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You’ve never experienced anything like this. Our exclusive underwater glass viewing pods put you face to face with some of the largest creatures on earth! Book your seat today!
Get within arm’s reach of wildlife on our speedy and fun dolphin & whale watching zodiac-style boats. VERY low to the water & GoPro friendly. Our fastest vessels!
Booking a super-safe private boat charter gives you all the beauty Dana Point has to offer, and with exclusivity of a private event. All boat rentals come with Captain & crew. Explore suggested private charter itineraries or make your own!
Reserve online your luxury boating experience by booking ORCA for your private yacht charter. Gorgeous, comfortable, and the ideal way to spend time with friends, family, or colleagues. Up to 6 guests + our Captain.
Book online a zodiac (rigid inflatable boat) private charter w/Capt. for up to 24 guests on Fast Cat or AllsWell. A super safe, fast, & fun whale watching experience. Get within arm’s reach of wildlife!
Exclusive & intimate 3.5-hour cruise for up to 6 guests that primarily focuses on getting you up-close with the magnificent year-round whales off Dana Point, the World’s Whale Capital® and the first Whale Heritage Site in the Americas.
We’ll help you arrange the perfect charter to disperse ashes at sea off the beautiful coast of Orange County in peace and comfort, for a meaningful and dignified final farewell.
Exclusive & intimate 3.5-hour cruise for up to 6 guests that primarily focuses on getting you up-close with the magnificent year-round whales off Dana Point, the World’s Whale Capital® and the first Whale Heritage Site…
Come aboard our upscale catamaran, Lily, for a special edition cruise to view the incredible Huntington Beach Pacific Airshow. En route to and from the Airshow, we’ll be looking for whales and dolphins!
Every single person working on our boat was amazing and engaging with everyone. The COVID precautions that are taken are wonderful and still allow you to have a fantastic time. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.. and seeing 6 humpback whales was definitely the cherry on top of a perfect day cake.
– Knzknz0204, TripAdvisorGreat service. They had reduced capacity for COVID and everyone there had a mask. We saw a gray whale and a ton of common dolphins. The dolphins were great
– Gerrit D., YelpVery safe! Everyone is wearing a mask and using lots of disinfectant spray and minding social distance. This was my fifth trip with Captain Dave's and as usual it never disappoints. Fantastic time. Took my granddaughter this time and we went down into the pod for some underwater viewing of the Dolphins. Saw many dolphins and quite a few babies. Saw the famous patches dolphin too. This is the only dolphin or whale watch company I would ever go out with. Always a terrific time.
– Shelley W., YelpThis dolphin watch tour did not disappoint, I haven't seen my team members in over 4 months and wanted to organized something special and safe during Covid. The staff sanitized the boat and followed all the safety precautions which gave us a peace of mind. And of course the beautiful pods of dolphins was an unbelievable sight. I highly recommend this tour! Thanks for everything!
– Ennie L., YelpIt was worth the time. The Captain and his crew are wonderful, knowledgeable and I felt safe(all around COVID-19 included) it was definitely a safari, I learned a lot about the different types of dolphin. We met up with several view of dolphins. But the adventure was in finding the Bryde's Whale and her calf. It was all so worth the speedy ride with few bumps and splash-
– sistasister_2000, TripAdvisorVery safe with masks, distance and hand sanitizing. Very informative crew with lots of great info about wild life. We were lucky and saw hundreds of dolphins. Highly recommend!!
– Kim S., YelpTook the family of four on Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari and had a blast! During covid, it's hard to find things that are fun, accessible, and safe! Captain Dave's was that. All tours are at half capacity, thus making it easy to maintain six feet apart. We did the 2 1/2 hour tour with our 6 & 8 year olds, they had a really good time! It was an early birthday present for my oldest, and the crew wished him a happy birthday. There's something about being on the ocean with your family, just felt like an adventure.
– Mike H., YelpAbsolutely perfect morning on the water with Cap't Tom, Buck and Stacy. We saw countless common dolphins and 2 Humpbacks!!! The whales were familiar to the crew and had the names "Twitch" and "Flicka". The boat was clean and safe too, safety was paramount to this crew. We even got to see the common dolphins from the "underwater" viewing area. You can't go wrong choosing this AWESOME Adventure!
– Philip R., YelpHad a great time and we saw bottlenose and common dolphins! Loved that the time was longer than other than other boat rides. Felt safe with the Covid precautions the company took. Great job Captain Steve and crew!
– Tiffany R., TripAdvisorWe were surrounded by hundreds of dolphins and we were lucky to spot Patches, it was an amazing experience. The crew were welcoming, professional and informative. There was plenty of room on our boat for everyone to feel safe. Definitely coming back.
