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San Diego Whale Watch

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San Diego Whale Watch

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We embark on 3-hour trips aboard the Privateer in the search for a variety of marine animals. We often see sea lions, seals, a variety of birds, dolphins, and different species of whales depending on the time of year. Throughout the months of December-April, we enjoy the annual Gray Whale migration along the coast of California. In the summer, we are able to encounter the mighty Blue Whales feedin

g miles offshore! We get occasional visits from Humpback, Minke and Fin Whales, as well as Sea Turtles and even sharks! Join us on one of our whale watching adventures to enjoy some of the Pacific Ocean's most magnificent creatures! All photos are property of San Diego Whale Watch unless otherwise noted and were taken aboard our vessel. All images © 2014-2018 San Diego Whale Watching LLC

09/04/2024

Gorgeous calm seas and a beautiful sunset closed out our Tuesday.
About 3 miles from Mission bay we encountered a large raft of black-vented shearwaters resting on the surface of the water after gorging themselves on fish. Among the shearwaters was an agile pod of ~150 Long-beaked common dolphins! This was a pretty tight knit pod hangout close together while others were making repeating massive leaps, similar to the behaviour of Short-beaked common dolphins. Several adorable babies were swimming close to mum too. Always a treat to see.
More calm seas predicted tomorrow, perfect time to be on the ocean!

-Naturalist Ruth

09/03/2024

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Clear blue skies, calm crystal blue water and sunshine all around! We had such a wonderful morning trip today! We saw such a variety of wildlife! We saw 3 mola-molas, 1 flying fish and 1 Mako shark. We also saw pink-footed shearwaters, black-vented shearwaters, California brown pelicans and western gulls! In terms of cetaceans, we saw several scattered pods of long-beaked common dolphins, about ~400 long-beaks found throughout the trip! We have one more sunset trip coming up soon so please stay tuned!

Naturalist,
Melissa

09/02/2024

Monday, September 2, 2024

We were treated to Lake Pacific today! The sea conditions were nice, calm and glassy too!

We set out to the west on our afternoon trip and out at the 9-mile bank we sighted a huge pod of ~400 Short-beaked Common dolphins! We could easily see them from afar because they launching out of the water and breaching in all directions! They shot out of the water almost 10-ft high! Passengers were excited to see such amazing acrobatics! We enjoyed seeing the little calves all around. Several surfed beside us which made it easy to see them looking back at us! We found our new dolphriends at ~12-miles from shore in more than 2000-ft of water!

Another dolphin filled sunset on Lake Pacific! Conditions couldn’t have been better, the wind really died down off shore which gave us ideal conditions for spotting wildlife! We had 3 different pods of Long-beaked common dolphins throughout the sunet trip, probably at least 500 individuals! Two of the pods were quite friendly-bow riding and flying off the waves, while one pod seemed preoccupied with a bait ball! The shearwater birds led us to this dinner zone and it was a fun sight to watch. Perfect golden orange susnet to end the day, Happy Labor Day!

Naturalist,
Vanessa and Brooke

09/01/2024

Sunday September 1, 2024

What a turn of events! We never know what were going to find out there but for one trip to have nearly a thousand dolphins - to the next looking like a barren oceanic desert. This morning we had a two hour long dolphin escorted adventure with very little time spent without wildlife. First we found a pod of long beaked common dolphins, and as we continued northwest - they followed along with us and lead us to MORE AND MORE dolphins the entire way! As we headed back towards land we sighted a very playful pod of bottlenose! We caught up with them and got some great looks. Always love seeing the size difference between commons and bottlenose. Our second trip seemed as if the entire eco system out there went to sleep. Not even one single sign of life.

On the sunset trip, we found dolphins again! Just a couple miles from the Mission Bay jetties, we spotted a huge pod of ~200 Long-beaked Common dolphin! They were swimming fast to the north! Some of them zoomed up to us and rode the bow and surfed our wake giving passengers some up-close looks! We spotted some teeny tiny calves in the mix! We are always delighted to see such an active pod that loves to interact with the boat! We continued out to the drop-off and a mile out, we spotted some splashes. At first, there were a couple of Bottlenose sighted, then after spending some time with them, more surfaced everywhere! We traveled about 4-miles out to the 9-mile bank and the entire time we were hanging out with offshore Bottlenose Dolphin! We estimated it to be around ~300 in total which is HUGE considering our average pod size to be around 40-60 individuals. One hundred Bottlenose dolphins is a big pod for us here in San Diego! We had some energetic Bottlenose dolphins that splashed the bow and leaped up over 20-ft high at the bow! We watched them into the stunning sunset!

