Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching

We had a great time. I would love to go again.

Dear Dana Wharf Sportfishing, I missed that the 12am i thought is was booking was actually 12pm. So I showed up at midnight and nobody was there. It was totally my mistake but I think it would be appropriate for Dana Wharf Sportfishing to give a small discount on another trip when it is missed by a passenger. I know there are costs for fuel and labor that must be accounted for but there is also a profit on services not rendered. This would allow Dana Wharf Sportfishing to offer a small discount to encourage patrons like me to go on another trip and not just leave disappointed after having to incur the expense of the trip (even though it was my fault) its just good business to have happy customers. I drove all the way from Moreno Valley before I realized the mistake. It would be great if you could send an email a couple hours before departure so this would not happen. Thank You. Rodger Smelcer

Catamaran was super ... naturalist was very informative ... we were blessed with dolphin and whale sightings. We will do this again!!!

I took my daughter-in-law on the trip for her 30th birthday. It was a perfect day weather-and-sea-wise and we saw hundreds of dolphins as well as one blue whale who kept appearing and disappearing throughout the whole trip. It was a fabulous adventure and we're so lucky to live here in South Orange County where we can do this type of thing, yet had never thought of doing it before. We'll definitely be back.

perfect way to spend an afternoon! Staff was just as excited as everyone else on the boat when we saw a humpback whale. Boat was clean and comfortable. Thank You!

I recommend this trip for a good day of non serious fishing persons and children. Nice trip to take you kids out on.

This was my first ocean fishing excursion (I mostly fish freshwater). The entire staff (in the shop and on the boat) were friendly, knowledgable, and extremely helpful. We caught plenty of fish and had a great day. I'm looking forward to a 2nd trip!

The fishing was pretty good and the staff was great but there were just too many people on the but. I have taken this trip two other times with not nearly as many people and it was much better.

The trip was fun at first, saw pods of dolphins and sea lions, but there was no Whale. It was altogether an alright trip, but I would explore other similar tours if another occasion arise for whale watching.

I have been on whale watch rides for decades and never saw a whale close up. the slow moving blue whale was like a submarine nearby....It was one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. Then the two huge pods of dolphins with babies and different jump styles was also exhilirating.....On the way home as an extra treat we saw this huge "sharkhead" like fish that was sunning itself for quite some time before disappearing...I forgot its name--your guide identified it... We are now trying to pack in a couple more trips before September to see if we can keep our luck running. It was an incredibly cool trip rivaling the years of Caribean diving that we have done. thanks so much.....see you very soon.....Ed and Nora

I have been fishing out of Dana Point before; it was my friends (co-worker) first time fishing any where!! The boat was a bit crowded, but there is no way to control that, it turned out to be fine!!! The Captain and Crew were very helpful and took care of everyone on board, that's very important!! The day was really nice, however we didn't catch hardly a thing, I only caught a few fish and all were too small and had to be tossed back into the ocean. The jack pot winner was a very small fish!! I believe there were 55 people on board and all put their $5.00 in the jack pot, so the guy received a huge amount for a very small fish, nice going who ever that was!! Fishing for me is just Fun!! I have been fishing out of other docks and some places the Captain and crew have not been very friendly I do love being out at sea and just the whole idea of fishing!! I believe that if the Captain and Crew don't project that feeling of fun and friendliness it just isn't worth it at all. However on this day it was the contrary and the Captain and Crew made it fun so not catching any fish made it ok - Thank You So Very Much!!! I've been fishing other times when I have caught nothing so it was fine for me, I just felt bad for my friend!! However, she said she had a Great time, only because of the Captain and Crew and would go again (Me Too) even though she didn't catch anything!! After all that's why they call it fishing instead of catching!!!!

We had a good day of fishing but the 1/2 day trip seemed a little to quick. Next time I will go on the 3/4 trip. Tons of fun even if you dont catch much. Think of it this way, some people pay $35 just to go on a whale watching trip and then dont see anything. At least you get to see a sealion or two.

Well organized, interesting but for absolute beginners I dont think it is really good value for money as you dont get much instruction or guidance as there were 3 people trying to supervise 53

The trip was a great thing to do with my 21 year old son. We did not see any whales but the crew sure tried, going out farther than usual. We did see a group of Risin dolphins and 2 groups of common dolpins and they were lots of fun. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable and the boat was very comfortable with lots of options.

Dana Wharf's Ocean Adventure Cruise was a fantastic activity for our family. The boat itself (Dana Pride), was in top shape and very clean, while the friendly and knowledgeable staff made our day feel more like a "friends & family outing" than a "paid for hire" boat trip. The Captain and First Mate were quick to bring new sea life to our attention and very thorough in their explanation of what we were seeing. On our trip, we had opportunity to travel with two very large pods of dolphins and saw many up close. The large size of the "Dana Pride" and its tri-level design provided us with plenty of varied viewing options. Additionally, it kept our toddler from becoming bored on the two-hour trip. My four-year-old son was amazed and intrigued and told me the outing was "the best thing ever!" Although we did not sight any blue whales that day, we have made plans to try again in the coming months. I highly recommend this adventure for anyone considering the trip.