Great, educational tour that marked a bucket item off my list! We saw whales within the first 30 minutes, just beyond the bridge! Online it said there was only 1 seat left, but we called 415-480-2004 and talked to the captain, Joe! He took my info on the phone and both of us were on the manifest! The vessel was clean, staff were informative and kind. If you watch when you return to dock- the dog helps with the ropes!! Out of their control: we got lucky and the overcast day broke and we got a peek of the sun, even! :) It was an excellent experience and I would come back!! read more

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I loved everything about this tour. The crew was friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. If it was warmer that day, I would have given 10 stars. read more

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I wasn't sure what to expect, based on mixed reviews, but I've always wanted to do this so I bit the bullet. I read so much about people getting sick, but I didn't see any of that. I also saw a lot of people saying they didn't see any whales, but we saw four, in addition to a great many other animals like pelicans, sea birds, porpoise and more. I thought the entire crew was incredibly knowledgeable, personable and helpful. I would absolutely do this again. Word to the wise: even in the middle of summer, you need a fleece layer, a rain layer, gloves, a hat, warm socks, etc. You will get splashed if you're anywhere near the sides, and you don't want to freeze. I enjoyed this, especially all that we learned from Mike. I'm sure all their naturalists are great, but he was ours and he did a great job. I'm taking one star off for how much they padded our time. Our trip was supposed to be 12P-2:30P, and they told me to pick up my tickets at 11:30. I did that, and we still didn't board the boat until closer to 12:30P. I probably had a lot longer to explore the Wharf, and I could have done a lot of that in the hour I burned up waiting in line. This is an administrative thing that could easily be addressed to get back to five stars. read more

I read the reviews and saw the common theme was an over crowded boat. I find that surprising as our boat, the "Kitty Kat" was sold out. Yes we had to walk on a dock...to get to the boat...that was in the water...to watch sea life... not sure why that was previously complained about however, my family and I had no issues. Even though the boat may have been a little crowded everyone was very pleasant and would allow folks room to see. My one gripe was when we bought our tickets through Viatar the directions said meet at the pier at the gate. We went there and, thankfully, decided to walk around because we saw no one else ready to take the excursion. We actually had to trade our voucher for tickets at the booth which was a little ways away from the entrance gate. As other reviews pointed out, there is alot of sea life to be seen and there's alot of sea life not to be seen. Unfortunately, the Kitty Kat has no control over what surfaces and what doesn't. We were fortunate enough to see a humpback cruising around. We were more fortunate that the staff having superior knowledge of sea life and were great guides for our trip. read more

This could have been a wonderful experience, unfortunately it was rather miserable and I am pretty sure I will never do anything like it ever again. But since it wasn't really the company's fault, it was really hard to determine a rating. So we got our tickets from LivingSocial. It was a sweet deal and I was super excited. I felt well prepared, since the company gave good instructions via email (take Dramamine, wear layers, bring food and drink, bring waterproof jackets etc.) We got to the ticket booth on Pier 39 at 7:30 (the tour started at 8) and waited for a bit, then the biologist who accompanied our trip to the Farallones came and checked everybody in and took us to the boat, the "Kitty Kat". The captain greeted us on board and gave safety instructions. He also told us that usually about 1% of the people on board will get sea sick. We looked around, there were roughly 40+ people on board, so we felt quite safe :-) So, after everything was said, we left the harbor, passed the Golden Gate and headed into deep sea territory. It was nice and sunny, but quite bumpy (if you read this before you take this tour, make sure to bring a cushion, maybe also a blanket to sit on, because there are no cushioned seats, just plain, hard wood outside). One hour in my husband got violently sick. He was the first one on the boat and everybody felt sorry for him, handed us tissues, water etc. (later I learned that the other passengers thought "yessss... the 1% ratio has been fulfilled. I am safe" haha!). After another hour or so, nobody really cared anymore. Because I would say about 50% of the passengers on the boat threw up at least once. You could call this ride a six hour puke-fest. It was, as I said above, MISERABLE! At times there wasn't even enough room at the back railing for all the sick people to hang over. I kid you not! And when finally the captain called out that he had see two whales, I really didn't care anymore. I went to the side of the boat where they were supposed to swim, but I only saw some water fountains and I guess it could have been anything. Whale, schmale... Then I got back to the back railing and threw up again. OK, back to the good parts: the biologist was great, she knew EVERYTHING and was very helpful. The captain and the other crew member were also very nice and very respectful of the wildlife. The boat was clean and well maintained. So if after you read this, you still want to go, do it. But know that a.) you really have no guarantee to see whales and b.) the chance of getting sick is pretty high. I do not believe, that Dramamine or any other over the counter medicine is sufficient for this kind of trip. Get your doctor to prescribe you Scopolamine patch, that should hopefully do the trick. read more