We can’t wait to see what’s in store for tomorrow!

Naturalists,
Alison & Vanessa

08/31/2024

Saturday, August 31, 2024

We experienced a Super Cetacean Saturday aboard the Privateer!

We set out to the west and found a fun pod of Long-beaked Common dolphin! They raced around the boat and we got amazing looks next to our boat. They traveled to the SE and we continued on the west. Only a couple miles to the NW, we encountered a huge pod of ~100 Offshore Bottlenose dolphin! They were so playful and fun to watch! We noticed on the edge of the pod, there were some dolphins that didn’t look like the others! We spotted a beautiful pod of ~30 Risso’s dolphin! There was a cute cow/calf pair of Offshore bottlenose that was leading them toward the coast. We enjoyed close-up looks as all the dolphins popped up next to us! The water was super glassy and dreamy allowing us to see every little move the dolphins made! We continued to the drop-off and a passenger spotted a splash to the west of us. We went to investigate and sure enough, we spotted two Minke whales! One of them was curious with the Privateer! It swam next to us and then made some close passes at the bow! We even got to experience why Minke’s are called Stinky Minke’s! The whale breath was intense!

On our afternoon trip we set out to the west and while on the drop-off we spotted a spunky pod of ~7-10 Long-beaked Common dolphins! They popped up all around our boat! We continued on to the NW and spotted a pod of ~40-50 Long-beaked Common dolphin that were moving fast in every direction around us! Lots of babies seen in the mix! We enjoyed watching them leap all around us! Passengers screamed with delight! We pointed our nose toward La Jolla and hung out with another pod of Long-beaked Common dolphins! This was our largest pod yet! We enjoyed about 100 individuals in a very tight knit pod with California sea lions and birds with them!
Dolphin tour guides tonight! We headed west from the jetties and were quickly met with an energetic pod of long beaked common dolphins this pod seemed to run for miles! As we made our way north west we were accompanied by dolphins the whole way! The search for fresh wildlife is never ending! We thought we may have spotted a spout for a moment but waited for 10 mins for a relighting - to no avail. The sunset was stunning!

Naturalist,
Vanessa

08/31/2024

What an incredible sighting! This week, we were fortunate enough to encounter a Bryde's whale cow and her calf during one of our tours. These elusive whales are known for their slender bodies and three distinct ridges on their heads. Bryde's whales are usually solitary or found in small groups, making this mother-calf duo an extra special encounter. Watching them gracefully glide through the water together was a reminder of the tender bond between mother and calf in the wild. Did you know that Bryde's whales can dive up to 1,000 feet to hunt for fish? We were lucky to catch a glimpse of these amazing creatures!

08/30/2024

Friday, August 30, 2024

We had a Fun Fabulous Friday Full of Flipping DolFriends!

During our morning trip, we set out to the west and hung out with a pod of ~100 Long-beaked Common dolphin within a mile from shore. The seas were super glassy and blue which made for some amazing sights! We could see every little detail as the dolphins cruised up to our boat! The dolphin calves were jumping and leaping all around our boat! Passengers squealed with excitement when popped out of the water! We continued out and hung out with another huge pod of ~300 Long-beaked Common dolphin in a very tight pod! They were going on dives and surface around us. We pushed out to the west in search for more wildlife. On our way back in, we caught up with about 500 Long-beaked Common dolphins racing to the north. We enjoyed dolphin frenzy!

On our afternoon trip, we set out and caught up with a pod of ~300 Long-beaked Common dolphin along the drop-off! They were so fun to watch as they zoomed all around us. We set out to the NW as we heard that there was a whale sighted out in deeper water. We circled the area, but unfortunately it had moved on. We sighted a lot of birds in the area diving and feeding. A marlin jumped out of the water at least 5 times! On our way back in we caught up with another fast traveling pod of Common dolphins! They were cruising at 10-mph hour!

Across the day, we had at least 10 sightings of flying fish gliding above the ocean surface! We have one more trip to go!

