Net Zero Expeditions — Local services in San Diego

Net Zero Expeditions offers a wonderful experience every time ... I've been with them 3 times now. You can tell everyone involved with this company really cares for the ocean environment and sea life and have a deep knowledge for both. They really enjoy doing their job. They understand the animals' behaviors and know how to find them (from dolphins to whales to sharks to bait balls to the loveable mola mola - I have gone all over the world to try to see the mola molas and who knew I could see dozens of them right in my backyard in San Diego!). I have enjoyed my excursions with them every trip (and that's saying a lot as I have been a scuba diver for over 20 years and thought snorkeling would be boring) and have made many new friends on these trips. The boat is a comfortable ride and well kept, and they constantly upgrade the engine so we can keep going further and further out to explore! They bring plenty of drinks and snacks and a delicious lunch, as well as emergency/safety equipment (I've had no emergency issues with them but one of the other passengers didn't dress warmly enough and they even had extra equipment to warm him up). I can't say enough good things about this company, Manolo, and his crew! We are very lucky to have something like this available in San Diego to explore the vast marine biodiversity this area has to offer! I can't wait to see what things I will discover/experience when I take my next...

Our family had an incredible trip with Net Zero Expeditions and Manolo. He was super communicative via email, accommodated our schedule while on vacation, and also provided flexibility to work around the weather. The trip was off to an amazing start as we zipped around with several different pods of dolphins - common, Pacific white sided, and bottlenose dolphins. We weren’t sure if we’d love being in a small boat, but quickly realized that was absolutely the right choice. The dolphins were interactive, completely surrounding and racing the boat, all while being a few feet away from us. We also saw tiny baby dolphins and a sea lion playing with them. We’d almost given up hope on seeing a whale, but weren’t disappointed since the dolphins were so fun. Then at the last minute, they heard a report of three gray whales on the radio, and we turned around to try and find them. We ended up having one of the coolest experiences of our lives. Three gray whales were surfacing, and one of them kept lifting its head out of the water, almost as if it was checking us out. We spent several minutes watching in awe, completely amazed by the experience. Needless to say, we’d definitely recommend a trip with Net Zero Expeditions! Manolo was friendly and accommodating, and we loved being on the small boat since it provided the best chance to see the very curious and...

This expedition was one of the most amazing ocean day trips I have ever experienced. Filmmaker Manolo Mendieta was our guide for an outstanding Pelagic Offshore Expedition. Our small group of four and crew of 3 left Quivera Basin around 9am on a Zodiac, heading out into the open ocean. We immediately saw sea lions and multiple pods of dolphin. Dolphins raced the boat as we maneuvered amongst them. Free floating kelp beds were scattered here and there. We found they were host to a great deal of sea life. The largest fish was the Mola Mola, an enormous, unusual looking fish. Mola gravitate to the kelp beds for the cleaner wrasse and other fish whohelp to keep it clean and free of parasites. Altogether, we saw 10 Mola! With Manolo’s guidance, we quietly slipped into the ocean and snorkeled among the gentle giants. They were as curious about us, as we were them! We even saw one breach! It was a magical experience I’ll never forget. We then chased and spied the ocean giant, the Blue Whale. We saw Minke whale as well. We also saw a beautiful swordfish as it breached in front of the boat. It was a glorious day! You should be a comfortable swimmer and prior snorkel experience is a plus. Check out the other adventures they offer. I’m going swimming with Blue...