San Diego Whale Watching: Year-Round Marine Adventure

Experience year-round whale spotting on our San Diego whale watching cruise. Join us aboard the Yacht America for a thrilling adventure with experienced guides and the chance to see gray whales, blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, and naval activity.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Next Level Sailing - Experience a journey past North Island Naval Air Station, US Navy Base Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument, and Point Loma Lighthouse to observe sea lions, dolphins, and whales.
What's Included
  • 4.5-hr sailing cruise
  • Whale sighting guarantee: If you don’t see a whale, you get to come back for free
  • No seasickness’ guarantee: Lose your lunch, we get you a new one
  • Free Parking. Check-in located next to parking lot.
  • Sodas and snacks
  • Bring layers, blankets, and jackets. It can be cold on the water!
  • 9:00 AM trip: Check in between 8:00 AM…
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
Additional Information

Whale watching in San Diego is a year-round adventure! At Next Level Sailing, the team ensures an exceptional experience with highly skilled guides, achieving a 100% success rate in spotting the majestic King of the Deep during the winter season.
This is one of the top outdoor activities in San Diego. The gray whale watching season runs from mid-December…

Location
Next Level Sailing
Shelter Island Drive
Check in opens an hour before departure time and closes 30 minutes before departure. If you arrive after check in, you will miss the boat. Check in flag located across street from the Best Western Island Palms Hotel and Blue Wave Bar & Grill. Check Inclusions/Exclusions for specific check in times.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(2395 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
T9078qzcarrieh
Feb 9, 2026
Sailing Adventure - Had beautiful weather. Saw 7 grey whales. Friendly and knowledgeable crew. Beautiful sail boat with a great history. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roger_w
Feb 7, 2026
Great Sail, but No Whales - What a wonderful day for a sailing expedition. The American replica and their crew were delightful. The day was perfect. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any whales (first time this season, apparently). We did see lots of dolphins, which was fun. Because we didn’t see whales, they provide a no expiration date rebook. Gives us a great excuse to return to San Diego. Crew was outstanding.
Review provided by Viator
Carlos_c
Feb 7, 2026
Fantabulous Sea Adventure…!!! 11/10! - Highly recommend for any one wanting to experience a great wonder…!!! The Captain and Crew were amazing…!!!
Review provided by Viator
Annwilltn
Feb 7, 2026
A must! - Even though we didn't see any whales...which is rare!... we still had a great time. And we were given a no expire -next time trip..as guaranteed! Truly hope to use it! Highly recommend this outfitter. The ship is gorgeous!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnhf1317ks
Feb 7, 2026
A wonderful sail! - What a great sailing! The boat was beautiful! Crew members were very attentive and made the day very enjoyable. Our naturalist was very knowledgeable about whales. Would definitely take this trip the next time we get to San Diego.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_k
Feb 6, 2026
Wonderful experience - It was an awesome experience, with a very friendly and knowledgeable staff that made it a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable excursion. We saw several wales and lots of marine life. It completely exceeded our expectations and we would highly recommend that you experience this for yourself.
Review provided by Viator
Robert_b
Feb 6, 2026
Check-in was seamless,... - Check-in was seamless, boarding was organized. We took the 11:00 tour which was apparently a good choice because we saw a total of seven whales. The entire crew was professional and friendly and made sure everyone had a great view. Our crew leader was exceptional and gave informative narration with interesting facts about whales and sights during the excursion. We highly recommend booking with San Diego Whale Watching.
Review provided by Viator
Amy_h
Feb 5, 2026
Epic day on the ocean - Amazing day! Crew were very knowledgeable and friendly. The boat (the America) was immaculate. We were fortunate enough to see 3 whales! They provided snacks and sodas/water during our 4 hour sail. Definitely bring layers, as it was brisk on the ocean.
Review provided by Viator
Marianb396
Feb 5, 2026
Not to be missed - This was an amazing experience. Even had we not seen whales, (which we indeed did!), it was worth the price to experience this beautiful sail boat. If we can return to San Diego, we will book this voyage again. Loved it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S6305djjimk
Feb 5, 2026
Wonderful San Diego Whale Watch Trip - My wife and I booked the tour to Trip Advisor/Viator to celebrate our 53 anniversary of meeting (2/1/1973). We live in the area so our choice of day and time was reserved and cancelled if the weather did not look favorable. Third time was a charm when we finally hit a great forecast for 2/4/26 @11:00. The weather was perfect, the cruise was perfect, and we followed a momma and young'n grey whales for about an hour. Never saw a breach but that was OK as we did see many whale spouts and tail fins upon diving back into the kelp forest. The young lady with all the facts did an excellent job explaining what was going on. The rest of the crew was very attentive to the visitors, carefully watching to make sure the visitors stayed safe on this beautiful multi-masted schooner(?); I think from 1851 (No SS Minnow here). While motoring out of the bay to open water we learned interesting facts about the military history of San Diego and it was cool to sail by a dolphin training facility. I wish they would have given more about the history of the boat, or if they did I must have tuned it out while enjoying the spectacular views of the coastline of San Diego and Tijuana. Unfortunately I was not able to upload any video file, eventhough they were was within the Trip Advisor requirements for uploading a video.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $85
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).