| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
 |
Impressive tour |
| |
Wed, Dec 19, 07 10:30 AM |
velonelson |
Male |
40-49 |
Combination |
Family With Children |
| |
So much thought and preparation went into our Christmas vacation plans to visit California after a 6 year pause. As a former Oxnard local now living in Germany with wife and 9 and 4 year old kids, a whale watching tour was a 'must' on our itinerary.
Touched by these majestic creatures after two successful whale watching tours from Oxnard years ago, my wife and I knew that we wanted to share these same experiences with our kids.
On the departure of our 19DEC07 cruise, we faced overcast skies, cold temperatures, and large swells - not the conditions one wishes for a 4 hour whale watching tour. Captain Noel Flores and crew of the Sanctuary smoothly steered us up and over the large swells as if we were sailing over small ripples of water.
The ride out to sea came up empty. No whales.
The ride back from sea came up empty. No whales.
Fortunately, we did see a few large groups of seals, many interesting birds, and on the way back into Moss Landing, lots of sea otters. The kids were very disppointed not see any whales or dolphins, but were impressed to be out at sea and able to see sea otters and other marine animals live in their habitat.
As consolation, we received a raincheck for another try at whale watching. This gesture was not at all expected and shows Sanctuary Cruises' focus on the customer and their strive for a safe and successful whale watching experience.
We highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in the whale watching tour adventure and commend the professionalism of Captain Flores and crew. |
|
Friendly, low key trip with a knowledgeable crew. |
| |
Fri, Dec 14, 07 10:30 AM |
EdwardKline |
Male |
60-69 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| |
A good trip, about the right length. We were fortunate to have good weather and sight whales. |
|
Very Pleasant Trip |
| |
Wed, Dec 12, 07 10:30 AM |
tpowell |
Male |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| |
We set out in mid-December to see some whales, if possible. We did not spy any whales, but there were plenty of other species of interest, including numerous sea lions, sea otters and birds of good variety. The captain and crew did an excellent job of informing us of what we were doing and what we could be seeing at that moment. The weather was cool but sunny and the Sanctuary vessel provided an excellent platform for seeing Monterey Bay and its beauty. The boat was clean as a whistle and it provided a very smooth ride. We plan to do this again next year, maybe earlier when the prospects for seeing whales are reportedly better. |
 |
Great personlized Bay Tour |
| |
Sun, Dec 9, 07 10:30 AM |
sculbert |
Female |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| |
We thoroughly enjoyed our Bay Tour with Santuary Cruises. We've been on whale watching cruises before on larger boats - this was much better. Noel and Jane were great to share information. We saw otters, lots of sea lions, black albatross, and humpback whates. A delightful trip and very personal and up close with the marine life. |
|
Fantastic trip! |
| |
Sat, Dec 1, 07 10:30 AM |
Maeve1 |
Female |
30-39 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| |
I had an amazing time on the whale watching tour. Noel and Hillary are extremely friendly and knowledgeable and were able to give lots of background information regarding the whales and the dolphins we saw.
It was also a lot of fun looking out for the killer whales seeing who could spot them first and the day was topped off by a beautiful full rainbow.
I highly recommend Sanctuary for any whale watching you do. |
|
Ocean safari |
| |
Sat, Nov 24, 07 10:30 AM |
carolpaten |
Female |
50-59 |
International Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| |
I've been on many game safaris in Africa. This trip compares with any of them for variety and numbers of creatures we saw, from jellyfish to whales. It was magic seeing the orcas leap, like overgrown diabolic dolphins, and the humpbacks saluting with their tails was a sight I'll never forget. Loved it all, the sea lions, sea otters, seals and birdlife, and not forgetting the poppy seed muffins. Thanks |
|
Whale watching review |
| |
Sat, Nov 24, 07 10:30 AM |
rgarrigan |
Male |
30-39 |
International Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| |
Very happy with the trip we booked. Left on time and within minutes spotted a number of killer whales. We remained with them and saw in total 5 before heading further out to see a humpback. Boat was a nice size and conditions were particularly calm-all in all an enjoyable experience.
Irish lad |
|
Don't miss it! |
| |
Fri, Nov 23, 07 3:00 PM |
tamsitt |
Male |
70+ |
Combination |
Unspecified |
| |
Instructions to arrive at Moss Landing, parking instructions, and where to wait were clear. The boat was clean, snacks were reasonably priced, coffee was good, and cold drinks were cold. The boat wasn't overcrowded - about 10 people - and left and returned on time. A protected cabin allowed those to be inside when it became chilly. The capitan gave a commentary when necessary, without talking excessively, and the crew was friendly and seem to be sincerely interested in wildlife conservation. Although we saw no great whales, we were excited to see several pods of orcas throughout the trip. Be sure to wear layered clothing, as it was cold on the return trip. |
|
It's Better Out There!!! |
| |
Fri, Nov 23, 07 10:30 AM |
rbellue |
Male |
30-39 |
Local |
Family With Children |
| |
The whales were great....but the Blue Sharks, Jellies, Seals, and Killer Whales weren't bad either! Thanks for working hard to get all of it in!!! Cheers, Robbie |
 |
size of boat |
| |
Fri, Nov 23, 07 10:30 AM |
chrisbellue |
Unspecified |
60-69 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| |
from what i saw on the 'net it was implied that the boat was MUCH MUCH bigger!! I'm not sure how much more than $45 the MUCH bigger boat would cost.... but it'd be worth it! Nothing decent in the toilet department. Nothing more than passing mention of the Life Jackets.... admitedly it was our responsibility; but i think life jackets should have been urged, in retrospect. Our Captain did find whales, and other sealife... that was appreciated. But all in all... i would never mention this Whale Watching boat without pointing out that it is pretty Small! |
