DISCOVER THE ADVENTURE
WHALE WATCHING TRIPS ASEA

Whale watching boats and tours can't promise they'll find whales everytime they go out, but they find them often enough because they're experienced and they know what to look for.

And when they find the whales, you may be surprised at how close you get!

If you're in need of a whale watching guide, you can't do better than The Complete Whale-Watching Handbook: A Guide to Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the World

Whale Watch Boat;
(CC) Unwritten

For some tips to help you prepare for your excursion on the ocean blue, check out my: Whale Watching Tips.

There are many different types of vessels to go out on, too. You can choose between open-load charter boats and private charter; twin diesels, catamarans, yachts, clippers, sailboats, and even - for the very adventurous - canoes and kayaks.

Whale Watching by Kayak;
(CC) Rolf Kleef

Ammenities might include any or all of the following: enclosed cabin, sundeck, restrooms, fully-equiped snack bar, and walk-around deck. Some tours are aboard boats that are also used for deep-sea fishing (those might be a bit smelly), and some boats are used strictly for wild-life viewing.

Leatherback Turtle;
(CC) Ryan Somma

Most commercial whale watching tours will have a narrator or naturalist aboard to help you know what to look for and to interpret what you're seeing.

Many are knowledgeable about geology, natural history, sea birds, and ocean critters other than whales, such as this Leatherback Sea Turtle.

And you will have the opportunity to view more than just whales - other possibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Sea-going birds like the Tufted Puffin
• Sharks like the Great White
• Dolphins (there are 5 different kinds)
• Porpoise like the Dall's or the Harbor Porpoise
• Deep-sea fishes
• Seals and sea lions (including the Elephant Seal)
• And my personal favorite - the adorable little sea otter

Sea Otter; (CC) Atul666

Starting in the North and moving South, here are some suggestions for your Northern California whale watching pleasure:

Crescent City

• Tally Ho II Ocean Charters
• And, for a slightly different experience, Brent Baker offers whale watching trips asea via sailboat
• Both are out of Crescent City Harbor

Trinidad

• Humboats Kayak Adventures offers whale watching by kayak out of Trinidad Bay (although their offices are in Eureka)

Eureka

• See Humboats above (under Trinidad)

Fort Bragg

There are several opportunities for whale watching trips asea out of Fort Bragg's Noyo Harbor:

• Telstar Charters offers both fishing & whale watching trips
• Noyo Fishing Center has both as well
• Anchor Charter Boats offers crabbing trips, fishing trips, & whale watching trips
• All Aboard Adventures has crabbing, fishing, & whale watching trips

Point Arena

• Fair Chase Sport Fishing offers fishing, abalone diving, spear fishing, & whale watching leaving from Arena Cove

Gualala

• If you're staying in Gualala, ask your innkeeper for phone numbers of seasonal whale watching tour providers.

Bodega Bay

• The Oceanic Society offers trips rain or shine!
• Will's Bait & Tackle offers fishing, crabbing, and whale watching trips
• Bodega Charters has fishing and whale watching voyages
• All of these operate out of Porto Bodega

San Francisco

As you would expect, San Francisco offers some excellent whale watching trips asea:

• The Oceanic Society operates whale watching trips out of San Francisco Bay
• San Francisco Bay Whale Watching departs from Gas House Cove Marina (the Kitty Kat is a catamaran-type vessel)
• San Francisco Whale Tours is another excellent provider; it too leaves from Gas House Cove Marina
• California Whale Adventures has a sleek and fast boat called the Wacky Jacky and takes off from Fisherman's Wharf
• All go out to the Farallone Islands and to the Point Reyes Wildlife Sanctuary

Half Moon Bay

• The Oceanic Society has trips out of Half Moon Bay for during the Gray whale migration
• Riptide Charters is one of the companies that offer half-day and all-day trips
• The Queen of Hearts of Houdini Sportfishing offers whale watching during the season
• Huck Finn Sportfishing offers whale watching trips year-round
• These tours all leave from Pillar Point Harbor

Santa Cruz

There's more to Santa Cruz than it's boardwalk and beaches!

• Stagnaro Charter Boats/Santa Cruz Whale Watching offers scenic, sunset, and/or whale watching tours pretty much year-round
• Chartle Charters provides sport fishing, photographic, & whale watching trips
• Reel Sport Fishing also has whale watching trips, as well as crab & giant squid combo trips, & fishing trips
• These options all operate out of Santa Cruz Horbor

Moss Landing

• Sanctuary Cruises at "A" Dock in Moss landing Harbor offers only whale watching - this outfit offers only wildlife trips; no fishing
• Here's a video of four humpback whales near Moss Landing

Monterey

Santa Cruz sits at the northern end of Monterey Bay, and Monterey sits at the southern end - and Monterey Bay is reknowned for its sealife. So you can't go wrong anywhere along the coast between the two! But Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey has excellent opportunities for whale watching trips asea - all departing from the same convenient downtown location - Old Fisherman's Wharf!

• Monterey Bay Whale Watch provides year-round whale watching opportunities with marine biologists on all trips; out of Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey (Click here to see a video of a Monterey Bay Whale Watch trip)
• Monterey Whale Watching offers year-round whale watching & nature tours, fully narragted by experienced marine biologists/naturalists
• Chris' Whale Watching Tours specializes in full-service guided family-friendly whale watching trips - many outfits don't allow younger children aboard, so this might be something for you to consider if you want to bring the young ones along
• Randy's Fishing Trips & Whale Watching is also kid oriented and offers excellent whale watching trips

Many of these companies offer open-load as well as private charter options.

Not sure what you should expect? Here are some whale watching videos to help you decide:

Whale watching trips asea not for you? Maybe you'd prefer to keep your feet on solid ground - if so, check here:

For a Jonathan Livingston Seagull point-of-view:

And this is the place for Whale Watching Tips

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