Recent Sightings

The Gray Whales are here!!! Our Sightings log is updated every Monday!

7/25
- 3 Blue Whales, 1 Minke Whale
7/24
- 5 Blue Whales, 1 Minke Whale, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/23
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/22
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/21
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin, 1 Minke Whale
7/20
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/19
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/18
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/17 - 1 Minke Whale and Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/16
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/15
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/14
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/13
- Large Pods of Risso's and Common Dolphin
7/12
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/11
- Large Pods of Common & Bottlenose Dolphin, 1 Minke Whale
7/10
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/9
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/8
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/7
- 1 Blue Whale
7/6
- Large Pods of Risso's Dolphin and 1 Mako Shark
7/5
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/4
- 2 Blue Whales
7/3
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
7/2
- 1 Blue Whale
7/1
- 6 Blue Whales, 2 Fin Whales
6/30
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/29
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/28
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/27
- 2 Blue Whales
6/26
- 1 Fin Whale, 2 Blue Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/25
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/24
- 1 Blue Whale, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/23
- 2 Fin Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/22
- 1 Blue Whale, Large Pods of Common and Risso's Dolphin
6/21
- 6 Killer Whales! Large Pods of Bottlenose Dolphin
6/20
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/19
- Large Pods of Risso's and Bottlenose Dolphin
6/18
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/17
- 1 Minke Whale and Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/16
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/15
- 2 Blue Whales and Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/14
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/13
- 3 Blue Whales
6/12
- 2 Blue Whales and Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/11
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/10
- 1 Blue Whale
6/9
- 3 Blue Whales
6/8
- 7 Blue Whales and Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/7
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/6
- Large Pods of Bottlenose Dolphin
6/5
- 1 Humpback, Large Pods of Bottlenose Dolphin
6/4
- 2 Fin Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/3
- 2 Blue Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
6/2
- 2 Blue Whales, Large Pods of Bottlenose Dolphin
6/1
- 8 Killer Whales! Large Pods of Common, Bottlenose Dolphin.
5/31
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/30
- 2 Blue Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/29
- 3 Blue Whales, 1 Humpback, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/28
- 1 Humpback Whale, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/27
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/26
- 1 Humpback Whale and 1 Blue Whale
5/25
- 1 Humpback Whale
5/24
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/23
- No trips due to weather
5/22
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/21
- No trips due to weather
5/20
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/19
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/18
- 1 Humpback Whale, 1 Minke Whale, Large Pods of Common Dolphin (including a rare Albino Dolphin)
5/17
- No trips due to weather
5/16
- 1 Humpback Whale, 1 Blue Whale, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/15
- 1 Fin Whale, 1 Humpback Whale, Large Pods of Common and Bottle Nose Dolphin
5/14
- 1 Blue Whale
5/13
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/12
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/11
- No trips due to weather
5/10
- No trips due to weather
5/9
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/8
- 2 Fin Whales, 1 Blue Whale
5/7
- 1 Blue Whale, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/6
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/5
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/4
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/3
- Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/2
- 2 Fin Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin
5/1
- 5 Fin Whales, Large Pods of Common Dolphin

Blue Whale Season Sightings (May - October 2010):
55 Blue Whales
, 19 Fin Whales, 8 Humpback Whales, 14 Killer Whales, 7 Minke Whales, 1 Mako Shark

Whale Sightings for the Gray Whale Season (November 2009 - April 2010):
272 Gray Whales
, 70 Fin Whales, 9 Minke Whales 9 Humpback Whales

Blue Whale Season Sightings (May - October 2009):
291 Blue Whales
, 6 Humpback Whales, 33 Fin Whales, , 11 Minke Whales, 2 Gray Whales, 1 Hammerhead Shark







 

WHALE WATCHING CRUISES

The Blue Whales are here! We saw the first Blue Whale on May 7th, 2010! The Blue Whale season will run from May - October and last year we saw 291 Blue Whales! We will continue to see Gray Whales, Fin Whales and Minke Whales as well as hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dolphin! For the past several years, the Blue Whales have been spotted in huge numbers right outside our harbor. They love our warm, coastal waters that are flourishing with krill (a tiny orange shrimp-like crusacean). The Blue Whales are the largest mammal on Earth and can grow to over 100 feet long. They are truley an amazing sight to see!

Catamaran Whale Watching Cruises
Daily starting May 1st!
12:00pm - 2:00pm
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Adults - $39
Kids (3-12) - $29
2 and under are FREE!

Come aboard our new luxurious catamaran for a 2-hour, affordable cruise and you'll have a totally different, intimate, and unforgettable experience. The 63 ft OCean Adventure is an eco-friendly, state-of-the-art catamaran, also available for charters, that is certified to carry up to 49 passengers and is fully equipped with an easy-access deli-style galley and full-service bar. This trip will offer you a rare mix of ecology, education and excitement – do not miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity!
Buy tickets online at Zerve

Ocean Adventure Cruises
Depart Daily! 7 days a week!
5:00pm - 7:00pm

Adults - $29
Kids (3-12) - $19
2 and under are FREE!

