Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching

Really enjoyed the boat ride. We didn't get to see any whales, but we did see lots of dolphins, sea lions and interesting ocean birds. Captain Jack provided lots of information about the dolphins and sea lions we saw. A very enjoyable 2-hour trip!

Everything went fine except the catching. Ticket purchase, tackle rental, on-time departure, friendly and helpful staff were all good. Only problem, too few fish. There were fewer than 25 keepers caught by over 40 fishers. To add insult, a girl on the boat next to our pier caught a bass larger than anyone on our boat and her boat never left the dock.

I am sure it was a great show for the side of the boat who got to see the one whale we followed for the entire 1.5 hours. The captin kept the whale positioned on one side of the boat leaveing the rest of us without a chance to see. Even when the whale passed in front and we got so excited we might have the change to see, he announced "I will keep the whale positioned at 3 o'clock" then manuvered the boat to where once again only one side of the boat had a view. Our three boys never could see over the selfish adults crowding the right side and never got to see the whale. The captin never asked for others to take turns, or at the very least, let children up front. We thought well maybe he will turn around and then we can see, but no. Never. They didn't try and explore and find other sea life. It was if they knew where one whale was, went straight there, rode along him the entire time, then took us back. They stated they guarentee you will see a whale, well I didn't and I want my money back. I was just so so sad for my kids who kept repeating we can't see, we can't see. And none of the crew or selfish adults aboard gave a second thought. We were not the only ones who were unable to see the whale. Two other familes eventually gave up and went into the bottom of the boat and ate snacks because they could not see either. I am just so confused as to why they would purposely keep the boat positioned to where you only have a view from one spot, and in that case not ask half way through the journey to rotate so all can see the beauty. We went swimming with dolphins in Hawaii and that company made sure everyone got to expirence the joy. So so so disappointed

There are several dolphin and whale watching cruises around. Haven't tried them, but I imagine they're probably better than Dana Wharf. Although the cruise was cheap, I wasn't particularly impressed by the knowledge of the crew, the organization of the enterprise (use a lot of inexpensive, young labor), or what we saw that evening -- the captain spent way too much time with a small pod of dolphins instead of at least trying to make a decent effort to find other marine mammals (i.e., whales). They would have been a bit more interesting. When I do this again, I'll use another company that goes out on the 5-hour cruises. It's more expensive, but you pay for what you get.

We enjoyed our trip out on the catamaran. There were only a few people on our trip so there was plenty of room to move around and find a good spot to watch for whales, sit or sunbathe! We saw no big whales on this trip, but we did see hundreds of white- sided Dolphins. The Captain maneuvered the boat so the dolphins could ride the bow wave which delights children & adults alike.

Excellent Whale watching trip. Encountered a very large blue whale and was able to see him surface 4 times. Was amazing. Captain very knowledgeable and was able to get a close view without disturbing this amazing creature. Also saw a couple of smaller whales and two large pods of dolphin who were feeding. Could not have been a better trip. Impressive

We didn't really expect to see whales but the crew diligently looked and we were able to see 2 California gray whales. It was quite a treat.

This is the second time we chose Dana Wharf and, again, we had a great time. Apart from the sea lions and hundreds of common dolphins, we observed a pair of California gray whales swimming South. The crew is very knowledgeable and they are working really diligently to find whales. We went on this trip last January (with kids) and found whales, too. Highly recommended. BTW If you are going on an early (10am) trip bring your coffee. Most coffee shops are closed and the one that is open charges almost $4 for a cup of so-so coffee.

We observed a group of three finback whales for a longer while. The captain made sure that everybody had a good view. He was very knowledgeable and provided information about the whales and other marine life we encountered on the journey (dolphins, sea lions).

Thanks to the Captain and the crew, the trip was safe and fun. We saw the whales backs but didn't get to see their tails coming out of the water. It was calm weather, calm waters, and most everyone had fun.

My wife and I totally enjoyed the trip. The captain and crew were professional and very helpful. While the bite was off, the crew worked hard to try to find the fish and we had a great time anyway. I would highly recommend this trip. It is an excellent value for the money.

great trip

The coastline was beautiful and it was neat to see Sea Lions. We didn't see whales or dolphins, so I can't recommend it on that account. They did provide a coupon we can use to go again for free. The coupon supposedly never expires.

Perfect cruise length Informative when we spotted ocean life Good at giving directions as to where to look Easy to locate where to board ship Water was very steady during noon time

The fishing was good and the crew was very helpful. Great trip