Stagnaro Charter Boats

We all had a great time! We Followed a couple of whales for over an hour and then saw more whales a few miles away. The boat got up close to the whales so we got some great pictures :)

This experience is one my family and myself will never forget. These marine mammels are extrodinary and beautiful in their own natural environment. I would highly recommend this experience with anyone who would be interested in a whale watching tour. You don't only see whales but you get to experience other marine life such as dolphins, sea otters and sea lions.

We were looking forward to this trip and knew that the weather may not cooperate and we weren't dissapointed. Despite the high winds, the crew made it very enjoyable. The ship was very clean, and it's a trip I would take again (heavy winds or not). We were able to see one whale.

I loved it! I saw a humpback, sea otters, and sea lions. I don't mind bumpy/rocky rides and getting wet at the front of the boat, but be prepared for getting splashed. Also, dress warmly with layers, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Bring snacks or money. Prepare for seasickness... this was the first time I've ever been seasick but that is because I went into the cabin. I wasn't seasick outside. I love being out on the ocean and seeing the life and learning new things.

Thanks to you guys I can take this off of my bucket-list, watch something majestic. We saw a humpback, who was surfacing for over half an hour about 20 times. It was AMAZING to see such a great creature! The guys on the boat were fantastic, well-organized trip with a friendly and knowledgeable group, who kept informing us on the wales, the environment and other animals in the area. Highly recommended to take this trip if you are in the area!

We had a great morning on the water, fortunate enough to see gray whales, as well as dolphins, sea otters, and sea lions. The captain and crew were friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable, and clearly cared about the local wildlife. The booking service was also very good, opening up the option of an excursion on our enquiries.

We saw gray whales, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions and harbour seals, so we did OK! They followed a mother and baby very well and we were alongside them for about 40 minutes. Parking directions a bit confusing - the office for a full day parking permit is on the other side of the bridge from where the boat leaves, although once you have the permit you can go back and park by the boat.

This may be a better option for Bay Area residents who want to maximize time on the water since the drive to Santa Cruz is much shorter than the one to Monterrey, especially since both come to the same area to view the whales. We had a good time - the crew was very professional and the information provided was relevant and well articulated. I'll take future guests to this event! Enjoy.

Great trip. Beautiful day, saw Risso's dolphins, humpback whales, sea lions and otters. Got close enough to the humpbacks for some great pictures.

We had a great time! We saw sea otters and sea lions, humpback whales and the killer whales. It was pretty chilly so we recommend that you dress warm because it gets really cold sometimes when the boat is cruising at higher speeds! I would totally recommend this to everyone - the crew was knowledgeable and friendly and very safety conscious! I plan on bringing family with me when they come out to visit CA. Money well spent!!

The trip was surprisingly awesome. I went there knowing I might not see anything and that I might get sick. I did feel a bit queezy a couple of times, due to the motion of the boat, as did my girlfriend. But that was to be expected and really nothing to cry about. I am very surprised that some other reviewers actually complain about the service if 1) the seas are rough or if it rains or they feel sick, or 2) if they see no whales during the trip. Go to a zoo or read a book or watch a documentary about them if you want to be ensured you see one - this is nature! You don't expect to always see a cougar or a deer when you go to the forest do you? And by the way, orcas, dolphins and porpoises are whales too. Look it up. There was about 20-30 people onboard, just about the right amount. The guys handling the boat (and the tourists) were helpful and knew what they were doing. One guy was driving the boat and explaining general things about the animals and then you could go and ask the other about details. The only thing I have to complain about is the other tourists onboard. A couple of kids were (for no reason) walking back and forth the narrow walkways or whatever around the boat. But they didn't drive me nearly as nuts as the 17-22 yo bimbo group giggling and screaming and jumping up and down every time when we saw anything of interest. They reeeally spoiled some of the atmosphere around them. Gimme a break, sit down, shut up and enjoy the scenery without disturbing others! On this particular trip we first went to see an otter fixing its fur in the kelp forest, then to a buoy with some sea lions on it. A sure way to keep most of the people satisfied I guess :). Then we failed in an attempt to find the last migrating grey whales, and did a quick transfer to see a pod of killer whales moving north. I guess there were a couple of porpoises swimming away from them at one point. Unfortunately time was of the essence so we couldn't follow the orcas for more than ca. 20 minutes. Then we moved to a different part of the bay to see a humpback just swimming somewhere.. it wasn't as cool as the orcas though. All in all, a highly recommendable experience. A bit on the expensive side, compared to some others operating in the Monterey bay area, but then again I don't know if they are shorter - or crappier - trips. :)

We had 1 day off during our two week stay in Santa Cruz doing a project with our university and decided to spend it whale watching. We were not disappointed!! This trip was an experience I will remember for a long long time. As we cruised out of the bay we saw a sea otter close up and then some sea lions... very exciting in itself... then we had a report of a siting of a group of Killer Whales. It took a little while to get far enough out but true to their word we spotted the Killer Whales & what a sight it was... to see them in their natural environment, doing their own thing was just such an emotional experience. Next we zoomed off to locate a Humpback whale which was every bit as exciting as the Killer Whales!! I cant fully describe what an incredible 4 hrs we had but it was such an experience and I cant recommend it highly enough. The guys on board were brilliant and gave information about the animals as we went along. I'm so glad I picked this activity for my only day off!!

The Stagnaro's did a great job in preparing the group and making sure we took advantage of every opportunity to see what was going on in the Monterey Bay...My grandchildres will always remember this outing!!!

Skipper did a great job finding the only whale who put on a fabulous show!

What a date to remember! My 7 year son and I made a date to whale watch - something we have both wanted to do for some time. And choosing Stagnaros whale watching cruise was the best choice we could have made. The captain and crew were terrific and as excited as we were to follow "our" whale and see it breech more than 15 times. The whale was beautiful, scary, bumpy and amazing. And the whale breath....Arghhhh. We were also honored to see white porpoises teasing the whale as well as sleeping otters and lounging sea lions. Not for the light-hearted unless you stay indoors (but what's the point?) It's hard to express the real fear that I had that my son might fall overboard. He insisted on being outside right up at the front of the boat. But the crew was very aware and of course nothing happened - Still, that fear mixed with my own exuberance made for one of the greatest days of my life. My son and I are planning our next whale watching trip for this summer and we plan to try the morning one this time. Seeing such a living beautiful creature the size of a house jumping and playing in the water gives you pause. There's no better way to introduce the next generation to the need to protect the whales and oceans. Can't recommend this whale cruise enough!