To the north we headed on our sunset trip! Usually it’s in our best interest to get out into deeper water as quickly as we can - and that’s precicdly what we did! We got to the drop off and found some Risso’s! This smaller pod of about 15 were hanging out just off the drop - These dolphins were going on long foraging dives - disappearing for minutes at a time - reappearing wherever they wished. Their whitened bodies glow and eerie turquoise when they cruise just beneath the surface - earning the crew nickname - little friendly ocean ghosts. The sunset was no less captivating with crepuscular rays ( the 🤓 term for sunbeams) shooting between every layer of clouds

Naturalist,
Vanessa & Alison

08/29/2024

Thursday, August 29, 2024

There’s nothing better than seeing hundreds and hundreds of wild dolphins! 🙂 On today’s afternoon trip, we went out west and quickly encountered a massive pod of ~800 long-beaked common dolphins! They were stampeding, tail slapping, and launching out of the water! We also saw so many tiny calves swimming next to their mamas! We have another trip coming up soon so please stay tuned!

Our sunset trip consisted of calm blue water, a stellar sunset and spunky dolphriends! We encountered a lovely pod of ~200 long-beaked common dolphins! They were being very active and looked like they were having so much fun surfing along the Privateer! We heard from other whale watching friends that larger predatory cetaceans were in town, located down south of the border so that could be one of the reasons why it was a little quiet on the water today. The beauty of our trips is that we never know what we’ll encounter out here on the Pacific Ocean. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventure! Please join us soon.

Naturalist,
Melissa

08/28/2024

Wednesday, August 28th, 2024:

Why the long face? We had a unique sighting today! A large male northern elephant seal! We actually got pretty close and got to hang with it for a while - this is a first for our company - usually these animals are incredibly shy! Elephant seals are the deepest diving seals, they can dive NEARLY a MILE deep! About 5,000 feet deep! The feed on squid, octopus, skates and small sharks. We also had a MEGAPOD of dolphins that looked as is it were a WHOLE MILE LONG!

For our sunset trip, we were lucky enough to spot a Minke whale just 3 miles from shore! This Minke took us by surprise, popping out of nowhere, making us slow down the boat to take a closer look! We had some great views of it’s rostrum and shiny back, as well as as it’s hooked dorsal fin and even the white glow from their Minke mittens- a circular white spot on each pectoral flipper! This Minke zigzagged in front of us and had guests excited to encounter a baleen whale so quickly into our trip! To end the evening, we encountered a playful pod of Long-beaked common dolphins. About 50 individuals, all showing off their high speed swimming and jumps in the air! The sunset did not disappoint tonight!

Naturalists Alison and Brooke

08/27/2024

August 27, 2024

What do you call a dolphin who doesn’t follow the rules? -A rebel without a porpoise!

On today’s morning trip, we encountered ~5 Mola-molas throughout the trip! A Mola-mola is also known as the Ocean sunfish. They are one of the largest bony fish! Their maximum size is about ~14 feet in diameter and can weigh over 5,000 lbs! We saw them thermoregulating by lifting one of their pectoral fins out of the water. We also sighted a massive pod of ~200 short-beaked common dolphins! These shorties love to put on a show! They were launching out of the water and creating massive splashes by tail-slapping and chin-slapping! We can never get enough of our spunky dolphriends! Another adventure awaits us tomorrow, please join us soon!

Naturalist,
Melissa

08/27/2024

Monday, August 26, 2024

We enjoyed watching a Bryde’s whale barrel-rolling near the surface!

We had two amazing trips with baleen and toothed whales sighted on both trips! For our morning trip, we set out to the west and spotted a fun pod of Long-beaked Common dolphins traveling south. We enjoyed watching the babies leap out of the water next to mom. We set out to the west and spotted a fluke prints crossing our bow! We waited and were treated to an amazing cow/calf pair of Bryde’s whales! The calf barrel-rolled near the surface so many times we lost count. We could see the vibrant turquoise glow flash before our eyes! They put up a prominent spout so combined with the blue glow and fluke prints, they were so fun to watch! They socialized and zoomed around as they traveled to the SW. We followed them as they never went on an official dive for most of our time spent with them. We finally observed them finally go on a dive and they began to move on. We waved goodbye and wished them whale!

For the sunset trip, we spotted a big pod of ~200 Long-beaked Common dolphin! They raced to the south and we followed them with Point Loma as our background. We continued down and spotted another pod but this time it was a MEGA pod! We estimated it to be around 1500 dolphins! We pushed out to the west and spotted a 15-ft spout! It was nice and bright in the beautiful sunlight! It came up for a couple spouts, went down for 10-20min dives times! We got one brief look at the flukes once and we think it was a Humpback! The sunset was gorgeous!

We hope to see you on the next one!

