Monterey & Carmel

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Monterey Whale Watching Tour

Badge of ExcellenceMonterey & Carmel, USA

2 to 3 hours
Offered in: English

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Overview

With a 99% success rate, this is how you up your odds of seeing whales on your visit to Monterey. Onboard one of the industry’s most comfortable boats, you’ll float out to a protected sanctuary to view humpback whales, gray whales, blue whales, killer whales, sperm whales, and other wild creatures, including dolphins, sea turtles, sea lions, otters, and more.

Get out on the water to experience Monterey's wildlife in their natural habitat
Onboard naturalists and marine biologists deepen your knowledge and experience
See whales, dolphins, and more beloved creatures of the Pacific
Multiple decks and indoor/outdoor options for increased comfort

What's Included

Restroom on board

We cannot take kids under 3 or pregnant women on our trips
Soda/Pop
Coffee and/or Tea
Snacks
VIP upper deck seating optional upgrade $20 per person at check in if space is available

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

96 Fishermans Wharf, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
PARKING INSTURCTIONS-GPS ADDRESSES TO PARKING AREAS WATERFRONT LOT 245 WASHINGTON ST. MONTEREY HERITAGE HARBOR PARKING GARAGE 99 PACIFIC ST. MONTEREY You will walk down the wharf with the shops and restaurants, we are the yellow building toward the end of the wharf.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Monterey Bay

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Most travelers can participate
Can not take children under 3 years of age
Can not take pregnant women on our trips
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 140 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Charlene_G

Excellent. We've never seen so many whales, dolphins and sea lions. The captain knew exactly where they had been seen and took us there. Then explored until he found more. Crew was friendly and attentive. Naturalust onboard gave us tons of information. We had an exciting day.

Reviews

4.5

260 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 260 reviews

Still pretty Cold in early May

KIMBERLY_A, May 2024

This was a great trip. The whales were not really showing out for us but it was still amazing. The weather was very cold (early May) but the crew was very accommodating. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, seals, and otters

Outstanding adventure

Michal_L, May 2024

This was an amazing opportunity to experience the great wonders of God’s creation. The captain aggressively went after the spouts and we saw humpback whales and common dolphins. The crew was knowledgeable and the onboard naturalist shared amazing facts about the creatures that we were seeing. We had the best time!

Solid three hour whale watching tour.

Robert_L, Apr 2024

We saw quite a few whales, maybe 5-6 different whales, with some very close encounters to the boat. The crew was nice and friendly, the only thing I didn’t like and didn’t find out until I got on the boat was that there was an up charge of $20 of you wanted access to the top deck of the boat. This felt very tacky and nothing I’ve ever seen on other boats.

seeing all the whales,...

Jessenia_B, Apr 2024

seeing all the whales, and a beautiful sea otter swimming in the middle of the ocean. Due to the fact that a lot of whales were around us it made me feel sea sick but the experience was worthed.

Whales Up Close

Denise_E, Apr 2024

The captain and crew were friendly and knowledgeable. They took us to a great location where a pod of Humpbacks were feeding. There were at least 5 whales with dozens of sea lions and scores of sea birds of many varieties feeding as well. The captain kept moving the boat so everyone could get a clear view. We stayed with the pod for about an hour. The best part was on the return journey, A humpback was spotted about a mile away breaching. Even though our tour was over, the captain turned the boat and went after them. We were able to get close. It was a mother and her calf. The mother breached close to boat. We then returned to the dock. I have been on other whale watching tours and this is the best one.

Exciting day

Charlene_G, Apr 2024

Skeptics no more

Kristen_L, Apr 2024

Not having seen whales before, we were a bit skeptical and figured it’d be a harbor cruise full of seals. Boy were we wrong! We took the 9am boat out and about 15mins into the trip we saw our first indication of activity. From there it was nonstop Humpback action. We didn’t get a full breach, but we saw plenty of dorsal slaps and fluke smacks. The lead naturalist and expert, provided commentary/sighting directions throughout the trip. We were all pleasantly surprised by the end of it and would go out on the Princess Monterrey trip 100 times over.

Great Whale Watching Tour

James_B, Apr 2024

We had so much fun! We saw 6 to 8 Humpback whales, a harbor porpoise, harbor seals, an otter, and various sea birds. We saw these little things on the water closely related to the man of war, but can't remember the name of them.The captain, crew, and narrator were great. Beautiful day and pretty calm seas.

Wow!

Julia_E, Mar 2024

What an amazing experience to get closer to the whales! We saw humpback and gray whales, risso dolphins, tons of birds, and sea lions. The crew members were very friendly and available to answer any questions. They check on you if you are feeling seasick and offer ways to make you most comfortable. They even offered free ginger tablets to help decrease my nausea. The speaker gave great info on all the marine life throughout the tour. The tour we went on was supposed to be 2 hours but it took almost 3. The crew made good efforts at finding whales. The vessel was very clean and comfortable. Lots of seating around the boat, as well as seats inside that are sheltered from the wind.

Total barfarama

Melinda_S, Mar 2024

Me and my husband vomiting the whole time the water was so choppy I feel like the ride should have been cancelled. When we were first got there they considered cancelling they should have. There was multiple people getting sick every where .

The "guide" was very...

Michelle_H, Mar 2024

The "guide" was very educational and helpful and ensured that everyone clearly knew where to look to catch every whale sighting!

Captain, there be whales here!

Thomas, Mar 2024

Great trip! We saw many whales and a myriad if dolphins. The narration was informative. We had a perfect trip.

Fantastic!

Andrea_W, Mar 2024

The captain and the naturalist were amazing… so patient to ensure the passengers had a great experience!!

Great Activity if not for the sea sickness

Will_Z, Mar 2024

Great crew and boat! We got to see Grey and Humpback Whales as well as Sea Otters. The vessel was clean and boarding process was easy. A couple of suggestions to anyone taking this trip. I would HIGHLY recommend taking Dramamine. I have never been sea sick in the past but was feeling pretty poorly on the trip. This impacted all of my party and the majority of the boat. If the operators are reading this, I would suggest you also make that recommendation given that when on the boat the crew reiterated several times where to throw up (clearly sea sickness is common). I would also not bother with the "VIP" upgrade personally since we actually got better views of the whales on the lower deck and the upper deck did not help with the sea sickness.

we want to do it again!!!

Susanne_B, Mar 2024

Being with family and sharing the same experience. It was the first time for all of us, we were celebrating our daughters birthday and this was her present. Also the weather was perfect!!

Fun!

Stacey_C, Feb 2024

The day was beautiful! We saw several gray whales from a good distance; happy we didn’t disturb them. The staff were informative and engaging. We were surprised to experience seasickness which put a damper on our experience.

Rough seas!

Stacy_F, Feb 2024

The water was so rough, half the people were throwing up. I know it's hard to cancel a tour but after the first hour I didnt enjoy it. It was a little disappointing. I was glad we got back a little early.

Best Experience of My Life

Deborah_C, Feb 2024

Best experience of my life. We actually saw whales but the best part was ion our way back to Monterey a large family of dolphins - about 20 swimming in unison. Magical moment. Also the crew was fantastic. I had a little problem in the parking lot and with my rental car which caused me to arrive right at departure time. They were so kind. They waited for me to hobble all the way to the boat. Wonderful and kind crew.

Lots of sea life to see. Not just whales

Michael_B, Jan 2024

We saw an array of different sea life including dolphins, seals and whales. The guides were very informative and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the school of dolphins we saw.

Smooth Trip

Alicia_F, Jan 2024

Sparse accommodations, but nice staff and smooth trip. Staff did their best to spot whales and talk about the characteristics of various species.

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