We went out last Sunday and had a great day with quite a few sightings of humpback and blue whales and Risso's dolphins. The boat is very well maintained and CLEAN and I felt quite safe, the crew know what they are doing. I went prepared with Dramamine, ginger candy, peppermints and motion ease but luckily we didn't need it, my husband ended up sharing it with a few other seasick souls. Tips: It's frickin freezing out there, read their website and follow their tips and directions!!! We took a BIG thermos with hot water for cup of soup and coffee... and glad I did! I also took those hand warmers to put inside my gloves. The only negative I have is that the naturalist, although she had a loud voice, we still couldn't hear what she was saying over the noise of the boat, it would be great if they had a PA system for her like the captain has. ANd would have been nice to be a bit closer to the whales. This company is organized, their staff is knowledgeable and courteous. Wonderful days outing and I do recommend it. read more

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We saw 10 + gray whales and a bunch of Rizzos dolphins.. I had to change my reservation to another day and it was no problem. Our naturalist was fantastic...excellent .... read more

Take heed people, when the website says this is not a cruise around the bay, believe it. It is an extreme adventure and as I looked around the group at 730 am waiting to board the boat I was amazed to see people totally unprepared. It's like 60 degrees out and windy at 730 am and you're wearing a sweatshirt??!! Apparently reading the information provided to you on the site wasn't a high priority and as it turns out, it will cost you greatly. The captain, marine biologist and mariner on board were GREAT. Honestly, I can't say enough for how they handled the whole trip. I say this because It was a trying trip. It was veeerrryyyyy windy, there was steep swell, a lot of splash and wet. I'd say 2/3 of the people on board became violently seasick. We're talking projectile vomiting, mass moaning... I felt like I was on a boat with the plague at one point. Whether it was passing out ginger to soothe stomachs or keeping an upbeat attitude, that crew was doing their absolute best to help out this situation. The handful of us that were not sick, seemed to be enjoying ourselves the best we could under the circumstances. We saw 3 humpbacks, like 100 yards away, with the choppy seas I saw one breech barely. We saw Orcas right next to the boat. There were a number of birds, but I don't like bossy birds so I wasn't up on that information. Though there's no guarantee that you will see anything, that was the one thing that would of made this a 5 star experience, an abundance of sea life and maybe like a whale tale flops on the boat. and really that's not the tour's fault. My advice for when you go: BRING MORE GEAR AND DRAMAMINE THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED read more

Great trip!! We took the Kitty Kat boat out for our 2.5 hour trip. Cat was our Naturalist and she was super passionate and knowledgeable about every mammal in the ocean that we came across. We saw Harbor Porpoise, Sea Lions, Jellyfish, and plenty of birds. We went north and found a MINKE whale!!! They're super rare and the skipper was able to get us close enough for us to see the dorsal and blow hole. The whale was very friendly and playful with the boat! Fantastic!! Then we kept getting intel of different whale activity by the Golden Gate. So we sped back towards the bridge and found TWO humpbacks. We saw full spouts, breaching, and flukes all in the span of a few moments! After watching and searching for more activity, we spotted moon jellyfish aside our boat. As we were headed back to port, just west of Alcatraz TWO MORE humpbacks gave us a show. It was honestly the most incredible experience. I was not ready to get back on land by the end of the tour. 10/10 am going again this summer before I go back to school. Great great trip! Not too overcrowded when I went, but get ready for choppy waters and to get wet!!! read more

