Adventure Whale Watching — Attraction in San Diego

This is an unfortunate review of an experience that our entire family was excited about. We rented a full private event for $778.80 for 3 hours 12:00PM-3:00PM and experienced an emergency that resulted in the entire trip needing to be stopped early and sent back to the dock within an hour of it starting, but due to the nature of the emergency we only returned to the dock a full 40 minutes late. We ended up receiving an offer to discount the ride $259.60 despite the mechanical issues of the boat which suffered an engine failure and the fact that we did not get to even look for wildlife.

Staff member Grace: Upon our arrival, we noticed that Grace, the receptionist/staff member, was not fully engaged in her role. She was preoccupied with her phone and did not seem eager to assist us with the sign-in process. We suggest that Grace could improve her customer service skills by being more attentive and proactive in her role. This would create a more welcoming environment for guests.

Captain Rick: Captain Rick demonstrated excellent communication skills during the first hour of our trip, keeping us informed about what to expect. However, when one of the boat’s engines failed, the trip had to be cut short. While we understand that mechanical failures can occur and safety is paramount, the situation could have been handled more efficiently.

The boat’s reduced speed meant that our return to the dock took significantly longer than expected, extending our trip beyond the scheduled end time. Furthermore, there was a lack of staff support at the dock upon our return, which resulted in Captain Rick having to manage the docking process alone. This situation highlighted a need for better contingency planning and staff coordination.

Compensation: While we appreciate the offer of compensation for the shortened trip, we feel it did not fully reflect the extent of the inconvenience caused. The compensation offered was equivalent to one hour of trip time, despite the fact that we were unable to engage in any wildlife viewing due to the emergency, and our return to the dock took an additional 1 hour and 40 minutes. We suggest a more equitable compensation policy that takes into account the nature and impact of any disruptions to the service.

Overall: Our experience with Adventure Whale Watching highlighted several areas for improvement, particularly in terms of customer service, contingency planning, and compensation policies. We believe addressing these issues would greatly enhance the overall customer experience. We commend Captain Rick for his commitment to safety and clear communication throughout the trip. We hope our feedback will be taken into consideration for future...

We absolutely LOVED this experience! We (husband-45, daughter-13, son-10, and myself-44) have never been on a whale watching tour before. Several friends have taken the larger boat cruises and, although they had a nice time, didn’t see much wildlife. I read the reviews about Adventure Whale Watching and people were raving about how much fun they had on the boat ride and they had, at a minimum, seen some dolphins and sea lions. Our trip did not disappoint! 😁

Captain Rick took us about 8 miles or more out in the ocean. The boat ride to open water was fast and fun, with some dips and drops because the water was a bit choppy. My husband, who gets sea sick easily, had applied a prescription Scopolamine patch behind his ear that morning. He did fine on the trip, but had a little headache at the end - nothing he couldn’t manage, though. The trip back was much smoother. If you suffer from sea sickness, I might recommend some sort of medication prior to the trip in case you encounter choppy water. But, I wouldn’t let the fear of seasickness stop you from going!

Captain Rick entertained us and educated us about whales and dolphins on the ride out. We were heading for a deeper area of water when he spotted a pair of Gray Whales - some of the last of this type of whale passing through the area on their way to the Bering Sea. We were able to follow their progress through the water and see them spout and surface. It was amazing!

We saw many pelicans flying in an V above and near the boat and some terns followed our boat out to open water.

On the way back, we had a pod of common dolphin swim along side our boat and we watched them surf the waves next to the boat! My kids were DELIGHTED!!! Honestly, the adults, along with the kids, were laughing and in awe watching them!!!

We also saw some sea lions swimming out to open water to hunt. When we got back to the harbor mouth, Captain Rick took us near a buoy so that we could see the sea lions a bit closer. It was hilarious to see them sunning themselves and checking us out 😁

We had a FANTASTIC time with Captain Rick and Adventure Whale Watching! Don’t miss this San Diego gem of an...

You know when you research events and then wonder if you picked the right thing to do? Well if you didn’t pick Adventure Whale Watching and opted for a cheaper option, you messed up!

Captain Rick was our phenomenal captain of 6 passengers on a military boat. Imagine a very durable rubber dingy with SPEED! Now imagine flying 10-12 miles out to sea riding waves in this boat!

Don’t be surprised if they offer you a snowmobile suit to wear in June in 65° weather! Don’t be a fool and say no. It gets windy out that far plus the speed of the boat in overcast San Diego skies. You will want the suit!

Adventure leaves from downtown. It is easy to get to from downtown. There is paid parking with adventure discount at the Sheraton or free street or park parking and several other options.

Use the bathroom before boarding since none on board!

Now back to the riveting Captain Rick. You will want to tip him big after he shows you common dolphins and Pacific bottle nose. He positions the craft so they swim next to you. We saw 3 whales, but two were mom and calf and they were showing off! Rick explains habits of these sea creatures.

On the way back in, he showed us sea lions.

We also saw flying fish and ocean sunfish.

This was such a cool adventure. Being small and fast, we went out far and saw fabulous things. It was worth the premium for the quality experience.

Michael captained the other adventure boat. He too has personality and knowledge.

Boat one is slightly bigger and a better boat but boat two has seating in the front.

Enjoy Adventure Whale and...