Round up your family and friends and set off on this 2.5-hour whale-watching cruise from Newport Beach. On a 65-foot (20-meter) boat, you’ll cruise down the Orange County coastline, watching for several varieties of whales, dolphins and other marine life.The coastal waters provide the calm conditions that attract these impressive mammals.
This whale-watching tour is available year-round, and depending on the season you travel, different whales may be in the area. Giant blue whales like to visit in the summer and fall months. These whales are the largest mammals ever seen in existence, usually growing to approximately 200 tons (180 metric tons) and 98 feet (30 meters) in length! You may also see grey whales, which can live up to 70 years. Finback whales are also common in the summer months; they are the second-largest mammals after blue whales, and they grow to up to 72 feet (22 meters).
During the winter and spring months, you'll typically see minke and humpback whales. The minke whale is one of the world’s smallest whales, only growing to about 23 feet (7 meters). The beloved humpback whale can grow to be about 52 feet (16 meters). Both whales love krill, and they ‘fluke’ (slap) their tails on the water in order to bring the krill up to the surface. Humpbacks are a very curious breed of whales and are often referred to as ’friendlies’ by sailors because they love to come up to ships.
Keep your eyes peeled for other marine life like seals, sea lions and several types of dolphins. Your friendly and knowledgeable captain and crew all come from strong backgrounds in marine biology and will be able to answer all your questions.
See Availability.
400 Main St, Newport Beach, CA 92661, USA
2 to 3 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Not wheelchair accessible
Outside alcohol, ice chests, coolers or glass containers are strictly prohibited.
Vessel may change depending on availability.
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 115 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Posted By : Lynn_B
The whale-watching cruise was fabulous. My experience booking with Viator was not. I was offered a $25 off coupon to book through Viator, but the offer code was no good. When I called to get help the person at Viator wanted me to pay more money for the same cruise to use the $25 offer. Where I come from that’s called a bait & switch. Won’t use Viator again.
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Posted On : 2024-05-19
Posted By : Sara_C
We were able to see a whale fin, and hundreds of dolphins: bottle nose and common. The captain and crew were super friendly and made the trip and amazing experience.
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Posted On : 2024-05-18
Posted By : Global692082
Got some good views of a fin whale, seals and dolphins. Would highly recommend !! Not a lot of people on the boat as well !!!
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Posted On : 2024-05-12
Posted By : Carolyn_H
Didn’t get to see any whales but we drove along side 400 dolphins that in itself made it worth it. The crew on the boat were amazing and they were fun to listen to. Definitely would do it again.
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Posted On : 2024-05-07
Posted By : PunitPratap_S
Nicely organised tour with clear instructions ! Clean & well maintained boat! Friendly staff who keeps you updated on the sightings!
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Posted On : 2024-05-02
Posted By : LindaB547
Competent, friendly crew. Comfortable seating. Access to snacks. Not too crowded. It was a lovely day, with several sightings!
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Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : 190debr
We had a great trip - saw lots of dolphins, sea lions and only a splash of a whale, so not as much wildlife as we hoped, however, we upgraded to ride with the captain and it was totally worth it!
Boat was clean and comfortable, staff was excellent. Highly recommend.
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Posted On : 2024-04-17
Posted By : Betty_P
My granddaughter and I enjoyed the trip tremendously. Sorry we didn’t get to see any whales, but maybe next time.
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Posted On : 2024-04-09
Posted By : CarolandRayL
We had a very good captain sharing with us throughout the trip. Unfortunately, we did not see any whales, but we were rewarded with seeing probably thousands of common dolphins jumping up and down all around our ship. The experience was truly breathtaking. We also saw a group of sea lions sunning themselves on the way back to shore.
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Posted On : 2024-04-03
Posted By : Tolulope_S
The weather was very bad. I took uber from los angeles after traveling from Maryland. We spent over $200 to have an experience that didn't hold...now whilst I cannot fault them for bad weather, they should have canceled earlier instead of attempting what was clearly a dangerous venture. They gave us a voucher to come back...but we can't as we return to our home state tomorrow. No refund.. just vouchers that is totally useless to me now as I don't have anyone here to gift it to.
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Posted On : 2024-03-31
