Gone Whale Watching San Diego — Attraction in San Diego

On July 3rd, I had the opportunity to go on the Extended Blue Whale Tour with Gone Whale Watching. Unfortunately, my experience fell disappointingly short of my initial expectations. As an avid follower of Gone Whale Watching and DolphinDroneDom on Instagram, I had high hopes based on their captivating imagery. However, the reality of the tour was quite different from what was depicted online.

The weather played a significant role in diminishing my overall experience. It was an incredibly gray and overcast day, affecting visibility both above and below the ocean's surface. While I understand that the company can't control the weather, it left a negative impression.

As an outdoor and wildlife photographer, I specifically chose the Extended Blue Whale Tour to capture breathtaking shots. However, the tour lasted under five hours instead of the expected 4-10 hours. I was informed the average trips were around 6-8 hours. I had hoped for more time to observe and photograph the whales.

During the tour, we did manage to spot a few Blue Whales, including two mothers with their calves and a single Blue Whale. They came familiar close to the boat, maybe 30-60 ft away. In addition the captain did mention two distant humpbacks, but even with my 600mm lens, they were too far out for photography. Additionally, the requirement to remain seated while photographing made it difficult to move around the boat and find optimal angles for my shots.

It's worth noting that unless blue whales come very close to the boat, observing them only allows you to see their raised splash guard, mottled skin, dorsal fin, and, if you're lucky, their flukes during deep dives. The crew informed us that fluke sightings occur only about 10% of the time, making capturing that iconic shot challenging and reliant on sheer luck.

The boat used for the tour, a Boston Whaler, appeared older and less well-maintained compared to what was shown on social media. The seating arrangements were consisting of bench-style seats, foldable chairs, and a single bean bag. Though we were told we could move around, most passengers stayed in their seats.

Gone Whale Watching's offering felt basic, with just a boat, two crew members, and a small group of six passengers. While it provided an uncrowded experience, it lacked additional amenities. We needed to bring our own food and water, and restroom facilities were makeshift porta potty and the option to have your bio-break off the rear of the boat.

Despite the friendly crew, their efforts were insufficient to compensate for the overall underwhelming experience. Unfavorable weather, lack of close encounters with curious whales, and the condition of the boat contributed to my disappointment.

In all, it's challenging for me to wholeheartedly recommend Gone Whale Watching based solely on this experience. Despite being a fan of their online content, my encounter didn't meet expectations. If I were to consider another outing, it would be out of curiosity about a potential improved experience. Considering the tour's cost of $328.00 and the presence of other reputable Whale Watching providers in the San Diego area, I'm currently exploring alternative options for a more gratifying and value-driven whale-watching experience.

I will say, if you are looking to simply see Blue Whales. Gone Whale Watching has a very high success rate and will most likely get you there.

I hope this review provides constructive feedback to Gone Whale Watching and assists future customers in making informed decisions about their...

I recently had tried to go on a Baja Extended trip while I was in San Diego, but unfortunately the weather conditions were not good so the trip was canceled and offered to move to the next day, but I was unavailable that day so I booked two back to back 2.5 hour trips the next week. Lucky that I had done that because the conditions on that day ended up being gorgeous. The beautiful conditions made it much easier to see the blue whales especially when they are underwater because they have a blue glow that you can see, for which they got their name. I saw 6 or 7 blue whales on each trip (most likely the same whales), including a mother and her calf, and on the second trip something incredible happened. In addition to the blue whales, which was already incredible, we ended up seeing a pod of common dolphins that swam right up the boat, a mako shark breaching the water (which was pure luck and so cool as I am a huge shark fan), a sun fish basking in the sun at the surface, a juvenile humpback whale who swam right up the boat as we were leaving, and two minke whales who not only swam right up to the boat, but were circling us and playing in the bubbles from the engine (we were in neutral when the whales were close but were turning the engine on and off so that there would be bubbles for them to play with) and swimming on their backs so we could see their bellies. It was easily not only the best whale watching experience I have ever had, but also the best day of my life. The crew were all so nice and knowledgeable about the sea life in the area and knew how to spot something in the water that we could see. What I also really appreciated was that when we saw the humpback whale (which we were told was the first one of the year since it’s a little early for humpbacks so it must’ve been lost) and the minke whales we were on our way back to shore and already late, but our captain still stopped and let us admire the animals and spend some time with them. It is really clear that the company truly cares about these animals and wants others to be able to experience how magnificent they are, rather than being just about money and rushing through the trip which has been my experience with other whale watching companies. If you are in the San Diego area and are thinking about going whale watching, Gone Whale Watching is by far the best company to do so with!! I highly...

Gone Whale Watching San Diego is a one-of-kind whale watching experience, owned and operated by a one-of-a-kind captain, Dominic. He stands apart from the rest because he has not forgotten what it is to be a whale watching customer. He always puts his customers second! That may sound funny, but it is the responsibility of any good wildlife conservationist to always put the wildlife first! What I mean is that Dominic has always made me comfortable on board, answered all of my questions, and prepped me for what was about to happen. He has changed course 180 degrees to put me on whales 20 miles away that where called out by colleagues on the radio. He gives a play-by-play breakdown of the whale's behavior as it happens: "The baby calf is on the inside at 100 yards--mom is coming up for a breath--" "We are coming up on a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins..." "Get ready for a breach!! 12 o'clock!!" I can't tell you how helpful that type of information is when I am offshore and want to witness every amazing moment! I have been on a lot of whale watches, and treated like a number, overlooked, or ignored. Most boats offer no explanation from the captain as to where you are going, why, or what type of marine mammals have been seen that day by the captain, or other nearby boats communicating via radio (as though there is some great secret going on and the customer does not deserve to know). This type of insider secrecy is very upsetting to me, as I live 3 hours from the coast. Dominic is very different! He has always been willing to speak to me in a straight forward manner. He has gone out of his way to inform me of changing weather conditions, and the arrival of specific whales to the area, that he knows are important to me. He has guided me on photography skills from shooting a GoPro video off the bow of Pacific white-sided dolphins, to capturing a spy hopping Humpback whale from above with my drone. The boat is comfortable, clean, quiet, and fast! I have never been that close to marine mammals! Dolphins ride the bow, and while at idle, we had two juvenile Humpback whales approach and spy hop only feet away from the boat! Do not hesitate to book with Dominic! You will be investing in a wildlife experience that is designed to give you the best viewing experience possible, guided by a man who truly loves the ocean and all of...