Naturalist,
Vanessa

08/25/2024

August 25, 2024

WOW- what a perfect morning on the Pacific Ocean! Glassy conditions, mild wind, smooth seas and great visibility- it’s days like today that make the crew giddy! We started the morning trip with a peaceful pod of Long-beaked common dolphins- maybe about 80-100 individuals! They were cuddling up with one another, jumping out of the water in sync, showing guests their burst speeds and agility! We went to deeper water and headed south and came across MORE long- beaks! This pod had multiple small newborn babies with their fetal folds still in tact! As we peeled away from that pod, they led us straight to a MINKE baleen whale! It took a quick breathe and we were lucky to even see it before we headed in a new direction. This Minke was coming close to the boat, doing passes under the bow, showing guests a perfect view of its rostrum and back! We spent some time admiring its calm behavior and said goodbye for our morning trip!

We had an awesome afternoon trip with dolphins galore! We set out to the west and spotted a fun pod of ~200 Long-beaked Common dolphins circling around 3-miles from shore. They were feeding under diving birds. They switched it up and traveled to the coast and we got great looks at the long spread of surfers and bow-riders. We continued out to the west and just beyond the drop-off we found an acrobatic pod of ~300 Short-beaked Common dolphin socializing! We could seem them from afar breaching and tail-slapping. At least 15 different cow-calf pairs were seen in the mix! We enjoyed watching them surf our wake and race to our bow! We continued to the south along the drop-off for more! The conditions were so nice with great visibility all around.
Mystery animal on the sunset tour! One large black animal and a huge splash never to bee seen again! We were lucky to find some playful shorties out there as well. They were foraging for food and going on long dives. It’s always mind blowing to watch over 50 animals just - disappear and reappear minutes later.

Naturalist,
Brooke, Vanessa & Alison

08/24/2024

Saturday, August 24, 2024:

We had a Minke madness morning on the water!

We started the AM trip with blue skies and beautiful seas. As we stopped by the bait receiver on the way out of Mission Bay, we had very playful sea lions jumping up on the yellow buoy, fighting for the perfect sun bathing spot! Unfortunately, one of the smaller sea lions had fishing line or plastic debris wrapped around its head, seems to be digging in quite deep- you can see in the close up photo… very sad to see our human impact on the wildlife here, even just in the bay. But, it seemed to be displaying natural behaviors and was happy to enjoy the morning sun!
Off the dropoff in 800 ft of water, we had a MASSIVE pod of BOTH long-beaked and short-beaked common dolphins- probably at least 500 individuals!!! We were surrounded by the playful dolphins, as far as the eye could see! It was quite the sight for our guests to enjoy their curious behavior. As we continued west to deeper water, we encountered a MINKE baleen whale! We noticed a rouge wave in the blue vastness and thankfully we stuck around to get some great views of the Minke breathing at the surface! These whales are quite unpredicatable so it was keeping us on our toes, but guests were happy to get a glimpse of this beautiful whale!

PM trip to come, fingers crossed for some more marine mammals!

Our PM trip was FINOMENAL!! We caught up with two species of toothed whale! We found a spunky pod of ~150 Long-beaked common dolphins. They were switching sides, surfing along the boat, and having so much fun!
Then, we reached the drop-off, travelled north a bit before changing directions to go south along the drop-off. Along the way, we found ~30 offshore bottlenose dolphins! We saw a few adorable calves and the adults were coming up right next to the boat. We have another trip coming up for sunset so please stay tuned!
Our sunset trip carried the trends of the day! We sighted two pods of dolphins, one smaller pod of long beaks about 50 strong and another pod of short beaks that was probably about 200 strong. They were playful as ever - forever searching for the perfect boat wake to surf. While we spent time with the shorties, we briefly sighted another minke whale! The real show stopper tonight was the sunset!

Naturalists,
Brooke, Vanessa, Melissa & Alison

08/24/2024

Last week, we had an incredible encounter right next to our boat as a playful humpback whale rolled through the kelp beds. Watching this gentle giant glide and swirl effortlessly through the water, enjoying the kelp, was truly mesmerizing. Humpback whales are known for their acrobatic displays, but seeing one interacting with the kelp up close like this is a rare treat. Did you know humpbacks sometimes engage with kelp for fun, using it to scratch their skin or simply enjoying the sensation? Moments like these are why we love what we do! 🐋

Video by Matthias Scheer

08/23/2024

Friday, August 23, 2024

We had some incredible Long-beaked Common dolphins and Offshore Bottlenose dolphins! We also spotted a Bryde’s whale on our afternoon tour!

