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Sanctuary Cruises
Categories: Event Planning & Services Boat Charters Hotels & Travel Tours Boat Charters, Tours [Edit]
Moss Landing Harbor7881 Sandholdt Rd
Moss Landing, CA 95039
(831) 917-1042
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
12 reviews for Sanctuary Cruises
12 reviews in English
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Review from Andy Z.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/30/2011
I just had to write a review to share our experience onboard the Sanctuary whale-watching cruise we took on Friday January 28, 2011.... breathtaking, awesome, and inpiring are just a few of the words that come to mind.
My two year old son had his grandmother visting from Connecticut for the week, so I decided my wife and I would take the whole family a few miles south of Santa Cruz to Moss Landing and try a whale-watching trip with our whole family. Four of us adults were interested in going, so we emailed a question to the email address on the website inquiring if we could/should take our toddler on this four-hour journey. I was very grateful to receive a reply almost immediately (at 9PM in the evening the day before the cruise!), assuring me that a toddler would be just fine on board and that they had enough experienced crew, youth-sized life jackets, etc to make us feel comfortable and safe. Fantastic!
We arrived ahead of schedule and received a great orientation from Dorris. She was obviously very comfortable, knowledgable, and thrilled to be showing us everything we needed to know. Although the maximum capacity of the boat was 35 or so, our crew consisted of about 22 passengers, which gave everyone a lot of space to walk around and take in the trip from different views. Anti-seasick electronic bracelets were made available for rent if you needed it, which my wife actually did. The ride can get bumpy at times, but the crew was very helpful in keeping everyone prepared about what to do in case of seasicknesses. And although some people probably felt a little queasy, no one on our cruise got seriously ill.
Throughout the course of the journey, Dorris and the crew (two other marine biology interns/assistants) were well-educated about the ocean, the wildlife, the Monterey bay and the species of birds, fish, and other animals that we saw along the way. It was wonderful to watch the coastline get further and further away and really feel like we were getting away from everything. Even with a young toddler to take care of, we all felt especially relaxed and inspired at the views surrounding us all day, and the sun stayed out most of the day, keeping the temperature comfortable even in late January. I could see how it could get significantly colder on board, and if the waves were rockier I could imagine the ship getting a little damp on deck. On our trip, I recall one splash that got the sneakers of one of the guests - other than that, just an occasional ocean mist to make the voyage that much more exciting.
Realizing that we weren't in the peak season, we hoped to at least catch a view of something amazing out in the blue yonder, but Captain Mike steered us right into some hotspots. We were treated to several great views of Monterey bay wildlife, including pods of Rissos dolphins (jumping out of the water spinning!), Pacific White-sided dolphins (so energetic!), and yes - TWO instances of gray whale sitings. From various moments of breeching to watching the tails emerge out of the water (fluking), the sheer size of the whales was incredible to see. Captain Mike steered us very very close to where the whales were swimming, keeping sure to respect the animals' path in their migration. Everyone on the boat had several opportunities to take photographs, and although it was fun to capture these great animals through my camera lens, there are very few things that can compare to seeing such incredible ocean dwellers with the naked eye - in a word, amazing.
We all had nothing but fantastic things to say about each of the crew interns/assistants, and the entire experience as a whole. Dorris' knowledge and passion about marine biology and the Monterey Bay in general were an absolute pleasure to hear coming through the loudspeaker- it was very evident that everything she said was very heartfelt, which made each sighting seem that much more special!
Thank you Sanctuary Cruises for allowing us to take our little toddler on board - the gentle rocking of the boat felt too much like the familiar feeling of mama's lullabies, so he missed most of the good stuff, but that's just reason to keep on bringing him back! We're excited to try a cruise in different seasons to learn about different stages of the migration cycle. We'll see you again!Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 2/2/2011
How generous of Andy to write such a detailed review of… More » -
Review from Tim H.
7/6/2010
As I said in my other review of whale watching in Monterey Bay, what you see is always a bit of a crap shoot, so this review isn't so much about what we got to see, and more about how we got to see it.
These guys run a good operation, the small-ish boat isn't too full and they do one cruise a day, so although it's slightly more expensive than the Monterey based competition, the amount of time at sea / cost ratio is very good for these folks.
On top of that, their location means that you're over a submarine canyon way sooner, and although I'm no marine biologist, I've been told by enough of them on whale watching cruises that the whales are typically found over such canyons as that's where their food is.
I haven't gotten sea sick yet on a cruise, but guests often do - these guys have electric pulse anti seasick bands for rent. No idea how well they work, and although the ocean was fairly calm on this day, the guy losing at least the last three meals he had eaten off the back of the boat was *not* wearing one, and his wife and the grandfather were and remained intact - coincidence?