First of all I'd like to say that this is not a zoo it's the Pacific Ocean! All the people who complain that they didn't see enough animals, that is not the company's fault. It's the luck if the draw. Also, it's the open ocean, it can be rough. Don't go if you get sea sick!! Ok, I've always wanted to go to the farrallons and was so excited as we passed through the golden gate. This trip did not disappoint! We saw tons of seals, dolphins, birds. We had an amazing view of the islands. The crew was great and really sweet. Now, why did I only give three stars?... 1. For the price of the tickets, they should provide food and drinks. I've been on many different sea tours all over the world. Even the tours in Maui cost half as much as this one and includes lunch and drinks. I found that bring your own lunch for this price insulting. 2. We were supposed to be back at 2pm. I'm a planner and had other activities planned for that afternoon. I think due to the reviews that people didn't see whales we went chasing the allusive whale for three extra hours!!! We got back to the pier at 5pm! This really was too long, everyone was so over the experience. 3. It's nice they have a naturalist on board to answer questions. But Carol was annoying. She talked constantly and repeated herself over and over. I found out that the Golden Gate Bridge is a very famous bridge! Say what! She said this 15x as we went under. She also repeatedly said the wrong facts then had to look up in her book and correct herself. 8 hours of listening to her voice non stop was painful. We were all taking naps on the excruciating long ride back and she came and woke us up several times to ask us if we wanted to see the model (toy) whale she had. There needs to be balance of information and enjoying the experience. I really enjoyed the experience but these glaring points overshadowed the day. I would highly recommend this company make a few changes. read more

Not sure why this business has two different Yelp page but with pretty similar total stars. (This is just a repost from the other side) I've used SF Whale Tours 3 times already (Out of 4 trips to San Francisco), the only time I didn't use it was because my friends already book a whale tour in LA (and it was horrible, saw nothing). The first time was in 2014 summer. Saw a good amount of whales and plenty other animals but who am I kidding, we're all here for the whales. Did the full 5~ hours and got some good pictures in. There was a lady who led our trip, she was a doctorate student studying marine biology and she was super knowledgeable, walked around the ship taking questions, making sure everyone was having a great time, and making sure everyone knew what to look out for. The second was in 2015 winter. OMG, we saw easily 20-30 whales, its like we had a Disney princess of whales on board the small ship. it was ridiculous. I couldn't even finish taking one picture before another pops out. We even had one whale came super close to the ship. (by the way, their breathe is really bad). We had the same lady finishing her doctorate guide the tour and she was still great. The third was day 2017 winter. It started out quite disappointing, no whales, just birds, seals, and sea lions... But the crew brought us much further than what the tour included. We went to the Devils Teeth (suppose to be the $99 tour, we only paid $79). There were saw whales and everyone was significantly more excited. Returning, the crew took us to some extra minor areas to "make up for seeing too few whales." What a joke, the whale tour in LA just said, "too bad, bye!" when we didn't see a single thing. Ryan was our guide this time, while he wasn't as energetic as the lady was, he was equally knowledgeable. read more

The key to this experience is to have NO expectations and to stay home if you get sea sick. I had a fabulous time on this tour! We only saw 2 whales but being out on the bay and seeing the Farrllon Islands was a first for me and I've lived in Sonoma County practically my whole life. The Captain of the boat was confidant and concerned about safety and our comfort. There were plenty of people getting sick which was sad because you can't just get off the boat or anything. I took a dramamine and had a watch like device (loaned from a friend) that gave me some kind of tingly shock on my wrist to keep from getting sea sick. Didn't feel one bit sick. So people, if you are prone to sea sickness, and even if you're not, take some personal responsibility and do something ahead of time, those poor people were miserable. Ok, the absolute highlight of our trip was our "Whale Whisperer" Heather. She was our tour guide and is a student (I don't remember where she said she goes to school) but she should actually be a professor or a scientist, this woman was amazing!! The detailed information she gave us was phenomenal! Her knowledge about the SF Bay is amazing and extremely interesting. I could't wait for the words to come out of her mouth, oh and her enthusiasm for what we were seeing! She pointed out everything and my son (27 year old) and I loved it! She answered questions with incredible knowledge and spilled the information in easy to understand words, so even the kids could understand what she was talking about. She's studying plastics in the Bay and my hat is off to her for her work and love and concern for our ocean. We were actually having a hard time finding any whales and our captain was devoted to seeing some, so Heather brought out a conch shell and sent out a call for the whales to come, she went to each side of the boat and called for them..... and sure enough within minutes we saw one! Can't say enough about this incredible woman, what a gift of life! Note, this is an all day trip, you should NOT plan anything for the remainder of the day. Apparently there was a gentleman who had a flight out of SFO at 5:00 and was panicked that he wasn't going to make his flight. They say we'll be back around 2:00, but because we didn't see whales, the captain kept looking until we spotted some (Thank you!) . I don't know if this man made his flight or not, but he was pretty adamant that we needed to get back so he could. I strongly suggest that you be flexible, have zero expectations and remember that we are at the mercy of the luck gods (and whale whisperer shell) you might see a whale in the first hour or you might stay out an additional hour to see one, but to be on the ocean with the sea breeze in your face (it was cold) and an incredible personal Wikipedia named Heather, looking for whales and seeing really cool birds and porpoises , is an excellent day for me! I will do this trip again if it goes on groupon or living social. I loved it! Thank you! read more

