Stagnaro Charter Boats

My friends and I had a wonderful time. The staff were all very friendly and helpful and informative. We would highly recommend it. We saw a lot of whales.

Staff on board was great, attentive to customers, knowledgeable. We saw lots of whatles.

The boat trip was excellent. We were able to see a lot of whales. Parking was an issue. Passes were sold when no parking was available and they were aware of the problem.

We were a group of 8. 4 adults and 4 kids under 10. It was a great trip that we'll remember for a long time. It can get a little chilly so bring coats. The staff was very engaged with us all and it made for a wonderful outing. We saw a lot of whales too!

Given that whale-watching boat captains don't have total control over how many whales are seen on any one excursion, I appreciate the effort that our captain made to put us in the best position to see as many blue and humpback whales as possible. We didn't see the large numbers that had been seen a few days before, but we saw 5 or 6 blues (two with their tails!) and several humpbacks. The blues are huge -- they go on and on and on. It was truly thrilling to see them. I've gone whale watching from Monterey, Moss Landing and Santa Cruz. This was definitely my favorite trip.

Your crew was terrific and the ride smooth and so exciting---we saw humpbacks and blue whales and were amazed-thanks for such a fantastic experience! We have been telling all our friends and family to book with you!

The staff was great, and the boat was clean and well kept. It was chilly (bring a jacket) but we had a great time and saw lots of whales. Lots of fun and I would recommend this outing to all!

As always I had a great experience with Stagnaro's. Blue whales at every turn. So much to see that you had to choose where to look! Plenty of flashy Humpbacks too. The naturalist Maureen is fabulous. She has the perfect voice and projects it very well. Very informative and friendly with a natural flair for entertainment. The ride was relatively smooth and I have been on similar excursions with other companies. The trick is that you have to follow directions: If you are a little squeamish, tend to get sea sick or can't handle waves very well you should *stay in the back of the boat* as suggested. Some don't follow the directions and complain later. Yes, take your seasick meds *early* if you need them. Unforgettable time with an awesome crew with attention to customer service. I feel so lucky to have had this experience viewing the largest mammal in the world.

We had read that the blue whales were in the bay in great numbers and wanted to see them. They did not disappoint!!! We saw many blues as well as humpbacks breaching for our enjoyment. There were huge ones as well as smaller ones that were probably juveniles. There was a naturalist aboard to explain the different whales and their behaviors as well as answer questions. The captain was also very knowledgeable. In the afternoon the wind, waves came up and it got a bit bumpy and chilly but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We were taken by the kelp beds on the way in to see sea otters up close, what a treat. Only drawback is that the boat was too crowded.

Was a wonderful experience, saw loads of blue and humpback whales. But there was very limited outside seating on the boat so had to stand the whole time, or go inside and miss the whale sightings.

Pros: We saw LOTS of whales, the Captain knew right where to go! But we were lucky, they could have been no-shows--you never know. He was good at not getting close enough to harrass them. I appreciate that. Cons: You better have taken seasick pills--the boat is not that big and it pitches and yaws like crazy. Also, they had a lady on board who was part-naturalist, part-lookout. She did NOT stop talking. Her voice was super-screechy and after a while I just wanted earplugs to get away from her. She was very nice, and knowledgeable, but they need to give her a mic like the Captain so she doesn't have to shriek like she did. And teach her some restraint. She would repeat herself a LOT. "That's a blue whale, it's a blue whale! You see? It's a blue whale? How can you tell it's a blue whale? It's a blue whale!" I think she was a grade school teacher--used to 10-year olds. Bring your own snacks and drinks. They don't have anything edible or drinkable on the boat except bottled water. They should have some ginger ale, mint tea, and soda crackers on board. Bring lots of layers of clothes and a hat with earmuffs. It was bloody cold!!! Definitely got our money's worth of blue and humpback whales!

There were eight in our party. As one of those that was not losing lunch over the side or stern of the boat the trip was fairly enjoyable. There were about 50 on the trip and I was witness to about 8 leaning over the rail to toss their lunch. Since the trip was scheduled for 4 hours they kept us out there for 4 hours even though we left the area where the whales were after about 2.5 hours. We rode about 8 foot swells for an hour of seeing not much at all. Most of us would have gone back in after 2.5 hours and been happy about the trip. 1.5 painful and rough hours with not much to see. Now the good part. While we were near the whales, there were whales all around us. We saw many spouts from the whales and got pretty close to to some blue whales. We were also close to humpback whales, We saw flukes of both blue and humpback whales. There were more humpback than blue whales. At one point two humpbacks surprised the crew by surfacing on the left side of the boat then again on the right side of the boat. If you don't get sea sick the trip was certainly worth doing. It's something I'll always remember.

Wonderful opportunity to see many Blue and Humpback whales, sea otters, sea birds and other sea life. Beautiful to be out on the Monterey Bay and see the vistas of Santa Cruz, Watsonville, The Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey. The trip is a wonderful experience - even for locals - makes one really appreciate the beauty of our area!

We went 7/12/12, saw a few blues and plenty of humpbacks. Awesome is an overused word but........ Rough seas made moving around Stagnaros Velocity a challenge. My wife got knocked to the deck once, and a clumsy guy fell on top of her another time. Check maritime conditions if that might be an issue. The captain got us in good position for viewing, though his PA system sounded like a bad burger ordering intercom. Informed friendly naturalist on board. It's always fun to be on the bay, but if you really want to see whales, do your online research to make sure they are in the bay.

the sea was so choppy that waw almost impossible to take a good picture. If you only want the "photographic memory" could be fine but if you expect to take grate pictures make sure the water is calmed. Good the crew and the ship