Join us and delight in the exciting sights and sounds of the magnificent ocean creatures at Dana Wharf. Known as a landmark for marine life sightings, Dana Wharf's ocean adventure cruises offer rare glimpses into a huge variety of underwater wildlife and gorgeous scenic views you'll never forget. Join us as we search for blue whales, dolphin, sea lion and other exciting marine life! These majestic creatures are the largest mammal on earth and can grow to over 100 feet long. All of our cruises are narrated by our seasoned captains who will educate you on the abundant ocean life on our coast. Trips are all 2 hours long, plenty of time to discover the world that lies beneath! Remember that sightings are guaranteed! If you don't see A GOOD SHOWING of whales or dolphin, you will get your ticket back and are invited to come out again with us! These "whale checks" never expire.
Buy tickets online at Zerve

Take advantage of our 2-for-1 Tuesdays! Enjoy 1/2 off whale watching! Check the schedule and buy tickets here!

Laguna Beach Sightseeing Catamaran Tour
Saturdays and Sundays
9:00am - 12:00pm
$49 per person

We have partnered with the Laguna Beach Historical Society to bring you the most informative tour about Laguna Beach, from the ocean portals to the sea! Your trip will begin with continental breakfast service, a glass of champagne and a tour around Dana Point Harbor. We will then travel up the coast looking for whales and dolphins, while discussing the marine life as we travel past Laguna's shore. Our scenic, historical tour of Laguna Beach will start at Crystal Cove State Beach, where we will begin cruising south along the coastline to give you an up-close view of the area!
Buy tickets online at Zerve



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Dana Pride with dolphin bowriding

Common dolphin off the bow of the Dana Pride.

 

HOW TO BOOK


Check out all of the excursions we offer in the column to the left. Click on the link, select your date, and buy your ticket! It's that easy!

Check availability and buy tickets:

Whale Watching Adventures

Advance purchase recommended. Trips often sell out in advance.

To purchase by phone, please call our ticketing company, Zerve, at
(800) 979-3370

New!

Watch a recent video of an orca pod feeding!
Video taken from one of our Whalewatching cruises.

Recent Whale Watching Reviews

4/1/10 "A friend and I decided to go on a whale watching excursion as something different to do for fun. WELL, we had no idea how much fun it would turn out to be. We met a friendly couple from Palos Verde standing in line and found out this was their 25th trip! We had a ball with them. The crew was great. Todd, the captain; Morgan, a naturalist; and George, chief cook and entertainer, made us feel like we were invited guests on a friend's boat. The burgers and sandwiches we had were delicious! We were lucky enough to see several fin whales on our outing. Todd and Morgan informed us about the whales' characteristics and directed us where to look so we could observe them in the water. The two hours went by so fast. It was a perfectly wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There will be many more in the future."

3/31/10
"What a value! Fantastic time and very informative, will recommend this to all my friends and family. Good job!"

3/30/10
"Both my wife and I have needed a break for sometime to just take a breath of fresh air. This trip truly allowed that! It was a time to remember there are more things in this world we need to experience rather than being so entrapped with the daily routines of our jobs. The staff was wonderful, the burgers were the best! And the atmosphere AWESOME, heck its the ocean, how can you go wrong? =) Thanks guys for a wonderful day! Sincerely. Tiny and Spk! =)"

five starsRead more unedited customer reviews at Zerve!

Dana Wharf's Fleet of Whale Watching Vessels


OCEAN ADVENTURES


Click here for 360 degree video of the Ocean Adventures!
Dana Wharf's newest vessel is the 63' catamaran, the Ocean Adventures, which comfortably holds up to 49 passengers. This luxury vessel was built exclusively for Dana Wharf and is the newest boat in the California whale watching business! This eco-friendly vessel is the future of whale watching and features high-tech viewing cameras mounted at the bow, a roomy viewing deck, and the smoothest ride on the water! You will LOVE this vessel! You'll feel like you can reach out and touch the dolphin that swim right beneath you! This vessel is used primarily for our Laguna Beach Sightseening Tour and private charters, however, it will sometimes run our public whale watching trips.

DANA PRIDE


Click here for a 360 degree video of the Dana Pride!
The 95' Dana Pride was built exclusively for Dana Wharf in 2002. The Pride is the largest and most comfortable vessel in our fleet and is said to be the queen of our fleet, complete with a full service bar/snack bar, flat screen TVs, large salon area, and 2 story seating arrangement. This vessel can accomodate up to 149 passengers. This vessel is our main Whale Watching boat and we guarantee it is the nicest whale watching boat in southern California!

 

Private Charters & Groups

For whale watching charters or groups, please call
(949) 496-5794 x. 11 or click here.
Our entire fleet is available for private charters for any occasion.