The OC Evening Wine Cruise in Dana Point, CA

While I didn't see any whales on this trip, there was a massive pod of common dolphins that surrounded the boat for a large part of the trip. That alone is a truly amazing and exhilarating sight! I have done two of the half price Tuesday trips this year (once with my three boys and once with a friend). The half price option is great and both days were not super crowded on the boat. They only take cash on the boat so if you want drinks or snacks you need to remember that. I typically don't want to eat or drink while on a boat so that didn't matter to me. I will say that my friend got seasick on our trip and wanted water. I didn't have cash on me and the deck hand was kind enough to give me a water for her so I thought that was really cool. It was much appreciated. I wholeheartedly encourage this experience. There is nothing like being on the water to reset your mood and help to relax. Also don't forget your binoculars if you have them.

We loved our whale watching trip. The guide was amazing, informative, and helpful. We saw Snowflake, hundreds of dolphins, and seals. We highly recommend it, and if we ever get back to California we will do it again.

I live in San Diego and have driven up multiple times this year to go on a Dana Wharf whale watching tour. I love and appreciate the smaller boat versus the double decker tour cruises. Less people and more intimate experience with the wild life and the crew. They have a naturalist on board! I’ve been lucky and each time had a wonderful wildlife experience: different species of whales and dolphins.