Privacy Policy

Who we are

San Diego Whale Watch 1617 Quivira Rd, San Diego, CA 92109 Website: https://sdwhalewatch.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 619-542-9931

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

1. Introduction

San Diego Whale Watch ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website (https://sdwhalewatch.com), purchase tickets, sign waivers, or interact with us in any way.

Please read this policy carefully. By using our website or services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you purchase tickets, sign a liability waiver, or contact us, we may collect:

• Identity information: Full name, date of birth (for waivers)
• Contact information: Email address, phone number, mailing address
• Transaction information: Ticket type, tour date, number of passengers, booking confirmation details
• Waiver information: Your electronic signature, emergency contact details, and any health information you voluntarily disclose on the waiver
• Payment information: Payment card details are processed securely by our booking and payment processor, FareHarbor. We do not store your full payment card information on our systems.
• Communications: Messages or inquiries you send us via email, phone, or contact forms

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we and our third-party partners automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• Device and browser information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring URLs, date and time of visits
• Cookie and tracking data: See Section 4 (Cookies and Tracking Technologies) for full details

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We receive information from the following third-party services used to operate our business:

• FareHarbor (booking, waiver, and payment platform): When you complete a booking or waiver through FareHarbor's system, they share relevant booking and customer data with us to fulfill your reservation. FareHarbor acts as a separate data controller for information collected through their platform. Please review FareHarbor's Privacy Policy for details on how they handle your data.
• Google (Analytics and Advertising): Usage and behavior data from your website visits
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram): Advertising interaction data

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Purpose	Legal Basis (GDPR)
Processing your ticket purchase and booking	Performance of a contract
Administering and storing your signed liability waiver	Legal obligation / Legitimate interests
Sending booking confirmation and tour reminders	Performance of a contract
Responding to your inquiries and providing customer service	Legitimate interests
Improving our website and services	Legitimate interests
Personalizing your experience on our website	Legitimate interests / Consent
Serving you relevant advertisements on Meta and Google platforms	Consent
Analyzing website traffic and user behavior (Google Analytics 4)	Consent
Complying with legal obligations (tax records, safety regulations)	Legal obligation
Fraud detection and prevention	Legitimate interests

 

We do not use your personal information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

 

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. We use Complianz to manage cookie consent. When you first visit our website, you will be shown a cookie consent banner where you can choose which categories of cookies to accept or decline.

4.1 Cookie Categories

Strictly Necessary Cookies These cookies are required for the website to function and cannot be disabled. They include cookies set by Complianz to remember your consent preferences.

 

Analytics Cookies (Require your consent) We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use our website. GA4 collects data such as pages visited, session duration, and general geographic location. This data is aggregated and does not directly identify you. Google may transfer this data to the United States for processing.

 

Marketing and Advertising Cookies (Require your consent) We use the following advertising technologies, which are only activated if you consent:

 

• Meta Pixel: Placed by Meta (Facebook/Instagram) to track conversions from our ads, build remarketing audiences, and measure ad performance. Meta may use this data to show you our ads on its platforms and share data with advertising partners.
• Google Ads / Conversion Tracking: Allows us to measure the effectiveness of our Google advertising campaigns by tracking actions taken after viewing or clicking our ads.

4.2 Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can update your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the "Manage Consent" tab at https://sdwhalewatch.com/ in the lower left corner. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

For more information about online advertising and how to opt out, visit:

• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI)
• Google Ad Settings
• Meta Ad Preferences

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

FareHarbor: We use FareHarbor to process bookings, payments, and digital waivers. Your information is shared with FareHarbor as necessary to complete your reservation. FareHarbor is a separate data controller, and their privacy practices are governed by their own Privacy Policy.

Google: We share data with Google through Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads. This includes aggregated usage data and advertising conversion data. Google may process this data in the United States.

Meta: We share limited data with Meta through the Meta Pixel for advertising and conversion measurement purposes, subject to your consent.

Service providers: We may share data with other vendors who assist us in operating our website and business (e.g., email hosting, website hosting, customer support tools). These parties are contractually bound to use your data only as directed by us and to maintain appropriate security.

Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of business assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

 

• Booking and transaction records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years to comply with tax and accounting obligations
• Signed liability waivers: Retained for a minimum of [INSERT — typically 3–5 years depending on California statute of limitations for your activity type; consult your attorney]
• Marketing and analytics data: Retained in accordance with the settings of each third-party platform (e.g., Google Analytics data retention settings)
• Website cookies: Retained for the duration specified at the time of consent; most expire within 1–2 years

 

When your data is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it securely.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure. These include:

 

• Encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS) on our website
• Secure payment processing through FareHarbor (PCI-DSS compliant)
• Access controls limiting who can view your personal data

 

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. International Data Transfers

Our website is operated in the United States. If you are visiting from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries. Third-party services we use — including Google and Meta — may process data internationally. Where applicable, these transfers are governed by appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If a minor under 18 will be participating in a tour, the ticket must be purchased by a parent or legal guardian who will also complete the required liability waiver on the minor's behalf.

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13 without parental consent, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.

10. Your Privacy Rights

10.1 Rights for California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

 

• Right to Know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, our business purposes, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., information we are required to retain by law).
• Right to Correct: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information for money. However, our use of Google Ads and Meta Pixel may constitute "sharing" of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising under California law. You may opt out by adjusting your cookie preferences via our Cookie Settings link or by using a legally recognized opt-out signal such as the Global Privacy Control (GPC).
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: Where applicable, you may request that we limit the use of sensitive personal information to what is necessary to provide the service.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

 

Categories of personal information collected in the past 12 months:

Category	Examples
Identifiers	Name, email, IP address, booking ID
Personal information (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80)	Name, address, phone number, payment information
Commercial information	Booking history, ticket purchases
Internet or electronic activity	Website browsing behavior, cookie data
Geolocation data	General location inferred from IP address
Sensitive personal information	Electronic signature on waiver; health information voluntarily provided on waiver

 

To exercise your California privacy rights, please contact us using the information in Section 12. We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable consumer request.

10.2 Rights for EEA, UK, and Swiss Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or equivalent laws:

 

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal information under certain circumstances
• Right to restriction of processing: Request that we limit how we use your information
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes
• Right to withdraw consent: Where we process your data based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority

 

To exercise your GDPR rights, please contact us using the information in Section 12.

10.3 Rights for All Other Users

Regardless of your location, you may contact us to:

 

• Request access to your personal information
• Correct inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information where we are not legally required to retain it
• Opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any email or contacting us directly

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (such as FareHarbor's booking platform). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us:

San Diego Whale Watch 1617 Quivira Rd San Diego, CA 92109

Email: [email protected] Phone: 619-542-9931

For California residents submitting a verifiable consumer request, please include your full name, email address, and a description of your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated Privacy Policy.