– Renee R., YelpHad a blast.... so fun so much to see very informative... every thing was so clean and safe staff was amazing, friendly and engaging just an overall good feeling.... definitely will be doing this tour again thanks Captain Dave
– Lourdes C., YelpIn spite of Covid we had a really really nice time! The boat ride was smooth and exciting with A fun crew and happy guest. I would do it again I just wish it cost a little less. Just a smidge :)
– Danielle D., Yelp"Really fun, would highly recommend, even if traveling with teenagers. Underwater viewing-pod was awesome, where dolphins were very interactive. Boat was very comfortable and never felt sea-sick. Crew was excellent, they are very knowledgeable, and answered all questions."
– Joerod01, TripAdvisor"Capt Dave delivered. We spent about an hour and a half with two Blue Whales. I have travelled the world looking for these rare creatures and they were a 15 minute boat ride off the Californian Coast. Capt was very knowledgeable and gave us good viewing without interfering with the whales. Absolutely amazing tour. Oh, there were dolphins as well."
– NeilK_13, TripAdvisorI have recommend this trip to all my friends coming to Southern California from the U.K. and EU. It’s just awesome...we had hundreds of dolphins which was incredible. The boat is great and you can move around so easily and get great views of the wildlife especially in the underwater pods. I will be back for another trip I am sure in the future. Well done guys you never disappoint!"
– Mark C., TripAdvisor"The tour said that we would see dolphins and we saw plenty! Our trip was on one of the catamarans with the viewing windows which allow underwater viewings. Amazing close-up views of schools of these beautiful animals. Crew was friendly and helpful. Wear sunscreen!"
– Jeff M., TripAdvisor"My family and I were touring California on a road trip. We wanted to book a boat trip at some point in our holiday and read about Captain Dave's tours and were impressed by the reviews. I'm so glad we did this tour as it was one of the best experiences we have ever had."
– Neil P., TripAdvisor"I was so pleased by the whole experience. It was great!!! Not only did we see whales, but we saw a dolphin baby pod of some 400 dolphin...The under water viewing was so cool!!! Our trip lasted longer than advertised after group permission was granted (just in case someone needed to get back on time but no one did!)."
– Ben C., TripAdvisor"My husband and I went on the 2.5 whale watching trip, and it was absolutely amazing! We saw 3 blue whales, sea lions, dolphins. It’s an experience we will never forget, and we will return and bring our children too. I highly recommend. Staff was amazing."
– Amy O., TripAdvisor"Our first trip with Captain Dave's was fantastic. The captain and crew were informative and welcoming. We felt safe and comfortable and, most importantly, saw hundreds of dolphins and a few sea lions. Luckily we went on a day when the boat was only about half-full but I think it would have been enjoyable even on a full boat. We look forward to going back in the future."
– ncinaz, TripAdvisorHave you ever dreamed of getting up close and personal with a blue whale or being eye-to-eye with a dolphin? Now you can make your dreams a reality with Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in Dana Point! One of the highest-rated whale watching companies in Southern California, we offer year-round boat tours and educational whale watching field trips for an ocean adventure you’ll never forget.
Join us for an exciting Dolphin & Whale Watching Tour aboard Manute’a, our high-speed catamaran sailboat, or get your adrenaline pumping with a cruise in the Fast Cat on our Zodiac Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari. Whether you’ll be joining us for a public tour or private boat charter, you can always expect exceptional, personalized service. You’ll even be treated to one of Mrs. Captain Dave’s famous brownies as our way of saying, “thanks.” It’s the special touches that make us one of the best whale watching tours in Southern California, and it’s what keeps our customers come back again-and-again!
See What Sets Us Apart By Booking Your High-Seas Adventure Today!
Not only does Dana Point have the highest number of dolphins per square mile than anywhere else in the world, but it is also the home of a variety of large whales, including:
On your Dana Point whale watching tour, you’ll want to keep your eyes open and your camera ready because we regularly see a wide range of other marine animals, too! This includes seals, sea lions, sharks, sea turtles, local marine birds, jellyfish, and much, much more!
While we do see dolphins and whales on more than 95% of our tours, our large marine friends occasionally decide to take the day off. Don’t worry if this happens! We will provide you with another tour within the year—totally free of charge!
If you’ve got kids, teens, or even babies, you can go ahead and bring them on-board with you for your whale watching tour in Dana Point. Most of our large catamarans are suitable for children of all ages and offer an experience that your little ones are unlikely to forget.
Complement their wildlife experience with a visit to our on-board micro-museum! They will have the chance to see dolphin and whale artifacts, and you can accompany them to our exclusive underwater viewing pods where they can “swim with the dolphins” — All without getting wet!
Instill an even deeper love and appreciation for ocean creatures by joining us for the annual Dana Point Festival of Whales or discover our other whale watching tours in Southern California like our wildlife-intensive Whale Geek Safari or luxury private yacht Orca charter tour! No matter which one you choose, we promise you’ll have a whale of a time!
Boasting the highest ratings on TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google, whale watching in Southern California doesn’t get any better than Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in Dana Point — the dolphin and Whale Watching Capital® of the world! Contact us for more information and book your unforgettable adventure today!