On our morning trip, we set out to the west, and spotted ~300 Long-beaked Common dolphin headed west, in a long line! They seemed to love the waves and would launch out of the water. They synchronized their leaps as they traveled to the west. So many cow/calf pairs were spotted all throughout the pod. We continued out to the NW and spotted some larger splashes and found a pod of ~30 Offshore Bottlenose dolphins! They were super fun as they were very playful!

On our afternoon trip, we set out to the west and found likely the same pod of ~300 Long-beaked Common dolphin. They had similar behavior while traveling to the SW. We continued toward the 9-mile bank and spotted those Offshore bottlenose again! They raced to the SW traveling at almost 12mph! We got amazing looks! We spotted a kelp paddy, a mola mola, and a flying fish along the way. We began our way back to the coast when we spotted fluke prints! We spotted the 15-foot spout to the NW. The Bryde’s whale was traveling fast! Now’s the best to see them, so if you haven’t seen this tropical whale, come out soon!

We have one more trip to go!

Naturalist,
Vanessa

08/22/2024

Thursday, August 22, 2024
Some absolutely groovy shades of blue out there today! Summer ocean has definitely arrived. WE found nearly 1000 short beaked common dolphins on our morning trip! Every time we would announce our departure from one pod - another would show up just ahead of us! Conditions were so dreamy that we could see these dolphins cruising deep beneath the surface and see their perfect reflection on the oceans surface when they jumped. There are some good kelp paddy’s out there too! We found a mola mola hanging right next to one!

More summer fun on the Privateer this sunset trip! Ocean conditions were great! It was a little bumpy but didn’t stop us from finding the most amazing wildlife! We quickly caught up with a massive pod of ~200 long-beaks! They were surfing in our wake and STAMPEDING!! We had so much fun watching them travel so incredibly fast, almost hard to keep up! Then, we continued out west and saw mini spouts from the distance! We caught up with a wonderful pod of one of our crew favorite’s; RISSO’S dolphins! We only get to see these cute cetaceans about once or twice a month so we were all stoked! They were about ~40 Risso’s in the pod, they were breaching and tail-slapping! Never a dull moment on the water, please join us soon!

Naturalist,
Alison & Melissa

08/21/2024

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

A fintastic dolphin show was on the menu for our afternoon trip today! We headed out west and near the drop-off we encountered a massive pod of ~300 short-beaked common dolphins! They were leaping out of the water and having a blast! They love to jump up high and catch some air! Then, we traveled west and encountered a great pod of ~75 short-beaked common dolphins! They came along for a ride and loved surfing in our wake! We have another trip coming up so please stay tuned!

We had a gorgeous Sunset cruise tonight! We pushed out to the west and spotted multiple pods of Short-beaked Common dolphins! Most were trending to the south and out to the west. We got great looks as they zoomed up to our boat to surf and ride the bow. There were tiny little calves frolicking with their moms! We even got to see pink bellies! When they dolphins get really energetic their creamy white bellies flush pink! On our way in we found about 50 Long-beaked Common dolphins traveling south. They all leaped out of the water at once, syncronizing their big leaps! The sunset was beautiful as always!

Naturalists,
Melissa & Vanessa

08/20/2024

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

It was a BRYDE-ful day out there!

There’s a whole lotta bait balls out there! We had two great trips with dolphins sighted everywhere we went! On our morning trip, we set out to the west and spotted a MEGAPOD of Short-beaked Common dolphins! They were traveling to the north in a long line! We got to the end of it and found more dolphins! There was another huge spread out pod of ~300 Long-beaked Common dolphins headed to the SW! We enjoyed watching all the tiny calves, big breaches and splashing! We were on our way back in and spotted a whale pop up right next to us! A couple of passengers even saw its head as it lunged to the surface! We waited about 10-min but it never surfaced around us and gave us the slip. It was a nice and smooth ride home! 🙂

On our afternoon trip, we set out to the west and were pleasantly surprised to see a Minke whale! We had just crossed the drop-off and started seeing some splashes out in the distance. It popped up all around the boat and was seen traveling toward big schools of fish. We continued out and hung out with ~200 Short-beaked Common dolphins that were headed west. We were thrilled to see a nursery pod among them! We were about to head out when a Bryde’s (pronounced Brood-us, hence the pun on the first line) whale popped up nearby! It surfaced for 2-3 breaths and had 5-min dive times. It was fun to see its fluke prints appear before the whale surfaced! These are seasonal visitors that come from warmer waters down south, and now is the best time to catch up with them. On our way home, we spotted a pod of ~40 Long-beaked Common dolphins!