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We had a great time on this tour 37 miles beyond the Golden Gate! I actually enjoyed even the bouncy ride out in the "Kitty Kat" (especially because I had taken my Dramamine). It was neat to see the big swells of the open sea. Along the way we saw a few sea lions, porpoises and birds, but once we got WAAY out there our guides spotted a humpback blowing half a mile away. The captain explained that we are not going to make the whales feel chased in any way, so we kept a respectful distance, monitoring the whales with sonar. But the whale came in closer to us and finally she started breaching! My hub said he stopped counting after 6 jumps. I wonder if she knew we wanted to say hello? It's really something to be so near to an intelligence like that! I felt that the crew was very professional and put the comfort of the wildlife first. Remember the crew has no control over what creatures you may encounter. While it is not necessary to tip, my husband and I put $30 in the box at the end. I think it shows class to tip generously! It is FLIPPIN' COLD out there! Read their website to help you prepare. Next time I will bring Rain pants to help me stay even warmer. Hat & gloves for sure! We were glad we had our thermos of tea and sandwiches. They have another tour that is just around the bay. I think for your money going all the way out is the way to go. read more

We took our trip on Friday October 6th and fortunately- the weather was beautiful and the seas were pretty calm. No sick people- no too cold.we also had the awesome experience of being in the Bay and waterway during Fleet Week. Lots of big ships and an air show from the water were part of our trip! The captain even took us around Alcatraz on our way back to port. We saw 2-3 whales- none breaching, lots of tails and backs. They are beautiful creatures and I really appreciated that the company is whale-wise and follow NOAA guidelines. Even if that means you don't get right up close- it means you are doing the right thing. Ryan the conservationist was great! If he didn't recognize a bird- he looked it up and shared information immediately with everyone. We saw jellyfish, whales, porpoise, sea lions, and lots of birds. My only "complaint" would be that I wish we would have gone out a little farther towards the Farallones. I think we could have seen more. However, I am a happy girl on the open sea and there is no room for complaining when you see beautiful whales! read more

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This trip is amazingly totally spectacular. We saw both blue and humpback whales. The humpbacks breached and did fin slaps and the blue whales did sounding dives so that you could see their tails! even when all you could see was their spouts and backs, it was wonderful to think that you were within 100 yards of the biggest creatures on the planet. I spotted a sea lion right next to the boat on the way out, and I also spotted the last spouting blue whale on the way back. When you spot a whale you actually yell THAR SHE BLOWS! The captain and Heather (the marine naturalist) were both very informative, enthusiastic, helpful, and very kind to anyone experiencing sea-related woes. And of course it's very important to take your seasick meds, even if you think you don't need it. It can be a choppy ride at times and even I felt a bit wiggly around the gills for a little bit, though I usually have an ironclad gut. The Captain and Heather both said they've had it happen, too. It can happen to anyone! Also dress even more warmly than you would think, and make certain you have a waterproof outer layer (jacket at least). Insider tip - there are seats on the edges of the boat and seats around an inner "square" where the life vests are kept. I'd recommend that you grab a seat on the back of the inner "square," not on the edges. Sure, you can't see as well but you'll stay drier and the boat stops whenever there's whales, anyway, giving everyone a chance to get to see them. Even though there were a few "cons" we all thought it was an amazing trip! I'll never forget it, and I'd definitely go again! read more

This trip was wonderful!!!! The captain, first mate and guide are incredibly fun and knowledgeable. We saw 32 different species of wild life including humpback whales, porpoises, and 5 varieties of sea lions and seals. We spent the entire, beautiful day at sea and loved every minute of it!! read more

Don't waste your money. I bought a 2 for 1 Groupon for this tour and it still was not worth the money. I have been on several whale watching cruises from Maine to Alaska and this was the worst. Yes we saw 1 whale way off in the distance and it only came up once, but most of the boat was too seasick to enjoy or even bother to get up to go see. I don't usually get seasick but I always take OTC meds (this time too) and even I was not feeling 100% The back of the boat was full of people throwing up, I felt sorry for them. The tour did a good job in letting you know in advance how to prepare for the weather, take their suggestions to heart and you will be fine temperature wise. As far as seeing wildlife goes, they love to list on their board everything seen on the cruise but look closely....it's mostly birds. Basically this is an overpriced boat ride out to sea with a bunch of sick people. The captain actually got on the loud speaker and in a round about way told people they wouldn't have gotten sick if they listened to thei tour's suggestion to take meds...well captain.... many of them did but still got sick. You should have a stronger warning on your site to suggest people get a prescription level medication for this trip. read more

