The Captain, Naturalist, crew and snack bar staff, and ticket area folks were great. I went out on…read morethe Sunset Whale Watch trip and we saw large pods of dolphins. There were many babies jumping with their moms. As many times as I have gone whale watching I still love learning new things. The Naturalist talked about how really young dolphins don't know where their blow holes are located. When the little cute babies jump out of the water they leap very high so they are sure to get their blow holes clear to breathe!

On 06/19/26, we took the 9 am excursion. Listen to this…read moreadvice..... Upgrade to "THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE "!!! You will not regret it. It will accommodate up to 6 in your group. My Husband and I got in line early to check in. We saw the opportunity to upgrade and we took it! He and I had the whole outside of the Captain's deck all to ourselves! My Husband got to fulfill his childhood dream of whale watching and boy did we see some beautiful wildlife! We saw majestic whales, dolphins, birds, sea lions, and while waiting in line to board, fish and stingrays. I got really seasick and the crew there were so kind to me...they kept checking on me, bringing me bags, peppermints and water. Allison, the wildlife narrator, was especially kind. She was also very knowledgeable and her enthusiasm to educate the public about the local wildlife was evident from the beginning! There was also a very attentive young lady crew member that would often see if we needed anything. She also kept bringing me mints, water and bags...she was even kind enough to throw away my full bag. That takes a special kind of humanity to discretely do that. There was a crew member with a beard who also checked on us. I was so seasick by that point that I failed to get their names, but I hope someone lets them know how much I appreciated their hospitality. The star of the show, of course, was Captain Mike! He came out and talked to us and as he was talking to us about his job, we could hear the sincere passion in his voice! He perfectly plotted our trip and made sure that everyone was able to have a great view of the wildlife. We were impressed by how much love and respect the crew members had for the wildlife and the ecosystem. Captain Mike spotted a Mylar balloon, stopped the engine and the team picked it up! I'm sure a beautiful sea creature was saved that day! Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity we had today! This experience is definitely going in the books!!!

The best and most amazing while watching an experience ever. It was my first, lol…read more.. We found this place on Groupon, and the price was beyond reasonable, I loved every minute of it. The staff was very friendly, and overall the experience was just mind blowing as we saw a five gray whales and now we are in the 1% lol...

You do not want to be stuck on a boat for hours (or days) with Seaforth's inexperienced and…read moreunbearable crews--their large and FRAGILE egos leave little to no room for passengers, fun, or fish. There is a reason Seaforth Sportfishing has 2 Yelp accounts that BOTH have BAD RATINGS (they attempted to make a second Yelp account to improve ratings and failed)! Look at ANY OTHER FISHING CHARTER's ratings and DON'T GO WITH SEAFORTH!!!

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!

It has been over seven years since my previous review. Why the loss of one star? My grading scale…read morehas become much tougher. These folks are really good. Same great service but more good times. The Mission Belle is now owned by Cameron with same great adventures. Ok, have not fished the American Angler recently and that is my fault and maybe why the loss of a star. But sure as heck I am going to get on an Adam with the New LoAnn and Blufin Jim and the Vegabond. When going to Point Loma's Tackle Shop, Goat and his 50 years there is truly remarkable.

I caught my limit of rock fish and a yellow tail at the end of the trip .The deck hands were…read morehelpful and explained how to drop a yo-yo jigs,overall I enjoyed the trip and would consider going back. Oh and the mission belle was very clean and had plenty of room. The captain never gave up on the tuna !!

We took this ferry over to spend the day on Coronado island…read more There are two options - a short route you get on at the convention center or a longer where you get on around the Midway. You can buy tickets on an app or purchase them on site. It is $9 a trip. The ferry has an outside option and an inside option. We sat on top one ride, inside the other. Super easy and convenient way to get over to.Coronado plus plenty of picture opportunities of the San Diego skyline.