Sea ya on the next one!

Naturalist,
Vanessa

08/20/2024

Who loves a clean San Diego? We do! Join us for a beach cleanup at Fiesta Island on Saturday, September 21st from 5-7pm! We’re teaming up with I Love A Clean San Diego and others to keep our local waterways clean and clear so wildlife can thrive. 🌿🐬

Last time, we had an incredible turnout and collected 400-500 lbs of trash! 💪 The event is free and open to the whole family, but please sign up to make sure we have enough supplies for everyone. Let’s protect our ocean together! Click the link to sign up 👉 https://loom.ly/4uBAQmo

See you there!

08/20/2024

The ocean is full of many life lessons, every single day out here teaches us something new about nature, about humans, about life or gratitude. Our big lesson today was just how important it is for us not to throw our trash into the ocean. On our sunset trip we were surrounded by a massive stampede of happy dolphins - frolicking out in the wild just as they should be. When I say nothing matches dolphin energy - I mean we see full grown grizzly looking men - giggling at the antics of these dolphins like their inner child never left them. While in the midst of this joyous giggle inducing experience - we sighed something awfully grim, a baby dolphin with a plastic 6 pack holder wrapped around its beak. A sobering sight to see - this baby probably wont make it to adulthood with no way to open its mouth and consume the food required for survival. A good reminder to make sure our trash winds up in the trash, our plastic rings - cut to ensure these things do not happen. A good reminder of just how important it is to protect our precious oceans.

Both of our trips today had some incredible dolphin encounters but our afternoon trip was lucky enough to encounter a Bryde’s whale! not only did we sight a Bryde’s whale - but it was LUNGE FEEDING at the surface. We saw so many bait balls - they would start boiling at the surface before the whale would erupt from the ocean next to it! Truely a National Geographic moment out on the pacific. We’re so lucky that all of this life is just off of our coastline! We’ll be back tomorrow to continue the search!

Naturalist, Alison Moors

08/18/2024

Whale Whale Whale, look what we found today! We found 3 Bryde’s whales on our afternoon trip and it looks to be that there may be even more out there to find! (more on that later)
We went straight south this morning and found SO MANY dolphins and they were having ….a salacious time out there. (Check the photos) Dolphins are always putting on a show but, today we were shielding the children’s eyes 😅. For the most part these dolphins were cruising close to the kelp line as we searched for a humpback that was reported earlier in the day. It’s always nice to have a dolphin parade guiding us on our ocean adventures.
Since there was little in the way of baleen down south, we changed our tactics for the afternoon. We stayed close to the coast cruising straight north up into La Jolla, we found even more dolphins up there in tropical Caribbean looking turquoise water. Up past La Jolla, the water broke into a much deeper blue - the kind of blue you see in 11,000 feet of water in the middle of no where. With the blue water, we started seeing more kelp paddies and then… the whales! We first found a cow/calf pair of Bryde’s whales! (incredible find, this is the first cow/calf I’ve seen in 5 years of whale watching) As we followed the cow calf pair - we found ANOTHER Bryde’s whale. We knew these whales were headed closer to - SO GLAD they’ve finally arrived. Though Bryde’s whales are harder to track, they are an absolute blast to observe! The evening trip started with a track to the north in hopes to relocate those whales, instead we found all the dolphins we could dream of and an absolutely breathtaking sunset/ moon rise combo!

Naturalist, Alison

08/17/2024

Saturday, August 17, 2024

I’m bringin’ humpy back! (yeah) Them other whales don’t know how to act (yeah)