This was the worst experience because they say its cruise but it was actually very small boat with so many people. It was so much overcrowded that we were literally standing in the middle of the boat. We could not get seats. The terrible thing that it is supposed to be whale watching and should have enough outer space so everybody can look the sea for whales. We literally had to tip toe and look over the shoulders of other people to catch a glimpse of whales. Plus I guess they did not take us to right part of the bay and there was not a single sight of whales. All the guests were so disappointed. The funny thing is that at the end of the trip they announced that 90% of the time you don't get to see whales.. I mean why don't you mention on your website so I know before I book this trip. It was waste of money and 2.5 hours which I could have spent on a better attraction. read more

The crew was very kind and informative. The boat was very comfortable in size without too many people like other tours we did. We saw a lot of whales the first hour. then we buzzed around the bay to see a variety of other awesome animals! read more

I'm only giving it two stars because the staff was fairly friendly and the views were spectacular. There needs to be a better explanation of what people can expect. Like a review mentioned earlier there was not enough space on the boat to get a decent look out in the ocean, the boat was very small there was maybe 20 people on it and not enough seats if everybody wanted to sit down inside the boat. Once the boat got going there was a lot of water and people getting wet at the back of the boat which would've been helpful to know ahead of time. We also did not see a whale, However I feel it would have been nice to get more information on the city or other wildlife in the ocean instead of getting minimal talk. Nausea was bad for one of our guests and another was puking in a bucket that remained inside the boat which seems horrible for all the passengers inside to have to smell that, not to mention for the person puking! If you want to be outside the whole time make sure to bring waterproof attire. Also try to get a spot near the front of the boat.Also make sure to place lifevest on people Who are uncomfortable in the water as some of the waves got big in the boat tumbled around at times. read more

Enjoyed this adventure very much. Everyone was very knowledgeable and a lot of information was given throughout the ride in and out to the destination. We saw 4 whales that day lots of birds and some porpoises. Be warned. If you are looking for a fancy boat this is not it. If you think that at times the waves won't be bad- don't go and then complain. It is a very educational and eye opening experience. I am happy to have had the experience with people who love what they do to help educate people as to what is happening in our world. Thanks to all involved! read more

My friend and I purchased a groupon for this Whale Watching tour. I wouldnt say i was displeased or disapointed but I give this a low rating because i think it is very important to be prepared and fully know what you are in for if you sign up for this. I dont feel like i was mislead and i did read a bunch of other reviews before I went so i do think i was prepared but at the same time even though i was ready for the experience i still just dont think it was worth my time and uncomfort and money (this is expensive!). First off it is FREEZING like literally FREEZING out there... i was well dressed in lots of warm clothes so i was ok but be prepared... people aren't kidding when they say how cold it is. ski jacket, ski mask, hat, hand warmers, boots, long undewear.. WEAR IT ALL... (I am from Wisconsin and i though it was cold i'm not one of these Cali people who can't handle weather) Secondly, the water is ROUGH i took dramamine an hour in advance and had ginger gum ect. so i was ready for rough waters and i didnt get sick at all nor did i see anyone on the boat get sick, but again be prepared this can/will happen if your not prepared. So all that said if you do like a day of being freezing cold and having to prep urself to potentially get sick and all for the promise of seeing MAYBE a humpback whale for tops of 15 min. while you spend 8 hours miserable then by all means go for it. If your more practical i suggest just waiting to whale watch until you go to Mexico or Hawaii where conditions would be far more pleasant and enjoy other thigns in San Francisco/Bay area and NOT this. read more

We have been on many whale watching tours in the past in Cape Cod. This tour was NOTHING like the Cape Cod tours. First, there is a sizable walk on a floating dock to get to the boat. If you are disabled in any way, you will find the walk difficult. Second, the boat had at least twice the amount of people it should have had aboard. It was impossible to move around the boat with so many people. The seating layout added to the congestion and made moving back and forth even more difficult. Third, they took us out just after the golden gate bridge and spent an hour and half chasing two whales. The two humbacks we saw (chased) we're not nearly as active as the humpbacks we are used to seeing on Cape Cod, my guess is that these poor animals swimming in shipping lanes probably spend more time trying to avoid ships than anything else. Lastly, all whale watching tours pretend to be "naturalists" or "scientists", but these guys spent a lot of time chasing these animals in circles, clearly not caring at all about their well-being. Oh, and the "naturalist" aboard named Sydney, yapped the entire time; perhaps she was trying to convince us that she was actually some sort of scientist studying the whales. read more

