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Review Highlights
So many grey whales!

Noon on a Monday in January = You get the boat to yourself! On a whim we made a reservation to go... read more

Reviewed 2 weeks ago
A1thatsenough
,
Thousand Oaks, CA
1st Time Whale watcher

Staff was great and helpful. Trip was smooth and safe. They stayed out longer than expected. Highly... read more

Reviewed 2 weeks ago
Mark B
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Reviewed 6 April 2018 via mobile

This was fabulous!!!! The people running the trip were all very professional and informative and helpful. The boat itself was spacious, well cared for and nice. The captain was obviously skilled. And then there were the whales...and dolphins...and wow!!!! We had an unusually spectacular day for whale watching. I have been on many, many tours in various parts of the world. This one combined all of the previous ones. That won’t happen every time. However, the information about what we were seeing and what to look for was stellar. Again - not new to this environment - and yet I learned new things. The 4 hour morning trip was truly a great deal and a perfect amount of time.
Also - I love that they have their own photographers - allowing all of us (if we wished - plenty still took own photos) to just enjoy the views knowing we could go to their website and get photos and videos from there.
HIGHLY recommend.

Date of experience: April 2018
1  Thank hob0525
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy B, General Manager at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, responded to this reviewResponded 6 April 2018

Thank you for taking the time to share such a great review of your trip! It's a delight to know how you enjoyed your time with us, and your generous recommendation is truly appreciated. We hope to see you again soon!

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Reviewed 4 April 2018

our day started off with getting our group together and milling about the gift shop, the store attendants recommended the seasick pills, thankful for that! They had individual pills available. Once on board we saw sea lions, sea otters, a lot of really cool ocean birds. Once further out on the bay we got up close to grey whales! And then it was so special to get to see a pair of blue whales, never in my life did I think I would get the chance to see a blue whale. The week after our New Years trip we already reserved a all day 8 hour whale watching trip in killer whale season. My dream has always been to see orcas so hopefully we get to see them :D

I highly recommend This company, very knowlegible and very open and friendly.

Date of experience: January 2018
Thank Ashleymcf
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy B, Owner at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, responded to this reviewResponded 4 April 2018

Ashley, thank you for ringing in the New Year with us! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

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Reviewed 16 March 2018 via mobile

Highly recommend. Big and comfortable boat. Areas to get food or stay warm if it’s cold. You might get less sea sick on a larger vessel like this as well
The lady narrating was excellent and talked about sea life and the area around where we were.
We saw multiple whales and dolphins.
Our daughter dropped her iPhone into the bay before the boat left and the captain called a diver to come get it. Alas, it was toast despite being an X , but we were happy to have it back.

Date of experience: March 2018
2  Thank jlab123
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy B, Manager at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, responded to this reviewResponded 16 March 2018

Thank you for the generous review. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us and that your family was comfortable/able to see some of our amazing wildlife. We are sorry to hear about your daughters phone, but glad they were able to retrieve it, take care!

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Reviewed 9 March 2018

I was worried that I'd be sea sick and I was worried we wouldn't see a thing. I was wrong on both counts.

We set off early which I think is a good plan, as if the water is rough and it's cancelled then you may get time to try and fit onto another trip.

The team are welcoming and have lots of knowledge. They know how to follow the whales and what they are up to and keep you up to date with what they have seen and what to look for,

We saw grey whales who they felt weren't migrating as they were hovering and perhaps being social on the route to San Fran bay - good to know! We saw lots of seals and otters and had a ball.

It was rough out there and some kids did not seem to enjoy it. So I'd consider their age and if they are up to it. Seemed a total chore and many were glad to get off. Most adults were fine but it was bitter cold in February so many layers are needed and a hat.

Take a camera and obviously depending on the time of year the team will do their best to show you something but of course it's not guaranteed.

Date of experience: February 2018
3  Thank Nicki H
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy B, Owner at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, responded to this reviewResponded 10 March 2018

Nicki, thank you for sharing your review! We're glad you enjoyed the day with us, and appreciate the insight for those who may join us in the future. We hope to see you again!

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Reviewed 6 March 2018

Booked the day before and got on even though it was busy. Saw glimpses of whales wish we could have got closer but a great day out and not too rough on the water.
Saw whales,dolphins seals,sealions and otters, the girl crew were great and very helpful.
$45 good value wish we could have seen more but might be because of the time of year.

Date of experience: February 2018
Thank Robert0057
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy B, Owner at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, responded to this reviewResponded 7 March 2018

Robert, thank you for joining us! We look forward to seeing you again.

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