Newport Beach Whale Watching Cruise: Majestic Marine Life Encounter
4.1
173 Ratings
Newport Beach
Embark on a Newport Beach whale watching cruise and encounter majestic marine life, including the giant blue whale, humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and more. Book now!
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 309 Palm St - Select from several whale watching cruise times daily and year-round. Our whale watching & dolphin cruises view giant blue whales, finback whales, gray whales, humpback whales, minke whales, several species of dolphin and more.
What's Included
  • All landing and facility fees included
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information

Explore a diverse range of whales such as the colossal blue whale stretching over 90 feet, humpback whales, gray whales, finback whales, various dolphin species, seals, and other fascinating marine wildlife. Immediately outside Newport Bay lies the frontier of one of the most significant marine protected zones in the southern part of California, established to safeguard this vibrant ecosystem for upcoming generations. This protected marine sanctuary spans more than 15 miles and serves as a sanctuary for all marine life, including whales and dolphins. Given this remarkable habitat for mammals in proximity to Newport Bay, whale watching tours of 2-2.5 hours suffice to observe these titanic creatures. Newport Landing operates several whale watching trips daily and boasts a 96% success rate in spotting whales and/or dolphins, ensuring almost every journey offers a chance to view these animals.
*New is an all-new double-decker whale watching catamaran featuring bow seating, panoramic views from both the upper and lower decks, and much more.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Minimum drinking age is 21 years
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • A maximum of 20 people per booking
Location
309 Palm St
Palm Street
Located on the Balboa Boardwalk in Newport Beach. Suite A.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(173 Ratings)
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Jim_b
Apr 20, 2024
Saw them all! - We saw 3 sightings of a whale. 2 dolphins and several sea lions basking in the sun. The captain stayed out a little longer to find the dolphins which we appreciated!
Review provided by Viator
April_a
Apr 15, 2024
Great trip and crew were... - Great trip and crew were professional and knowledgeable. We will be back next time in Newport Beach.
Review provided by Viator
Isthatyourdog
Mar 5, 2024
Davey Locker Tour is the best! - This says Newport Beach Whale tour but when I got there and got my confirmation it was Daveys Locker as the actual tour group. Ok we almost didnt see a whale except a passenger finally spotted a fin whale as we were leaving. We saw it for a few seconds and didnt see it again as we had to leave because the first almost two hours was nothing but a pleasant cruise around the bay. So we got a fair look - but I had hoped to see the grey whales everyone was talking about. We saw dolphins on the way back - also spotted by passengers and the captain never noticed or mentioned them so I dont think they noticed. We saw sea lions but they hang out in the same spot so you are "guaranteed" to see them so no trip ends without seeing "something". I'm not going to ding them for not really seeing whales like we wanted because these are animals on free roam and that would be unrealistic. The five stars is for a clean and well maintained boat and pleasant crew. Its for an easy and friendly check in experience, a good deal of $25 for valet parking and having binoculars and snacks on board. It was a pleasant boat ride and I dont like open water or boats but felt safe and had no sea issues the entire time. Ive never been on the ocean on this side of the map so i definitely enjoyed our crew (think it was Larry and Matt) and the boat was called the Explorer or Ocean something I dont really remember thanks to a really strong Mai Tai on board. You have a lot of whale watching outfits to choose from- go with this one as its a bigger boat but not crowded, has bathrooms drinks and snacks, and has the best view. With two decks you can see down into the water better/farther than a low boat. Overall long winded review but should give you a good feel with what to look for in a tour and realize Davey Jones is the best!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rafael_g
Jan 29, 2024
Pleasantly surprised - Just wanted to take a cheap boat ride since most reviews said they didn't see much. We ended up seeing several whales! It took us about an hour on the water when the captain said he would extend our trip to try to see some whales. We saw several of them just meter from our boat. The boat also serves alcohol and they make some good drinks! Overall I give this 5 stars!
Review provided by Viator
Sue_r
Jan 13, 2024
Once in a lifetime experience - We got to see a whale! The guide made sure we had lots of opportunities to spot a whale, it was a little challenging but he explained everything as to why there weren’t many out today. It was truly a great experience even though we just got to see a little bit of a whale!!! There was a great bar area and snacks too. Bring a blanket if you’re going in January!! Go with a friend so you don’t have to ask random people to take pics for you! Also bring your own binoculars if you want.
Review provided by Viator
Denise_s
Nov 7, 2023
Dolphins were amazing!! - The dolphins were amazing!! Whales were really cool but the dolphins were so cool to see!! Great experience! Crew were all really nice and helpful!!
Review provided by Viator
Davidbarney1970
Mar 5, 2024
We did the 2 hour whale watching trip - This was a very good tour with excellent views of the coastline while leaving Newport Beach. Unfortunately, we did not see any whales on this tour we were able to see sea lions and bottlenose dolphins. Staff was very pleasant and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carole_l
Apr 21, 2024
No name:) - The trip is so long and whale watching so short. Safe and clean but not so good:) I wish they cut the trip and do the whale watching more.:)
Review provided by Viator
Celestine_b
Apr 5, 2024
Dolphins and Seals - We did get to see two different types of dolphins and a hand ful of sea lions. A few of the sea lions were swimming backwards while others were sun bathing. No whales were seen that day according to the captain.
Review provided by Viator
Kapilk893
Apr 16, 2024
Horrible experience - Went on a fishing trip with my 8 year old. They advertise themselves as friendly to novices. There were couple of guys from the support staff who were rude and outright disrespectful, just because we couldn't handle our fishing gear, even when I told them that this was our first-time fishing. One of them even used foul language and openly mocked at us to his mate.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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