boat again! It's sad how I finally get to read all the reviews about this boat after my trip. Had my brain been smart enough to do this before the trip, I would have chose to been on another boat with friendly and professional staff, and a true Captain who wasn't a douche! read more

Saw some dolphins, seal and a whale (for about 5 seconds, as it dove when we saw it). At one point we were at a location where a fin whale had deep dove; according to the crew. We had been there about 20 min when the capt decided to leave. As the whale only stays submerged 40-45 minutes, I feel we should have waited for it to surface...as this is really what a whale watching tour is for. It is probable that the whale we glimpsed upon return was same whale rediving. If we had stayed, we would have had a good encounter. Oh well, it was a nice 2 hours on the water. read more