They have a snack bar based on an honor system that appeared to work really well.
The size of the boat and how (not that) full they filled it meant that when we found whales, everyone got a good clear view of the action, and the captain was able to position us so that we just floated around with the engines in neutral or totally off and the whales came closer to us.
The marine biologist manged to tell us stuff I'd not heard before too, so absolutely no complaints from me.
The fifth star is missing due to the nature of whale watching in Monterey Bay - it can never be more than a four star experience if you've whale watched off the cost of Maui or the Big Island in the January / February time frame.Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 7/7/2010
What a great review! Tim, keep coming back. Monterey Bay IS… More » -
Review from Lauren O.
Updated - 5/9/2011
The owner messaged me re: my review and showed genuine concern about my experience. Although bad weather is a routine thing along the California Coast, I felt she made the extra effort to hear my concerns. I really appreciate it when company owners contact yelpers re: their reviews and try to make things right. It speaks to their care about their operation, their reputation, and their customers.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/28/2011
:( Our cruise was cancelled by the weather! Boooooo. But what can you do- it's the weather!
The… Read more »
Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 5/9/2011
We have no control over Mother Nature, but we do take… More » -
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Review from amy s.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2006
One of my first memories is watching a PBS special about whales and having a serious breakdown, because it instilled in me a strong desire to become a "whale girl" (when your six the term Marine Biologist has no meaning). This conflicted with my known (only to me) destiny to become a ridiculously, famous actress, and lead to me crying hysterically for over an hour. Naturally, I ended up in software.
Needless to say, I was beyond excited when I finally managed to book a whale watching trip. I carefully perused the plethora of available tours and finally selected Sanctuary Cruises because (a) Moss Landing is closer than Monterey (b) they really seemed to care about the whales and (c) Sanctuary sounds so soothing.
We went this past Saturday and despite getting up at 5:45am, I have to say, I was pleased with my choice. We went out on their big catamaran "The Princess of Whales", which was good because we were on rough seas and bad because their were lots of folks who clearly shouldn't be out in rough seas. Our captain (Capt. Steph) was the first on the Bay to spot two Humpbacks and we watched them for about an hour. Eventually four or five other boats motored their way over, which definitely made for a less intimate experience. But since we were there first, it seemed that our boat got to be closest. I don't know if this is whale watching code but it definitely felt that way.
I think next time I would like to go out on the smaller boat, as my only complaint is that it all felt very distant with such a big boat and so many people (and so many of them getting sick). But overall a great trip, and a great day.Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 8/9/2009
8/09: We recently got Sanctuary Cruises back after a… More » -
Review from Paul C.
Los Altos, CA
4/11/2011
A stunning day out that involved multiple pods of Orcas and a Gray Whale. The enthusiasm of the crew was infectious. Would return in a heartbeat.
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Review from L J.
Los Angeles, CA
7/18/2010
After making the reservations for this tour, the woman tried to make me take a different time. I let her know that I could not, she kept trying to get me to change my time to suit her (that should have been my warning NOT to deal with this company) I made the reservations, paid and while on my way there (a two and a half hour drive) the called me 30 minutes before the reservation time and said the tour was canceled due to weather! The weather was perfect, thew guy tried to make a new reservation (why so you can ruin another day for me?) Bottom line, unless your life revolves around when they feel like keeping a reservation, don't waste your gas or your day! These jerks have no intention of honoring the reservations they make, go to a responsible company!
Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 7/21/2010
Perfect weather on shore means nothing on the ocean. We warn… More » -
Review from Nikki G.
Brentwood, CA
2/16/2011
This review may be a bit unfair because I had high expectations of seeing whales breach and flooks everywhere I looked. Dress warm, it is always almost 20 degrees cooler on the water and sitting in the front of the boat will most certainly give you the best view but also the most wind chill. We saw a large pod of dolphins which we followed for a long time and everyone was allowed the chance to watch them. And then we continued on our search for whales. Don't expect to see much after for the first hour or so because that is how long it takes to get out to the area where the whales are. When we finally found a pod of whales, we followed them and we even saw a couple good flukes. We spent almost 6 hours out on the water, which is a very long time on a boat especially when you are hungry, cold, and your eyes are blood shot from searching for whales. (There are snacks, but I would suggest bringing a sandwich or something more filling)
I understand that it isn't up to anyone except the animals on how much action you will see so I really appreciate staying out there extra long to see a whale but whale watching is precisely what it sounds like: watching whales. I just had really high expectations but it was a cool experience none the less.Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 2/22/2011
Hi Nikki, Every day is different out there, and on your day… More » -
Review from Lydia L.