This review is for the SF Bay Whale Watching Wildlife Eco-tour at https://www.zerve.com/SFBayWhale/EcoTour. There are other companies who do whale watching tours, but this review is for my experience with the aforementioned company. Anyways, what I have to say is save your money! This is definitely not worth your money. You'll have a better time admiring the seals at Pier 39 (when they are there). I bought a pair of tickets for my dad to enjoy for Father's Day and they came back quite unhappy about the trip. This trip is titled "SF Bay Whale Watching," but what they fail to tell you is that you "see" the "whales" from like a mile away. Yes, the distance between the whales and boat needs to be kept to protect the whales, but the fact is you cannot see anything! And by the time you use your binoculars, the whales are gone. While it not the company's fault for either, I feel like the company name and their website are misleading you to think you will see lots and lots of wildlife on the "whale watching" tour of the Bay. My dad did not see much wildlife at all and he was pretty disappointed with the trip. Also, the boat on the water is very rocky and many people spent their time barfing up their breakfast so this trip is definitely not for people who like to keep their food down. When it comes down to it, this is just a boat ride around the Bay with a naturalist telling you about animals on a rocky boat. Save your money and your time and don't regret your purchase like I do. read more

So here's the real deal with this tour. Let me start with the positives and I'll get too why I didn't give it a full 5. The crew are incredibly friendly and eager to find you wildlife to see. The biologist on board is super informative and pleasant to listen too (she narrates as you watch the animals and talks throuout on and off). We were lucky because hour one we saw quite a few whales, one of which came really close to the boat! From there we went to the Farralon island which were to be honest a little boring, last minute our captain got word of a super Pod of dolphins and the crew took us an additional 7 miles out to see them. Well, well worth it, the Dolphins were playful and swam right up to the boat jumping out of the water and amusing us all. It was an amazing sight to see. From there we went back to the Farralon islands and hung out there for what seemed like a long time really looking at nothing. Then the long ride back. So here are my negatives and warnings for future prospectors. The trip is LONG and it says 6 hours but it was more like 8. The boat is ridiculously uncomfortable, pretty much just wooden benches and boxes to sit on. No substantial food or drink is served so be prepared for a potentially 8 hour excursion and plan your food accordingly. The trip is honestly too long. Don't get me wrong it was amazing, but by hour 5 and 6 your starting to get over it. There's a TON of down time. All in all we probly saw about 1.5 hours worth of animals (if u add it all up) and the rest of the time is just sitting on an uncomfortable boat for hours. So here are my tips. Dress warm. Bring plenty of food. Bring cushions for the seats. Bring Dramamine (we were ok but a few ppl got sea sick and they seemed pretty miserable) and be prepared for a lot of downtime. However, too leave off on a good note I must reiterate again how amazing it was to see the dolphins and how much we appreciated the crew going out the extra 7 miles so we could see the dolphin pod. They also have a guarantee where if you don't see any whales your next trip is free so that's a nice security to have. I do recommend over all, it was beautiful- just be prepared!!!! :) read more

Jake and Ryan were great! Very knowledgeable and friendly. We were fortunate to come across several whales just past the Golden Gate bridge but - the dislike about this trip was that the boat was way oversold. People were jammed in so tight you could barely move and when we did see the whales, everyone ran to the side of the boat they were on and the short people in the back of the crowd didn't get to see anything. What could have been a fantastic trip, was very disappointing due to the overselling of the boat. I will book another company with a smaller boat next trip. read more

We just got back from the 12/28/14 tour... And had a great time... We also got some amazing shots of gray whales ... Luckily we had a long zoom lens on our DSLR so catching these moments were amazing but if you rely on your camera phone or basic camera then just enjoy the ride and sights abs long distance shots... The crew was amazing... Carol is a wealth of knowledge... Tons of bay porpoises on or way back... Unfortunately a dead juvenile mola mola... Tons of whales and tons of birds... As for seals... Sea lions and elephant seals were didn't see them till we got home and looked at our camera pics and realized they are all on Farallon Islands just banking away.... It was very clear abs sunny day. . extremely cold... Swells were not bad at all... Left at low tide and came back on high tide... Many aboard got sea sickness .. I recommend bringing hard candy to suck on... Ginger candy is what is recommended but we did fine with blow pops and candy. . don't eat too heavy... Bring crackers and sprite andhonestly. Dress in layers... Bring water proof jacket and gloves... And honestly just enjoy and take it all in... Sediment doing this again... Thank you Kitty Kat crew and Carol the marine scientist... You guys rocked read more