We found a juvenile humpback whale on both our morning and afternoon trips today! On our morning trip, we found the humpback whale hanging out near the kelp forest off of Point Loma. It was going down for brief breath cycles, about 2-3 breaths each time it was up. We also saw a shy lift of its tail flukes towards the end! Then, we found a MASSIVE scattered pod of ~500 long-beaked common dolphins! They rode alongside our boat for a good amount of time, the long-beaks even started to stampede! It was so cool to see them travel so fast! On our afternoon trip, we headed out west and quickly encountered a spunky pod of ~100 long-beaked common dolphins. They were swimming closely next to each other, seemed like a tight knit pod. They loved surfing in our wake. Then, we heard from our other whale watching friends that the humpback whale was still in town!
This time it was hanging out around ~0.8 miles offshore just outside of Mission Bay jetty! There was a lot of boat traffic outside of the jetties, so the crew was wondering why the humpback stayed in the same general area for multiple breath cycles? It didn’t seem like it was in distress but rather just being curious! We hung out with the humpback whale for at least 4-5 breath cycles, getting really great looks all around the boat. We have some more ocean fun coming up on our sunset trip so please stay tuned!
We were hopeful to relocate that humpback from earlier today, so we sat and search an area for about 20 mins after seeing what we believed to be a spout - to no avail. Long beaked common dolphins were not too far away so we set to the west eager to catch up with them. Once we did, we had a spectacular feeding frenzy - sheerwaters by the hundreds chasing SO many dolphins through the golden sunset light. We got to spend plenty of time with these dolphins before heading back to shore. The conditions are right for us to start seeing more whales! The bait is all returning, soon the predators will too.

Naturalist,
Melissa & Alison

Address

1617 Quivira Road
San Diego, CA
92109

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Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.sdwhalewatch.com/

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Videos

Who loves a clean San Diego? We do! Join us for a beach cleanup at Fiesta Island on Saturday, September 21st from 5-7pm! We’re teaming up with I Love A Clean San Diego and others to keep our local waterways clean and clear so wildlife can thrive. 🌿🐬 Last time, we had an incredible turnout and collected 400-500 lbs of trash! 💪 The event is free and open to the whole family, but please sign up to make sure we have enough supplies for everyone. Let’s protect our ocean together! Click the link to sign up 👉 https://loom.ly/4uBAQmo See you there! #sdwhalewatch #sandiegowhalewatching #beachcleanup #protectouroceans #whalewatching #whalewatch #sdww #dontbetrashy

We had the most delightful sunset cruise this weekend, surrounded by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and an unforgettable encounter with playful dolphins! The highlight of our trip was watching several moms with their calves leaping through the waves. These young dolphins are learning the ways of the ocean from their moms, and their energy was absolutely contagious. Nothing beats the joy of seeing these little ones frolic in the golden light of a San Diego sunset. #sdwhalewatch #sdww #seesandiego #visitsandiegeo #missionbay #dolphins #sunsetdolphins #dolphin #sandiegowhalewatching #babydolphins

Absolutely speechless! That’s the only way we can describe our weekend at San Diego Whale Watch. We encountered an incredible array of marine life, from majestic blue whales showcasing their flukes to a rare sighting of a playful Risso dolphin pod. Don’t miss your chance to experience these awe-inspiring moments firsthand. Comment “tickets” and we’ll DM you a link to book your tour! #sdwhalewatch #sandiegowhalewatching #bluewhales #dolphins #oceanlife #rissosdolphin #sealife #sandiegowhalewatch #sdwhalewatching #whalewatching #whales #sandiego #visitsandiego

Check out the amazing sights we've been enjoying on our tours! Both short-beaked and long-beaked common dolphins have been putting on a spectacular show, racing through the waves and showing off their incredible speed and agility. And to top it all off, we've had the pleasure of spotting the elusive Mola Mola, or ocean sunfish, basking near the surface. These gentle giants can weigh over a ton and are known for their unique, flattened bodies and small fins. Comment "tickets" to book a tour and start your adventure with us today!

Say hello to the playful Risso's Dolphins! 🐬 These distinct dolphins are known for their unique white scars and blunt heads, making them a fascinating sight. Did you know Risso's Dolphins often socialize and swim in large pods? In this photo, they're having a blast, riding the waves and showing off their acrobatic skills! Come see them in action and book your tour with us today! Comment "save15" below and we'll DM you a code for $15 off your next tour with us!

Double the excitement on our tours with this incredible pair of fin whales! These majestic giants have been gracing us with their presence regularly, giving us unforgettable moments on the water. Fin whales, the second-largest species of whale, are known for their incredible speed and grace. Did you know that fin whales can reach speeds of up to 23 mph, earning them the nickname "greyhounds of the sea"? These gentle giants are a breathtaking reminder of the wonders of the ocean. Join us on the Privateer and save $15! Just comment "save15" below and we will send you the code!

INCREDIBLE drone footage of one of our recent Fin whale sightings!! It has been a Fin whale palooza out there!

