| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
 |
Misleading but still Excellent |
| |
Sat, Jun 23, 07 10:00 AM |
Mustafa |
Male |
20-29 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| |
The trip is worth taking . Seeing whales in the wild is exhilerating. Perhaps the brochure with closeups of jumping whales is misleading. Should portray what is to be expected, a few whales at a distance of a few hundred feet. |
 |
Hit or miss |
| |
Sat, Jun 23, 07 10:00 AM |
griffarien |
Male |
20-29 |
Local |
Couple on a Date |
| |
The trip we took was during a clear beautiful (yet windy) day on the Bay. Due to that wind, there was a great amount of sea sickness going around of which I happened to fall. The entire trip was us following 2 humpback whales (a mother and her calf) that we found about 6 miles off shore.
The relatively few sightings we had with those pair were also the only sightings we had the entire trip so the adventure is definitely hit or miss but that's nature. If you're looking to see whales close up in beautiful serene waters, then I'd recommend watching the Discovery Channel.
The boat itself is relatively large and the captain tries to position the boat as best he can but the views are best from the front center of the boat. That way, you can look either port or starboard and see the sights.
Again, if you're looking to see natural life in their surroundings, I would recommend this to you. If you're looking for a show for entertainment, I'd recommend the Zoo or a nature show instead.
|
|
Rufe Group - FRI - JUNE 22 |
| |
Fri, Jun 22, 07 1:30 PM |
RobertRufe |
Male |
70+ |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| |
We had a good trip. The winds were high and thus it was a pretty rough trip. One woman in our group got sea sick, but not too bad. The crew did a good job of caring for her.
Yes, we saw some whales.
|
 |
WOW!!! |
| |
Thu, Jun 21, 07 10:00 AM |
bonnie3d |
Female |
40-49 |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| |
We had so much fun and the captain was very knowledgeable about the whales and the other wild life. The crew really did their research and knew right were the find the whales. It was well worth the money! |
|
The Princess Review |
| |
Wed, Jun 20, 07 10:00 AM |
sueolinger |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Couple on a Date |
| |
My husband and I were celebrating our 25th anniversary and opted to come to Monterey and participate in the whale watching experience. We had a great time. The wheather was terrific, the boat was just the right size to minimize a "rough" trip, and the staff was very friendly, interesting and cooperative. All in all I would surely recommend this experience and this boating company to others. In fact I already have to everyone I've also shared the wonderful pictures we took that day. However, there is one thing that I also woud like you to seriously consider. Children under the age of six (6) should not be allowed passage on this type of excursion. The reason my husband and I feel this way is because on our trip there were some children and two of them were twin boys around three years of age. They did not seem to enjoy any part of the outing and their behavior (screaming, kicking and generally being unhappy) took away from the fun others were attempting to have. There should be be the consideration that poorly behaving children came ruin the fun of others. My hysband and I wondered who would have jumped in after them had then gone overboard! |
|
Whale watching was fun |
| |
Wed, Jun 20, 07 10:00 AM |
olybug |
Female |
20-29 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| |
It was fun, bring warm clothing because it is really windy out at sea and some people were really not prepared for it! And don't get stuck standing behind tall people that aren't polite enough to step back away from the rails to let others see... and if you're really tall, keep that in mind, please. |
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Whales at Monterey |
| |
Wed, Jun 20, 07 10:00 AM |
Austin12 |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| |
You won't care about the captain or crew of this ship after you meet "Katherine," the biologist/tour guide we had. She's information-packed fun and enthusiasm for all things oceanic and she drags everyone along with her! She was a total WOW and incredibly knowledgeable.
This was an acceptable 3-hour tour into Monterey Bay that included birds, porpoises, and, best of ALL, hump-backed whales!!!! It was wonderful when you could see them. Not the absolute best whale sightings we've ever had (that was in miserable, stormy weather with rolling (read: big) seas), but perfect for our almost-5-year-old granddaughter and us to see some good stuff with reasonable sunshine and really good hump-backs!
Don't expect anything exclusive here - seats outside are hard and cold. There are hundreds of people on this boat (it's stuffed) and one (1) ladies room, but, if you're willing to climb over to see stuff, you will. Take a seat on the right (judging from the back of the boat, facing the front) and you'll see more. The captain doesn't like to turn the boat around to give the left side a look, and don't sit inside, no matter how tempting it is to get out of the wind. If you go inside you won't see much. Wear layers and be prepared for damp wind. You'll be glad you did!
Have fun! |
 |
Tourist oriented "whale watching" |
| |
Wed, Jun 20, 07 10:00 AM |
nparker |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| |
This is a tacky tourist oriented program that includes a naturalist/cheer leader who gets into your face insisting that you agree that you are having a great time, makes endless stupid jokes about "getting some tail" (whale flukes, folks), intersperses her rare naturalist commentary with endless anthropomorphizing (calling the female of any species "the ladies") while the captain shifts the boat around looking for ANYTHING to show the paid passengers, of whom there were far too many. Don't believe the hype about the boat...it is much smaller than it appears in the online photos, has next to nothing in the snack bar, and doesn't allow passengers on the upper deck. Check into other programs and talk to the naturalist if you can before buying tickets. Wish I had; this young woman belongs in Las Vegas, not on a whale watching boat. Oh, and yes, we did see 2 humpback whales and one seal, but sure glad I brought my binoculars so I could see them. If I had brought ear plugs I would have been spared the 'naturalists' mind numbing screams and whoops. |
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enjoyed the whales |
| |
Mon, Jun 18, 07 1:30 PM |
slithr |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| |
In mid June I went on an afternoon whale watching expedition and enjoyed the trip very much. Whales were sighted and the captain provided interesting facts about the animals. The seas were active but the boat handled them well. I liked the feel of the waves against the boat as much as the opportunity to see Humpback whales for the first time. The next time I get to Monterey I will look for this company again in hopes of seeing an even greater array of wildlife. |
|
Wonderful |
| |
Mon, Jun 18, 07 10:00 AM |
melvinson |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| |
My family and I where on vacation from Oklahoma and excited to attend the whale watching tour. Everyone was very nice and helpful. The tour guide that we had was extremely knowledgable. We had a great time and would recommend your company to anyone. Thanks so much for a great experience! |
