Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach
Overview
- 2.5-hour whale-watching tour from Newport Beach
- Keep your eyes open for blue, grey, minke, finback and humpback whales!
- Knowledgeable captain and crew
- Multiple departure times available
- Spot other marine life such as dolphins, seals and more
Board the 65-foot (20-meter) boat and meet your experienced captain and crew, all of whom have extensive backgrounds in marine biology. As the boat leaves the harbor, you'll learn about the different types of marine life that frequents the area and what to look for.
This year-round tour allows the opportunity to see different animals during different seasons. During the winter and spring months, watch for minke whales; one of the world's smallest, they only grow to about 23 feet (7 meters). Winter also brings the humpback whale, which can grow to an impressive 52 feet (16 meters). Both of these whales eat krill and are known to slap their tails on the surface of the water, or 'fluke'.
Blue whales, the largest mammals in existence today, usually grow to approximately 200 tons (180 metric tons) and 98 feet (30 meters) in length. Watch for these giants during the summer and fall months, in addition to grey whales and finback whales (the second-largest type of whale).
You'll also likely see dolphins, sea lions and seals on your trip. Feel free to ask any questions of your knowledgeable captain and crew regarding any of the animal life you encounter.
After 2.5 hours out on the Pacific, return to Newport Harbor.
Reviews
Viator Traveler's Reviews
This was a cool experience but there are a few things I didn't like. When booking, it would have been important to let people know just how cold it would be out there. Maybe letting us know the average temperature over the water during that season. Everyone was wearing a light jacket expecting it to be a little colder than on land, but it was a lot colder. Everyone was freezing because they really weren't prepared for it.
Also, the cruise would be properly branded as a Marine Life Watching tour. It was only when we got on the boat we were told that we might not see a whale. Which was highly disappointing and felt misleading! Thankfully!! We did see one hump back whale right at the end of our tour. That made up for what felt 45 minutes of aimlessly circling the water with nothing in sight in the freezing cold for so long! It would've been nice to have something to entertain us with during the wait as well.
That being said we did see a large pod of dolphins and some sea lions catching some rays on a buoy. So that was pretty cool.
Overall, I enjoyed the tour!
This was a great 2 hours out in the bay. Boat was spacious and clean and the crew informative and friendly. No whales but a large pod of about 200 dolphins further out which meant an excellent half an hour or so as they swam around the boat jumping in and out of the water. To see mothers and their young was an absolute joy. Sea lions on the way back rounded off a memorable trip. Well worth doing.