Updated - 3/12/2010 6 photos
If you are looking for whale in California, do so in the right way. Not on a plate like at Santa Monica's The Hump! Take a Sanctuary Whale Watching trip instead and see these magnificent whales as they should be seen in their natural habitat shown by people who love and respect them and the Ocean!
Listed in: Outdoorsie Me.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/18/2009
We went on one of Sanctuary's whale watching trips and it was amazing. We were lucky that day-the… Read more »
Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 8/18/2009
We attract great people! It's really nice having passengers… More » -
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Review from Danielle G.
Brooklyn, NY
8/27/2010
Great whale-watching in Monterey Bay yesterday! Whale soup was how our naturalist guide, Kate described our embarassment of humpback whales to view. At 18, we lost count of the total number of whales!
Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 9/13/2010
Taking New Yorkers onto the Monterey Bay is a blast. They… More » -
Review from Jen W.
CA
8/25/2008
I just completed my second trip with Sanctuary and Captain Noel. The captain has fantastic commentary about the Monterey Bay marine life while you are cruising. We were the smallest tour boat on the water and the first to spot several humpbacks. Then we came upon a pod of killer whales attacking a humpback baby. The mother humpback and several other humpbacks were fighting back. Eventually the other big tour boats showed up, so three tour boats and a fishing boat watched the battle for life on the bay. It was a humbling experience.
Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 8/9/2009
Thanks, Jen! National Geographic featured our company in… More » -
Review from Jeffrey C.
Brooklyn, NY
7/26/2010
I've been meaning to check out Sanctuary Cruises for quite some time, and having family in town provided the perfect motivation. We had a 5 and 7 year old in tow, so I needed something that would work for kids and adults alike. This seemed like just the thing.
We arrived a bit early to enjoy some lunch at Phil's Fish Market. I highly recommend this. We had the Sunday afternoon cruise, so it worked out great. The only issue was that there was a big antique fair in Moss Landing, combined with the Wharf to Wharf in Santa Cruz, the Gilroy Garlic Festival, and a motorcycle race at Laguna Seca, Highway 1 was at a total crawl. I wish they would have mentioned that in the confirmation email.
The cruise itself was fantastic. Both the naturalist and the captain were terrific, informed, helpful, fun, and really got us up close and personal with the whales. The naturist especially knew a lot about the whales, and all the sea life, as well as the geography of the area.
I HIGHLY recommend the wristbands they have to keep you from getting seasick. They emit a very mild electric pulse into your wrist that keeps you from feeling nausea. If you even get a little queasy on a boat, it's a must. I used it and felt great the whole time.
They have a great little snack bar on board. The boat is clean, great access to life vests as well.
Now for the great part. These guys are total pros, and know right where the whales are. We saw tons of humpbacks and even two blue whales. They got us really close, but not too close. They really respect the animals and know exactly how to behave around them. Truly amazing.
If you've ever wanted to get up close and personal with some of natures most amazing creatures, go with Sanctuary Cruises. An experience I'll remember the rest of my life.Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 7/26/2010
We do normally warn people of events around the area, but… More » -
Review from Inge B.
San Jose, CA
7/9/2010
We went out with the Sanctuary crew today and had the whale-watching experience of a lifetime. Our previous whale cruises had been out of the San Juan Islands or Monterey; honestly, I didn't think anything could top the orcas in the San Juans, but today's trip did. I do think we lucked out with great conditions, but Steph (the skipper) and Kate (our naturalist) seemed to have such a good sense for where to find the whales, and more important, how to act around them. The result was a remarkable experience in which a pair of humpbacks flirted with our boat for at least half an hour, diving on one side and surfacing right along the other side, time and again. We were close enough to see the barnacles on their fins and the lovely kelp garland one wore. It was breathtaking to see these enormous, graceful creatures so close up. Even the too-cool-for-school 14 YO boys with me were blown away, clutching my arms and grinning from ear to ear each time we were treated to the whales' spouting 10 feet away (bonus note - the new kitten you have waiting at home will think your whale-spit-covered cheeks are the tastiest things ever).
The boat itself is all that you need and nothing you don't, in good condition, with a clean head, hot water for coffee, and snacks. The harbor is super easy to get to, we made it in an hour from Almaden, and only $3 to park all day.
Tremendous experience and I can't thank these folks enough. We will absolutely be back - my husband heard my description of our trip today and is jealous!Comment from Dorris W. of Sanctuary Cruises 7/9/2010
Teen-aged boys are a tough audience, but we've heard from… More »