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We had a great trip on the Kitty Kat this week! The Captain and Heather (the marine expert) were really helpful and informative, and the Farallones were beautiful. BTW, read the reviews about appropriate gear! It was warm in SF before we left, but cold and wet out in the ocean. People wearing cotton sweats were *not* having as good a time. read more

Please DO take some pills befor e you go on a trip. I used to take a lot of trips growing up on my uncle's boat and never ever got seasick, so I was pretty sure I'd be just fine. But that was not the case. First to go was my husband (half of the boat was already vomiting, sorry), I just looked at him and saw he wasn't well. I asked the biologist for smth and she gave me ginger candy. It seemed to help him a little. At least, he didn't end up being stuck for 15 mins in the WC like me. It's a terrible feeling, right after I was done in WC, I was fine for 20 mins and then it started again. Mama Mia! I just decided to get inside (even though it feels worse there) and try to fall asleep... and I did until the moment Captain screamed as we were sinking that there was a whale! I wasn't completely awaken and ran into the captain's cabin, they politely kicked me out from there. I returned back and saw a whale's back through the window. They said it was a blue whale. Then, we were waiting to see more whales for about 20-30 mins, but we didn't. The captain coudn't stop talking how lucky we were to meet a blue whale, that it was a good luck and so on. Honestly, I got annoyed. I was not happy to glance at whale's back after making this several-hour exosting trip.I understand, it's nature: whales will not jump around and juggle just because we came. I'm just saying that you have to be lucky to see them. Don't count on much. I understand, it's nature: whales will not jump around and juggle just because we came. I'm just saying that you have to be lucky to see them. Don't count on much.Then, we headed back. Way back was good and fast. Put aside seasickness... I can't say, I'd enjoyed the trip. The fun part ends when you pass the GG Bridge and light house. Then, it's a plain trip with nothing to see, but some random birds (which I have no interest in, you can observe them from any Bay coast) and sea lions (you'll see them from very far away, better go to Pier 39). The main dissapointment came when Captain announced we were not going to Farallon Islands due to weather conditions. I was so hoping to get there just to see them with my own eyes, that's why I took this specific tour, not some other whale watching adventure! It had a special meaning for me... Don't get me wrong, I loved the crew. Everybody was super nice and knowing what they were doing. Captain was sympathizing all of us - sick people - the whole trip. Biologist lady was doing her best to help. The boat was nice and clean. It's just that the whole thing was not worth even my only day off, not talking about the money. I'm not new to this kind of activity (I go places and seek for new stuff all the time), so maybe that's why I didn't find it interesting? Idk. It might work for somebody, though. Give it a try. Just be aware. P.S. There were a few kids on the boat and ALL of them got terribly seasick. Dear parents don't torture your children, get some pills if you decided to go. read more

We had a beautiful morning on the bay with Captain Joe of the Kitty Kat and mates/educators Kiera and Alex. Saw my first grey whale! So cool! Learned a lot of marine biology too! read more

How good excursion went bad;( First - great tour guide/biologist with great attitude and knowledge (5 stars for her). Second - the boat is too small/wrong type making rotational moves resulting to 1/4 - 1/3 people getting people severely seasick in the first hour, including my wife (minus 10 stars). Horrible trip experience for the remaining 6 hours ruining every one else's enthusiasm. Third - we saw good wildlife' hump backs, seals, birds, mola molas, sharks (plus 4 stars). read more

This was a amazing experience to so whales in their environment, the Captain and his first hand are amazing and very friendly while we were out at sea. The best part was that you can tell that they enjoy as much as the customer watching whales they love their jobs which says a lot. We did manages to see 3 whales one jump out of the water and other two showed their flukes(tails) which was awesome. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see whales for the first time. Also you go very far out from the San Fransisco bay, wear jackets, gloves, don't eat either rough waters are ahead with this whale adventures. read more

