Stagnaro Charter Boats

Bummer the numbers of people who got sick.....couldn't or certainly didn't wish to use the bathroom. Naturalist was very nice, crew great! Perhaps a bit too long for some of the sick folks.

Stagnaro's whale watching tour - something I'd always wanted to do - was great!! The boat and staff were super. The seas were a bit choppy beyond the edge of the bay (many passengers did get seasick) - take Dramamine ahead of time. We saw quite a few whales - a humpback, some greys and a fantastic pod of Orcas. Many of the whales were 'shy' so beyond the initial sighting they disappeared. We traveled with the Orcas for a while before they moved on. I would absolutely do it again.

On the day of our trip a storm was due in the next day so the captain decided to go out an hour earlier to avoid possible waves ,However the phone call we recieved was about 17 min before departure and since I didn't recognize the number and we were getting ready i didn't answer phone felt if it was important a voice message would be left.we arrived at the office and were told the boat was getting ready to leave and we missed it and there was nothing that could be done but we can rebook again sometime during the year as next trip out wouldn't be til Saturday and today was Monday too long for us to wait My granddaughter was upset as this was the reason we came to Santa Cruz and with cost of hotels and gas etc well no one was happy.We where able to get back the 1 day from hotel as we had planned to stay a few days so that was good and we then went to Monteray (half way there I did get the voice message explaining the early departure to late to help us) we were able to go out on another boat while it was a little chilly and it wasn't too rough we did have some waves but was handled very well by the captain so ride wasn't too bad about what I expected being out in the sea only 1 passenger felt a little sea sick and the crew took care of her doing what they could to make her comfortable we had a nice trip the crew was very informitive and we saw whales !! and my granddaughter saw dolpins she was all around the boat since wasn't crowded and so excited she got wonderful video of the sightings as they came real close to the boat we saw tails and.spouts and it looked like one rolled over so the day was saved so can say The princess in Monteray was a good trip We will reschdule our trip and hopefully it will work out and be just as nice as the one we were able to do

I thought the California Gray whales were fun to watch, until we spotted the Humpbacks. 2 Humpbacks being very active, including a full body breach and fin slap. AMAZING!! Crew and Naturalist were very informative and friendly. The Naturalist went out of her way to engage the passengers. She was alot of fun. I will be returning with the entire family this summer.

Seeing whales is never a sure thing but we were pleasantly surprised to watch a pair of blue whales as they roamed around the Monterey Bay. Ironically, we expected to see grey whales but never saw any. Having 2 naturalists on the boat made the trip much more pleasant and helped pass the time out from Santa Cruz and back again.

Crew was courteous, friendly and very knowledgeable. They were determined to find whales - which they did. Even stayed beyond the scheduled time to make sure we had a good experience.

Enjoyed our cruise, did spot some grey whales feeding.Well worth going. We had a good time.

The staff and crew (including the dear lady with all of the wonderful information with pictures and pieces of actual whale chewing material... the stuff they eat all the krill with!) Anyhow, it was a clean 'boat' and everyone was very helpful with lots of patience! Thanks for a wonderful trip. We saw Rissa's(?) dolphins which was supposed to be a unique experience in that they're not normally observed either at this time of year or that part of the bay; either way.... they were majestic! And, the best part ... we did see at least 2 whales! Amazing. I cannot wait to go again~ There was even an otter having a mid afternoon snack in the harbor when we were docking...Thank you!

This was our second trip on "Velocity". As usual, the crew was great and kept us informed as to what we could expect. This was the first time our 21-year-old daughter had a chance to observe large sea life in the ocean. She did not come away disappointed. We were able to see Orca or "Killer" whales along with a huge number of dolphins. Crew members were able to explain details of each specie and allowed "Velocity" to idle and mingle among the wildlife. We plan to make whale watching a portion of any visits we have from family and friends.

My sister came to visit so we decided to do the whale watching thing. It was awesome! We saw a humpback whale fully breach and 3 killer whales eating a poor dolphin. We saw other sea life, such as a sunfish and the sea lions. Cool birds too. The crew narrated well and answered all our questions. We packed a lunch and it was nice that they didn't have a problem with that. The food that was served on board looked good and was affordable so next time I have company, We'll just eat on board. I would so recommend this. Next trip, I'll take my 5 year old grandson. Great day, great pictures, great time.

Guides had vast knowledge about whales and Monterey Bay in general and were very generous in sharing it. I believe they made every effort to ensure good whale sightings, and we did have them! The only negative thing I would mention is my feeling that the boat was a bit overcrowded - not for safety necessarily, but for comfort (mine, at least). And it might be nice to have a wider variety of snacks on board, or at least available for purchase on or near the dock. Otherwise, great trip! Worth the drive from Davis.

I have been on four other whale watching trips with other providers, and Stagnaro provided the best experience by far. Granted we really lucked out with finding whales, but this was not all luck as the driver was exceptionally vigilant and quick to respond, so that other groups in the area were always farther away or later in finding whales then we were. The boat was exceptionally clean, the naturalist was personable and knowledgeable, the timing was prompt and they kept to the full amount of time as advertised. We could not have been happier. And their placement in Santa Cruz is much more convenient than going all the way to Monterey. I highly recommend Stagnero Whale Watching trips!

Our 3.5 hour trip was longer than that because they made the effort to go to where a whale had been spotted. Naturalist on board gives great explanations, and entire crew is very helpful and friendly. Boat is comfortable with lots of room to move around and take pictures. Whenever we spotted sea animals they made every effort to get us safely close to them and stay as long as possible! Great trip!

Fast, dry boat & skipper good at approaching whales.

At last I am able to check off "whale watching" from my bucket list... Joyously there were several whales (possibly the same whale), just watching him glide through the waters was heaven for me. Would recommend this trip, the only precaution : ) wear the patch avoid the chance of getting sea sick! Susan East Bay