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San Diego's Original
15+ Years
of whale watching expertise
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Sightings Guarantee
or come back free
Year-Round Tours
Daily Departures
from Mission Bay
Education Outside The Classroom
We at San Diego Whale Watch believe in the importance of utilizing the wonderful natural resource of the Pacific Ocean as a tool to help educate our children on the marine life that inhabits it.
Trip Highlights
- 3 hour whale watching cruise
- Narration by a certified Marine Biologist
- Teachers guide, provided prior to your visit. This guide, filled with pre- and post-visit activities, will provide additional educational value to your whale watching tour
- Naturalists available throughout the trip to answer questions
- Indoor and outdoor seating is available
During their whale watching field trip students will gain a broad understanding of whales in terms of migratory patterns, size differences, feeding behavior and communication. We will also cover environmental factors, endangered species and how we can all help to save them from extinction.
*We strongly recommend, and encourage, wearing non-slip/secure footwear for the cruises.
Pick a Date Below
We were the first company in San Diego to offer whale watching year around. Why? It’s because though there is a whale watching season in San Diego, we see whales and dolphins throughout the year. Take a look…
Free Parking · Sightings Guarantee · Year-Round Tours
Whale Watching Season In San Diego
December through April
Join us as we observe part of the longest migration of any mammal on earth! Reaching up to 45 ft. in length and weighing up to 40 tons, Gray Whales depart from their summer feeding grounds in Alaska and migrate south along the west coast to the isolated lagoons of Baja California, Mexico to mate and give birth. We are lucky enough to see both the south and northbound migraters up until the end of April. Although we are just one passing point along their route, Gray Whales travel up to 12,000 miles, roundtrip, on an annual basis! Because they hug the coast during their migration, we can spot these gentle giants within only a few miles from the coast!
May through November
San Diego is equipped with a cold-water up-welling system that brings especially nutrient-rich water up to the surface, drawing in hungry Blue Whales and Fin Whales. 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! Runner-up in size and well-known for being the fastest of the baleen whales is the mighty Fin Whale! They can also be spotted at any time, feeding along our deep-water banks.
Throughout the year
Fin Whales, Humpback Whales and Minke Whale can be spotted off the coast of San Diego at any time. Although this makes them a little less predictable, it also means that we have a chance of seeing them on every trip! Various types of toothed whales (includes all dolphin species) also visit our coast throughout the year. Common Dolphins (both Short-Beaked and Long-Beaked), Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins and Risso’s Dolphins can be seen year-round. Pacific White-Sided Dolphins are a seasonal visitor that we get to observe during the winter, typically between the months of December-April. In addition to cetaceans, California Sea Lions, Sharks, Bony Fishes and a wide variety of sea birds will also be pointed out for your enjoyment!
What Guests Are Saying
500+ Five-Star Reviews
Located in San Diego’s Mission Bay, we’re closer to the ocean than other whale
watching companies, which means you spend more time searching for whales and dolphins!