San Diego Whale Watching Tours Flagship Cruises & Events

Table Of Content

• Sail onboard a Gorgeous 60' Luxury Yacht
• Plan a Whale Watching Excursion
• Why San Diego is perfect for whale watching
• SIGNATURE PUBLIC WHALE WATCHING/ PRIVATE TOURS
• Whale watching cruise by Hornblower
• Sunset Whale Watching Tours Year-Round in San Diego!
• Whale watching in San Diego – tours by Hornblower & Flagship Cruises
• Next Level Sailing’s Yacht America

We’re along the migration path of various whales that you’ll want to see. If you see any of the above behaviors, where to look next depends on when in the migration season you’re at. Look south if it’s gray whale season and they’re heading to Mexico, for example. Remember that whale-watching tours often include whale spotters, and the boats can move around the open waters along the California coastline to find roving pods. The best time to go whale watching in San Diego may also depend on weather conditions. We do enjoy pretty much year-round sunshine, and even a little rain may not impact your tour.

Sail onboard a Gorgeous 60' Luxury Yacht

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VIDEO: Boat nearly capsizes in Mission Bay as massive waves roar.

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Our top-notch tour operators will cancel a tour if they deem conditions unsafe. When you book a trip with us, you are getting the premier dolphin and whale watching experience in San Diego. During the 3-hour sailing tour, you discover the San Diego Bay area and look for local wildlife, including seals, whales, and dolphins. Besides spotting whales, sea lions, dolphins, and harbor seals during the cruise, you also get to see famous San Diego landmarks.

Plan a Whale Watching Excursion

On a two-hour whale-watching cruise, you’ll usually see whales and dolphins. The latter includes common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Risso dolphins, and Pacific white-sided dolphins, too. San Diego’s 70 miles of coastline makes it one of the best places to go whale watching in California. It’s also home to one of the largest protected marine sanctuaries in Southern California, and the rich environment attracts lots of marine mammals.

Why San Diego is perfect for whale watching

The incredible connection with nature will leave a lasting impression. Whale watching in San Diego, California, is possible nearly year-round due to different whale species’ migratory patterns. Seeing these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat is a one-of-a-kind experience that everyone should enjoy at least once. The best time of the year to go whale watching in San Diego is from mid-December to April, which coincides with the Gray Whale migration.

Although the production of food could attract them to our coast at any time, recent years have shown a spike in Blue whale and Fin whale encounters throughout the summer and fall. Blue Whales are the largest animals to have ever existed on the planet and we are lucky enough to see the healthiest population around the world. Only 1% of the human population will ever be able to say that they’ve seen a Blue Whale. That means that we can drastically increase your chances of becoming part of that small percent!

Whale watching cruise by Hornblower

It’s a perfect stop for marine life enthusiasts and budding oceanographers, or anyone who wants to enjoy a fun family day out. There are hands-on exhibits and more than 60 fish and invertebrate habitats. If some type of whale is not sighted on your whale watching cruise, you will receive a pass good to return for a Whale Watching Cruise or Harbor Cruise. As we cruise, we’ll see up-close views of the bay's wildlife as well as iconic landmarks from a new perspective. Onboard, our staff will provide live narration and details about the aquatic life and landmarks we pass for a truly memorable experience. We will primarily be looking for whales and a variety of dolphin/porpoise species, along with sea lions and birds.

They also guarantee you’ll see a while, or they’ll gladly have you onboard one of their whale watching tours again for free. Go gray whale or blue whale watching in San Diego on the 139-foot Yacht America, a replica of the yacht that won the historic Royal Yacht Squadron’s 100 Guinea Cup race in 1851. Water, soda, chips, and granola bars are provided, but you can bring your own food and drinks (except red wine).

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Boat battles huge waves in San Diego waters.

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Whale watching in San Diego – tours by Hornblower & Flagship Cruises

We will also cover environmental factors as they relate to the wildlife, endangered species and how to help save them from extinction. Our event coordinator is available 7 days a week to assist you in planning your party. From the beginning to the end, we will be there to make sure all of your needs are met.

There are a number of different ways to experience whale watching in San Diego. If you're interested in a closer look at these majestic creatures, a host of sightseeing and tour operators in San Diego offer a variety of whale watching excursions. This is also the best way to see a blue whale, as they tend to stay farther out to sea. A whale watching trip is also a fun oceanic adventure and affords great views of San Diego's beautiful skyline from a different point of view. Many of the tour operators have extensive knowledge of the whales and their migration habits and will happily share this information during the tour. This is definitely a recommended activity for all ages and a great addition to your San Diego itinerary during the winter/early spring and summer seasons.

Use promo code EASTERSAIL24 and save $99 on your private sailing tour. Hop on board after Easter brunch and discover the windfall of this holiday... She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. Readers have access to exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide through her. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide, like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai, that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both). After a whale surfaces to blow out air (which you may have seen), you may see its knuckled back rise and fall as it dives back into the water.

Flagship Cruises is San Diego’s local company and has been owned by a family for 100 years. If you are lucky, other whales nearby may try to copy the first whale, and you may witness a spectacle. Since seeing the whales beneath the surface is often impossible, this ‘footprint’ helps people track them without seeing them. If the whale is close enough and there is enough light, you can spot the Gray Whale’s back during and after the blow. All whales have a pattern – they dive for 3 to 6 minutes, surface for 3 to 4 blows in a row, each around 30 seconds apart, and descend again for 3 to 6 minutes.

Some whale-watching tour companies’ guarantee sightings’, but they mean that if you don’t spot a whale during one of your trips, they will give you a free ticket to return another day. With more than 110 km (70 miles) of San Diego’s coastline directly in the migration path, San Diego is the perfect spot to watch these massive animals from a boat. Scroll down to find great options for whale watching excursions in San Diego. Whether you're looking to get up close and personal or witness whales from the shore, there are tons of ways to enjoy these magnificent creatures off the coast of San Diego.

And between about December 1 and March 1 (depending on sightings), you can book a La Jolla whale watching kayak tour where guides will take you about 2 miles offshore to spot gray whales. The best times of the year to spot whales from land is mid-January to February when the gray whales are traveling south closer to shore. When you watch for whales from the shore, you may or may not spot any on a given day. If you are near the water during gray whale migration season, keep an eye out. Next Level Sailing offers the only “no seasickness guarantee” globally and boasts high whale spotting rates.

– April, California Gray Whales will be the targeted whale species; although we will never pass by a cooperating whale of another species. When the whales swim back to Alaska, the yachts must sail as far as 20 km (12 miles) from the coast. It is usual to spot harmless leopard sharks in the summer and fall months. You are likely to find Gray Whales in their migration during the winter.

If you tend to get seasick, bring some seasickness aids just in case. They also have other San Diego harbor cruises that you may want to check out, and they also operate the Coronado Ferry. We can accommodate small workgroups to large departments, multiple and single legs, and a beverage from a local coffee cart can be included. FireStorm Internet runs this website to provide the most accurate and up-to-day information about tourist attractions. Out in the ocean, the best overhead light is from 11 am – 3 pm, which results in beautiful blue waters in your photographs. San Diego has a few great spots, such as Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Cabrillo National Monument, Torrey Pines State Reserve, etc., to view the grey whale migration from the shore.

We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy. Whales are active all day (and night!), so any time is a good time to go on a whale-watching tour in San Diego. Many tourists wonder if they can see Dolphins during their whale-watching cruise. It is common to spot Dolphins in the San Diego Bay area throughout the year. The two-story whale-watching yacht has indoor and outdoor seating and 360-degree views. You can spot the knuckled ridge along the spine if you watch closely.