Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching

MY FAMILY AND I WERE VERY EXCITED TO GO ON THIS TRIP. WE DID SEE A COUPLE OF DOLPHINS. BUT MUCH TO OUR DISAPPOINTMENT WE DID NOT SEE ANY WHALES!!! NOT ONE SIGN OF THEM!! AT THE END OF THE TRIP WE WERE ALL VERY SEA SICK AND COLD AND JUST WISHING TO GET OFF THE BOAT!!! NOT SURE IF WE WILL DO THIS AGAIN ....

We got great seats...right beside the captains quarters which kept us out of the wind and cold and up high enough to see both sides of the boat. But it didn't matter because we did not see any whales. And we did not get tickets to return for free because the 8am trip was a special price of only $8. So I guess if you don't pay full fare, you don't get to come back for free when you don't see a whale. All they gave us was a coupon for 10% off a future trip. I would not recommend paying more than $10 for this trip. Two hours of just staring out to sea hoping to see a whale was no fun.

it was ok, didnt see to much. the weather was bad so possible that was the reason why we didnt see very much.

As much as I was elated about going out to sea and seeing these amazing sentient beings, the entire excursion was not worth a penny. We got to see one whale for a brief 3 seconds; the boat ride was AGONIZING...imagine standing and balancing yourself and shielding yourself from waves splashing on deck in March (not warm weather at all) for 2 hours while trying not to vomit from sea sickness - yes even those that were Dramamine'd up felt sick. I think about half the people on the vessel were holding their heads from the rough boat ride. It was my group's (party of 4) first time doing a whale watching excursion but alas, it was best known as the torture excursion. No consolation t-shirt and/or sweater given out once we made it back to land, no souvenirs, nothing. As we all stumbled off the boat, I heard one passenger say "Those were 2 hours I'll never get back." This would be a good "experience" for those with stomachs of steal who want to see who can outlast their friend's without getting sick.

lots of fun even when it's sprinkling.

Everytime the Captain said he spotted whales...they were gone by the time I got to that side of the cruise ship! At Dana Point...I saw at least five whales, spraying, swimming, diving, and holding their tales above the ocean...like the whales tail charm I have had since I was sixteen from Hawaii. I will go again, and again. Rain was forcasted...not till our wonderful trip was over. You said it is calmer in the am...with my accupuncture bracelets on, I was greatful to not heave with the swells. Up and down, up and down...I haven't checked my pictures yet...I know that I got alot of seagulls wing tips...hopefully some part of a whale... I am not a morning person... I drove 80 plus miles an hour...to Dana Point, my TomTom wouldn't speak the whole way down because I uploaded it the night before, big mistake...thank God for your directions, and instructions! Having not been to the festival before... I parked at the other end of the parking lot... Thinking I had to put a ticket on my dashboard... I ran to and from the tackle shop...arriving at my car...minutes till the boat left, to find I didn't have my car keys... Thank God for my hide-a-key... Struggling to open it, I grabed my heavy stuff, (do pack light). I ran back to the tackle shop where "the bratt that gave me my ticket for the whale watching...denied having my keys"! I'll get you next time mister! In may I'll book my 4th of July Dinner /Fireworks Cruise...alone:( Everywhere I go, I tell people how exciting it was to see the Whales, Artists, and Shop owners. Everyone was so nice and friendly... "Frank Stockl", a fabulous photographer was generious enough to give me a "one of a kind Christos Picture of three yellow Umbrellas"...I almost cried, twice. The important point is...I finally saw Whales!, this also is an educational experience, as well as a fund raiser! Book your trip...maybe I will be there too. P.S. Thank you Westways Magazine for publishing the article on the Dana Point Whale Watching Festival, It's a good thing I brought reading material into dad's former office... I find the most interesting articles... whilest on the toilet.

We enjoyed our trip whale watching. However, it was pretty cold and windy on the boat....not the captain's fault of course. This made for less than perfect conditions. We were lucky enough to see two whales....one even went breech (but it was on the other side of the boat.....so I did not see it). The captain was friendly and informative. Overall, a very nice excursion...especially for the price.

The fact that we saw two whales, and one was jumping out of the water made our experience unforgettable! The boat was on time, and the captain knew a lot about the whales. Would totally do that again!

We were unlucky with the weather - it was very cold and overcast - with choppy waters. However, we were warned prior to the trip what to wear which was spot on! The skipper was very knowledgable and despite imperfect conditions we tracked a couple of whales migrating along the coastline. It was great to see them and learn about them. The kids were very appreciative of the galley serving burgers and hot dogs for the return trip as it was cold. I definately plan to return during the blue whale season when the weather might be more "Califoronian"!!!

Everything was as promised. Saw a bunch of dolphins and two baleen whales. Followed the whales for a while and one even breached. Awesome sight. Going out at 8:00 a.m. is a deal!

We were a group of 10 (5 adults with 5 children ages ranging from 4 to 13). Everyone had a wonderful time and was excited to see all the marine life we experienced- sealions, dolphin, and grey whales. We learned about finn whales personally from the captain as he spent about 15 minutes with us talking and sharing his knowledge. Everyone who worked on the boat was very pleasant. And yes the breakfast burritos were awesome being so filling it allowed us to skip lunch.

I have been on the Whale Watching trip before and always enjoy it. I have also, being on the half day fishing trip and hope to go fishing, again, in the near future.

WHALE WATCHING WITH A MEET UP GROUP. DANA POINT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. THE CREW OF THE BOAT WERE VERY FRIENDLY. WE SAW DOLPHINS, SEA OTTERS AND A GREY WHALE JUMPED OUT OF THE WATER! IT WAS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.

...the majority of the people in our party had never been whalewatching before and when I saw the special $8 tickets available, it was a great opportunity to take advantage of this fun event. The weather worked in our favor and we only got drizzled on a little bit....was a great morning - saw a few whales, lots of dolphins and several sea lions. (By the way, the breakfast burrito my boyfriend got onboard was the BOMB - hats off to the cook!)

We had a great time on our whalewatching tour. We saw many dolphins and two gray whales. Just being out on the water was fun. The crew provided lots of information about the animals we saw, including sea lions, and made the trip very enjoyable.