We did the bottomless brunch, and overall it was a fun one-time experience, but at $150, it…read moredefinitely felt a bit steep. The brunch includes buffet-style food and bottomless mimosas. I had about four mimosas in the time, and the food was decent, though I didn't get to fully enjoy it because I went upstairs to check out the deck and came back to find my untouched plate had already been cleared. That said, the staff was friendly and the views were beautiful. The boat mainly does a loop around the water.

This is a fishing story. It could have been a "fish story," but because not everyone appreciates a…read morewell-crafted lie, I'll say instead that Captain John Grim consistently provides expert guided fishing excursions on San Diego Bay, at an affordable price. Captain Grim, whose name belies his genial wit and demeanor, is an interesting man of many talents and qualifications: a charter captain, certified and licensed by the Coast Guard, he is also a dentist who retired in 2003 but who continues to sub for colleagues that need the backup. Over the past 15 years, Captain Grim, or "Doc," as I call him, has mastered two difficult skills: fishing with strangers, and teaching others how to fish. Though he personally prefers fly casting, Doc is happy to guide spin-casters from one end of the Bay to the other. Some folks ask: why spend hundreds of dollars for a guided trip, when you can fish from a party boat for a fraction of the cost? But the question poses a false dichotomy. The alternative to paying a guide isn't saving a few bucks by fishing with dozens of drunken anglers who will shout, vomit, foul your line and otherwise ruin your day. It is to buy a boat, committing time and treasure to its upkeep, just so you can fish in peace. Guides are cheaper, and they clean the boat. There are all sorts of guides. A common complaint about the bad ones is that, whether through inattention or a desire to save on gas, they'll anchor at a spot, then loiter till the fish show up. Doc, being a good guide, either puts his clients on the fish, or, once they've worked a spot for a few minutes without success (or fished out an active one), moves the damned boat. He is also willing to take requests: Doc knows that I love to fish the edge of the saltponds, at the mouth of the Otay River where it spills into the South San Diego Bay Unit of the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Fish, especially bonefish, gather there, as do blue heron and other water birds, and I'm enthralled by the splendid blue-hued morning views from the water, and the marsh's sweet vegetal breath. Running that far south costs Doc extra gas, yet he indulges me, and I am always grateful. His boat, the "Salty Doc," is a 22' Scout Center Console T-top, propelled by a Yamaha 150 outboard. It's equipped with a bait tank, trolling motor, up-to-date electronics, conveniently-placed rod holders (rods, reels and lures are provided) and comfortable seats fore and aft that make it an ideal platform from which to fish. I've fished with Doc several times. He has taught me about the Bay and about my own equipment, and he's been a good host to me and my friends. In April 2015, Doc guided me and my brother-in-law, Eli, to this pleasant day of fishing: - Starting South, by the NWR, Doc showed us how to fish the wreck near the salt works. We caught and released several Spotted Bay Bass. - Moving slowly counterclockwise, we worked the pilings at Chula Vista Marina at CV Harbor, which some call the "J Street Marina;" and then the rocks protecting Bayside Park. - Still "in" Chula Vista, we fished the entrance to Marine Group Boat Works at G St. The location provided a nice arrangement of fishable structure, and a view of pretty boats, too, but on that day, few fish. - We continued to the front of Sweetwater Marsh (another unit of the NWR), and into the mouth of the Sweetwater River at Pepper Park, where we picked up more spotties. - Crossing the Bay, we fished the flats near Loews Coronado Bay Resort, drifting east and south to the Coronado Cays Yacht Club. We admired more pretty boats, but seeing no action, we moved north, to the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. - Because it's illegal to anchor or tie up under the bridge, Doc started us up-current, then drifted through the pylons, fishing along the way. Changing lures, we landed more species here, including Mackerel and Corvina. - After a dozen drifts, we crossed to Tuna Harbor, where we entertained tourists with our casting skills as we bounced lures off the hulls of working boats, and Eli caught the biggest bass of the day. - Finally, we shifted to just west of Island Prime/C Level, then drifted east, a pattern that frequently yields excellent halibut bites. But our tide had slackened and put the fish to sleep, so fishing was futile. As we made a last pass before returning to shore, I directed Eli's attention overhead, to C Level's elegant lunch crowd. The restaurant's female diners seemed unaware of our presence, but several men, ignoring their plates and companions, watched our progress with jealous enthusiasm. Those men were right to feel bad. There is no lunch better than a day of fishing with Captain John Grim, on the "Salty Doc." Honest. ****************************** National Wildlife Refuge - San Diego Bay: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/san_diego_bay/ C Level: https://www.yelp.com/biz/c-level-san-diego?hrid=zqJWeOALYEV0F1RONR4z5w Island Prime: http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/islandprime