Looking to throw an epic party? 🎉 Look no further than a boat charter! ✨ Experience stunning views, a full on-board bar, and customizable catering packages.🍾 🍴 🎶 Dance the night away with our music and PA system. We've got it all covered! 💰 Best part? It's surprisingly affordable! 🌊 Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience. Book your boat charter today! #HolidayParty #Boatparty #sandiegoevents #sandiegolife #sandiegolivin #sandiegobased #missionbay #boatparty #lajolla #sandiego

August 16, 2023 We had the most incredible dolphin stampede today! We headed out west from the jetties today -the sea conditions NOT on our side. The skies were blue and the clouds were beautiful fluffy cumulonimbus clouds over land but - the wind was wild today! It was very difficult to spot anything due to the wind but - soon enough we found a gathering of birds above a boat off in the distance. We altered course to investigate when all of a sudden the ocean started FOAMING IN A HUGE LINE in the distance. DOLPHINS! They were on a mission! We took some time to catch up with them but - once we caught up we were UTTERLY surrounded. We could hear a cacophony of their squeaks and clicks as we cruised with them. We were able to travel with them like one of the pod for a solid 45 minutes! We live for days like these out here! Naturalist, Alison

Monday, August 7, 2023 Oh BABY! We had an AMAZING trip watching cow/calf pairs of DOLPHINS & BRYDE'S WHALES! We set out of Mission Bay and were cruising in smooth, calm seas. Our incredible visibility led to finding so much wildlife! We hung out with ~650 Long-beaked Common dolphins only 3-miles from shore! They surrounded our boat and surfed in our wake! We observed so many babies in the mix! We got to the drop-off and sighted another small pod of Commons and then out in the distance we could see massive splashes on the horizon. We found a HUGE pod of ~500 Short-beaked Common dolphins! They were breaching and porpoising all around us! We were enjoying the dolphin activity when Captain Ryan spotted a spout in front of us! We had found a rare sighting of a cow/calf pair of Bryde's whales! Only after seeing a couple breaths, we were pleasantly surprised and observed mom BREACH only 200-ft in front of us! We could see her beautiful white/blue/pink belly and throat grooves as she did a half turn and landed with a huge splash! Passengers cheered with excitement! We hung out and observed them travel slowly to the west at about 5kts. We encountered more Common dolphins along the way home! Some amazing passengers were gracious enough to share their videos with us all! THANK YOU!! Naturalist, Vanessa P.S. Please see photos in comments. :)

The first person to guess the correct date for San Diego's first Gray Whale sighting will get 2 FREE passes to join us for a whale watch! Comment your guess below!! #visitsd #missionbaysandiego, #whalewatchingtour #dolphinwatching #californiaadventure #whalewatch

Blue whale season is coming to a close! Make sure you book your spot before it ends! 📸 Naturalist Brooke #whalewatch #dolphin #marinelife #cruise #sandiego #sd #relax #sailaway #whales #whaletale #ocean #california #californiaadventure #familytime #splash #sealife #funinsandiego #lajolla #sandiegoliving #mysdphoto #pacificbeach #delmar #cali #visitsd #missionbeach #westcoast #cruiseing #adventure #cruisesd #sdww

The whale watching has been just incredible this week! It has been so much fun that we have decided to add a 12:30 PM trip for tomorrow! Make sure to come on out with us before some offshore weather rolls in Friday possibly keeping us off the water this weekend. Reserve your seat online at sdwhalewatch.com You never know what we may see! #whalewatch #dolphin #marinelife #cruise #sandiego #sd #relax #sailaway #whales #whaletale #ocean #california #californiaadventure #familytime #sealife #funinsandiego #lajolla #sandiegoliving #mysdphoto #pacificbeach #delmar #cali #visitsd #missionbeach #westcoast #adventure #sdww#whalewatching #whalewatching

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Our Story

San Diego's FIRST year round whale and dolphin watching experience! We embark on 3-hour trips aboard the Privateer in the search for a variety of marine animals. We often see sea lions, seals, a variety of birds, dolphins, and different species of whales depending on the time of year. Throughout the months of December-April, we enjoy the annual Gray Whale migration along the coast of California. In the summer, we are able to encounter the mighty Blue Whales feeding miles offshore! We get occasional visits from Humpback, Minke and Fin Whales, as well as Sea Turtles and even sharks! Join us on one of our whale watching adventures to enjoy some of the Pacific Ocean's most magnificent creatures!

Address: 1717 Quivira Rd. San Diego, CA, 92109

Phone: 619-839-0128