Discovery Whale Watch

There's a reason these guys have 5 FULL stars: they're simply the best. The tour east to book, fast to check in, punctual, thorough in safety procedures, super informative from a marine biology standpoint, respectful of the wildlife and helpful to other companies as well.

A special praise and thank you goes to ISAIAH, the marine biologist on board, who couldn't have been more knowledgeable and personable. If you happen to have him on your tour, just relax, trust his expertise and experience, benefit from his positive attitude, sing along his beautiful sailors songs and enjoy the ride. He is truly magnificent.

You will never regret booking with this company. True, we saw 8 humpback whales, included a cub. But this has nothing to do with the way these guys operate, which is flawless.

One word of advice: DO take the motion sickness meds they sell. The best $1 you'll spend on your life!

We had a wonderful time meeting people from across the world. Our guide Isaiah and Kevin took great care of us. Oh yeah, and we saw tons of whales and dolphins. Epic!

We loved our excursion with Discovery Whale Watch! While they fully explained that there was a chance we wouldn't see anything, our trip was extremely lucky. 6 Humpbacks, 20 Grey Whales, 150-200 Dolphins, 2 Jelly Fish, Sea Lions, and birds galore!

First, we had a little safety instruction meeting that was both informative and fun. Then, we loaded onto the boat and were helpfully reminded boat etiquette. Traveling out of the harbor to get to the whale crossing was more interesting than we anticipated. The crew talked to everyone and answered any and all of our questions and helped create a great atmosphere.

Once, we got to the crossing or channel the crew worked as a team to help locate the whales. They were calm and that energy passed onto the rest of the passengers. I liked how our group was small, no more than 35 people and one dog which was kinda funny. We respectfully kept a distance from the whales and let another boat know our location so they could join us. As we left to see more pods all of the sudden we were surrounded! It was amazing how quiet all of us became when around these giant creatures.

Did you know whales can get a cold? If you smell something kinda icky it's not the bathroom vent. Just a whale with a respiratory infection. Who knew!

Honestly, we had a once in a lifetime experience and would recommend this team to everyone.

Fun fun fun
We saw orcas in the hunt for seals
Thankfully no seals were caught but we had an amazing Captain and crew. The weather was perfect!!!

What a wonderful experience! From beginning to end, the staff was welcoming. They called me before the tour to let me know there was some road closures due to a marathon so I could plan and not be late. On the boat, they kept a checking on me and my daughter to see how we were feeling (my daughter was slightly sea sick)... they brought us up close and personal with the sea life, while still respecting distance.
The boat was very clean, safe and they have two bathrooms that are nice. Which was a huge plus. I appreciated all the outside space and really got to "be" on the ocean.
I would definitely take a trip with them again and recommend this company to anyone!

We chose this whale watching tour because of the great reviews and they did not disappoint plus the whales were not shy. We saw orcas with their babies and many humpback whales slapping their fins and tails and also breaching out of the water. We also saw risso dolphins. It was a memory we will always remember. We took the 6 hour cruise because we know it takes awhile to get out in the ocean and time to come back to port so we wanted 3-4 hours minimum just watching the whales and a longer opportunity to see orcas. We are glad we did the 6 hour. April and May are peak orca months and we went on Friday 4/12/24 so we were lucky on our trip. We will definitely be back. Amanda, the photographer was good but not as friendly and helpful as captain Rod and Andrew. We are glad we chose your business for our experience. We will be back.

The trip was fun and informative. The weather was great. We saw probably eight or nine whales different ones. We saw Russo's dolphins, sea lions and countless birdlife. It was definitely worth it.

My husband and I went on our first whale watching adventure on April 8, 2024, to celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary! We had a fabulous time although I did get sea sick! Isiah was awesome helping us out and another crew member I believe his name was Jesse was so kind offering me sprite to settle my stomach and water to wash my mouth out! I don't think I would've made through my day without his help! Thanks guys! We're planning our next trip soon. Isiah took pictures of the whales and offered us the option to get them. And I'd love to take him up on his offer if possible.? Can't wait for another awesome adventure! I'd recommend this boat ride to anyone who is looking for a whale watching adventure to book it with discovery whale watch. Until next time! Thanks again to the crew!!

This was the best ever whale watching trip! Knowledgeable and friendly guides. They even took pictures from a really good camera and shared them so we could enjoy the whales. We saw otters. And a humpback. Dolphins. And a ton of gray whales mating! Crazy! They also breached!

And the welcome friendly dogs!

First time going whale watching with my partner and it was worth it entirely. We went in February and we were told it felt like September weather, which is a good time to see many creatures out in the open sea. We were able to see various humpback whales, sea lions, and white-sided dolphins. The crew on the board were super informative, marine biologists to be specific, so they shared a lot about the animals and life in the ocean. I would highly recommend trying this and going through this company. The boat leaves right on the dot so be sure to leave time for parking and walking through Fisherman's Wharf to get there.

5/5 - Discovery Whale Watch's service
3/5 - My own personal experience on a boat

Whale watching in Monterey has been on my bucket list since my husband and I moved to the Bay Area, and I was so excited when he booked a trip over Valentines Day weekend. After arriving and getting our tickets, we got an overview and safety instructions before heading out on the boats.

The boat ride was 3 hours, and the boat was on the smaller end but had a bathroom, inside area with tables, and enough seating for everyone. The captain will essentially drive around until they spot some whales, and the marine biologist on board will fill you in with animal facts throughout the trip. We did end up seeing a whale and it was a beautiful experience.

The crew was hospital, our marine biologist was very knowledgeable, but I would not do the trip again. I was one of the few passengers on board who ended up getting sea sick... Multiple times off the side of the boat. The crew was very helpful, giving me water and ginger candies to help tone it down, but I was honestly very miserable 30 minutes into the ride.

I am glad that we were able to do this and it was a great learning experience, but because of the sea sickness I would not do it again. I realize it's not Discovery Whale Watch's fault, but it was rough.