Booked this boat for the San Diego Boat parade , Dec14 event. I booked a month in advance. I…read morechecked weekly to make sure the event /charter was going to happen. I booked flights and hotel rooms for friends and family. As time approached the Friday before the event on Sunday the charter was still happening. Well then on Sat the day before the event, the charter company CANCELLED the charter, due to low ticket sales, refund was issued. However, now it is too late to cancel my hotel rooms! So, I am very disappointed in my experience and the money that I spent to attend this event, only to have the charter company C

Avoid this company at all costs!…read more We flew down to San Diego from Oregon to have a special Valentine's day/anniversary. Booked a sunset cruise on the Chere Amie. We got onboard at 4:30, cruise was scheduled to depart at 5. 5:45 rolls around, we're still at the dock. I happened to overhear a couple crew members talking to each other. They said there was engine trouble, and the cruise wasn't going to happen. No announcement was ever made. Word just slowly circulated throughout the guests, as the crew encouraged people to keep buying their overpriced drinks. I got in the back of the long bar line, to close out my tab, for the one drink I was able to purchase in the hour and a half I had been onboard. The bar tender continually and consistently blew off the long line of people patiently waiting, in order to serve people who ignored the line and just walked right up to the bar. After about 35 minutes, I was finally being helped, and while I usually tip far more than most, I declined to give her a tip. When she saw that, she started cussing me out. Even as I walked down the dock, away from the janky boat, she was still yelling obscenities at me. I hadn't raised my voice, or said anything rude. I don't know if she was drunk, or just unhappy with her life, but either way, her behavior was extremely unprofessional. None of the crew offered apologies or explanations as we left, just mumbled that I'd be refunded. So, there we were, at 7pm on Valentine's day, trying to find an activity that wasn't booked up or sold out. It was extremely frustrating. So, if you want a "cruise" that doesn't leave the dock, with an inconsiderate crew and hostile bartender, the Chere Amie is the boat for you!

Wonderful morning on the water. Staff was communicative and helpful in moving us to another time…read morewhen the weather forecast looked bad for our scheduled day. Great information during the cruise. Would have been fabulous even if we hadn't seen whales, which we did. Would definitely do it again next time we are in San Diego.

The main reason we booked this particular trip was because we wanted to bring our dogs along. Our 2…read moredogs were welcomed (at no extra cost). One of the deck hands immediately brought over a bottle of water for our dogs (we brought our own collapsible bowl). The ship and the tour were outstanding! I have been on several whale watching tours and never really saw whales nor was I expecting to see any on this trip. However, we did see a couple whales and pods of dolphins. Not only was our trip personally narrated by the young lady (sorry I did not get her name) giving a bit of a history, lesson, pointing out landmarks, and pointing out that we can see Mexico. She also took videos of the whales and the dolphins as she knew where and what to look for. She also had better access to parts of the ship that we did not. At the end of the tour, she airdropped them to our phones (for free) what a great service! Although chips and snacks were passed out during the trip, several people brought their own lunches. The ship itself was gorgeous, clean and very roomy. It never felt crowded.