Oceanic Expeditions Whale Watch — Local services in Watsonville Water Treatment Plant

I could never express in words the epic experience we had on this trip. I am getting goosebumps writing this review over 24 hours later; I'm shook! The trip, which starts out of Moss Landing, took us passing through a sweet fishing village full of animated sea lions on the docks and frolicking in the waters around the boat, gulls, cormorants, pelicans, and more. We passed John Steinbeck's boat on the way out and Mike & Mary keep you informed on all of this in the most unobtrusive way. The boat is small but feels very safe - I was nervous but that was settled right away as you are clearly in very good hands, and in a very safe watercraft. Ok, the WHALES are everywhere. We saw dozens and dozens of humpbacks; they were all around us, near and far. We saw fluke prints after their dives, tail slapping (over and over and OVER), breaching and side flopping (whatever that is called). The word on the sea was that there was a family of orcas nearby so we sat down and Mike busted it way out into the middle of the bay and they FOUND this family of orcas which has a 2 week old BABY orca which was flopping around and jumping along - and it was still kinda pink, it was so young! Okay, so after the orca family had to move on, we headed back toward land to find the humpbacks again and then two of them approached our lil boat and hung out directly under it and kept popping up to look at us and seriously, it blew my effing mind. We could SMELL them (kinda like fishy cows or horses, I thought), and FEEL their breath as they hung out for about 15 minutes. They were so gentle with us, barely rocking our boat while softly going in & out of the water with barely any splash. I found them on TikTok which is a great place to see what they are finding on a daily basis (or YouTube). If you have a bucket list, put this at the top as it is beyond worth the $ to have this experience. Even if you see them from further away, it's still epic - the personal visit we got at the end was just beyond what I could have imagined. Most of my documentation is in videos, so I will try to edit those and add photos soon although a photo could never really show what this...

While we can never predict if or when any free creature in the wild show up on these trips, what you can predict are the best hosts in the business. I have gone on whale trips with 5 different Monterey companies and Mike & Maria’s Oceanic Expeditions is my personal favorite above the rest. This morning, we were surprised to be greeted by a pod of dolphins over 200 strong, swimming alongside and around us, checking us out! The fog was super thick but Mike and Maria applied their experience and knowledge and didn’t give up searching everywhere to find humpbacks for us. Finally, we were greeted not by one, not two but three gorgeous humpbacks! Then Mike & Maria turned off the engine and let us hear the ocean and the awe-filled sounds of their deep breaths. Even though there is a place for narration and education, what I value most about this amazing husband and wife team, is that they gift us with quiet, inviting us to be present and have our own sacred experience with the majestic. No excessive narrations over a loudspeaker, only a depth of knowledge always available when asked. Maybe because I have been with Mike & Maria before so the experience was even richer. Mike and Maria feel like familiar friends inviting you into their family, their passion and love of the blue, matching your wonder and thrill of seeing whales with their own. If you want to feel like you’ve booked a privately chartered trip without breaking the bank, not wanting to bump into a bunch of tourists trying to capture a good view, or be distracted by loud narration, then this the secret gem you have been looking for! Book immediately - Like me, you will keep coming back after you travel with Oceanic Expeditions. Today was yet another epic trip -...

Just a heads-up for couples or solo traveler's, booking with this company can be a gamble. I booked 2 seats for a whale watching trip at the start of the year, only to have it cancelled on the morning of the trip because no one else had booked that date/time.

Communication leading up to the cancellation was poor. I received an email the day before simply asking if I was flexible on dates, no mention that the trip might be cancelled. I had to ask directly if it was going ahead, at which point I learned it might not run. Mary, who handled the booking, wasn’t upfront about the situation, and a refund was only mentioned after I specifically asked.

There were no alternative solutions offered beyond changing the date. For example, I would’ve considered paying extra for a private charter but this option wasn't presented. I was left with two choices: reschedule or wait until 8:00 a.m. the day of the trip to find out if it was cancelled very frustrating, especially since other local companies had tours departing at that time.

From what I could see, their cancellation policy only mentions weather and safety concerns as reasons for cancelling a trip ( which I completely understand), not a lack of bookings. That should really be made clear upfront, along with the minimum number of passengers required for a trip to go ahead.

This experience was especially disappointing because this trip was the main reason I was staying in Monterey, as part of a larger (and expensive) visit to California. Thankfully, I was able to find another company and still go whale watching but I had chosen this company, and paid more, expecting a better...