The staff was the best part of the tour, very friendly, pleasant and knowledgeable. We booked the Gulf of Farallones Whale Watching Excusion and our vessel was the happy days. The boat felt small and was extremely uncomfortable, there is very limited seating inside and it was particularly cold out even with layers of clothing on so some people awkwardly stood inside because there was no place to sit. I honestly feel like they should emphasize a likely possibility of becoming seasick on their website when booking the trip. Out of the 39 people on the boat I saw at least 12 people vomit repeatedly, including myself (only once though thankfully) because of motion sickness and that does not include if more people in the front of the boat became ill because I was mainly at the back of the boat and/or inside. I took Dramamine after throwing up and that sort of helped but it seemed kind of excessive for that many people to become ill. A couple of people continuously threw up in the trashcan inside the cabin even though an employee asked them to do it over the rail into the ocean to avoid creating a putrid smell for the rest of us sitting down. And the bathroom became clogged a couple of times as well. We saw one whale for a fleeting second and one more whale for a bit longer which I understand is not their fault but just kind of didn't feel worth getting sick over. We did encounter a swarm of very cute sea lions. I should mention I have been on boats to alcatraz or around the SF bay and have never been seasick but this was the smallest vessel out of all of those excursions. Ultimately, I would not recommend or return to this particular whale tour. read more

My cousin and I went on this tour on Labor Day and it was great! The crew was so friendly and really made our trip enjoyable. It is clear they love what they do and they are very knowledgable. We saw a ton of birds, porpoises, sea lions and toward the end finally saw 3 whales! The captain took the boat toward the whales as soon as we spotted them to make sure everyone had a great view. Beware of one unavoidable annoyance- when you near the farallon island flies will literally engulf the boat and cover you! It's unavoidable and annoying but the crew killed them as best they could. Definitely recommend a ride on "the kitty kat" for a good day at sea. read more

This was great. I bought the groupon on a whim I went on an eco tour of the Bay, and as a native I still had a lot to learn! The staff was informative and very friendly. We saw seals pop their heads up, sea lions and lots of birds. This trip made me want to take their whale watching tour. Please note it is FREEZING no matter when you go. There are also big swells, so if you get motion sickness prepare for that. You can also bring lunch and a hot thermos which is awesome. read more

My boyfriend and I had traveled a couple of hours and planned a month in advance and paid for hotel stay only to have the excursion (11/15) canceled the morning of. I understand that weather was the reason for the cancelation but I felt the company didn't make any efforts to show any sincerity towards the inconvenience this caused many of their disappointed customers. This trip was a present for my birthday. So disappointed. read more

I had similar experiences of all the negative ones before. No whales for seven hours, too long, too miserable. After seven hours on the sea, 41 miles from the dock, we saw a whale far away. It was difficult to detect. By that time, nobody really cared anymore anyway. Everyone wanted to go home hours ago. It felt like the company needed to get a whale in so they didn't have to give out a bunch of "whale-less" passes. Many people were sick and the company said repeatedly that they "empathized deeply" but they still made several elaborate detours, which kept us on the water even longer, in order to see a dolphin or keep desperately looking for whales. I wish I'd read the reviews before going, I wouldn't have spent over $100 on a ticket. Find one that stays around the bay and that has beer. read more

Not a good experience. The trip was long, cold, and most of the people on the boat were projectile vomiting. There wasn't a place that you were safe from having the vomit get on you. The motor was loud and you couldn't really even talk to the person beside you. We did not see any whales, although if we had, people were too sick to care. On the bright side, we saw dolphins, puffins, albatross, and a shard fin. All from pretty far away. I think the company could do a much better job of preparing people for the temps and motion sickness. They did offer us a free tour since we didn't see any whales but you would have to pay me to go back out there. read more

Save your money. Too many people on board to even get glimpse. The whales breached several times but we never got to see it happen. The crew said they would turn the boat so everyone could see, but that never happened. We seemed to be on the opposite side of the boat when the whales would breach. They didn't provide any meals. Which made it hard for us being out of town and staying in a hotel without a refrigerator. There were snacks, but you had to purchase them. There were absolutely no accommodations for the people who were horribly sea sick. People were getting sick all around us, and some people ended up with it on their clothes from other people. It made the trip absolutely miserable for those of us who weren't sea sick. read more

We took the 6 hour $100 tour. Day started off well. The first hour we made our way out of the bay and the weather was nice. However, It seemed that either the capt and/or crew claimed they saw whales 500 yards from the boat a couple times. We would all jump up but no one saw anything. Then we continued to make our way to the islands. We didn't get far because the waves were getting too rough and at least 10 people started getting really sick including myself. As a positive the capt decided to turn around and head back to the bay because of the weather. I'm not saying people getting sick or the weather was the crews fault. I'm saying they faked call out whale sighting just to avoid having to get everyone a rain check for another whale watching tour. read more