Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach
4.5
from per adult
₱1,962.34
from per adult
₱1,962.34
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 115 per group
Duration: 2–3 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English
Features animals
- 2.5-hour whale-watching cruise
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- 2.50 fuel surcharge per infant age 3 years and younger due on date of travel. The fuel surcharge and wharfage fees is required by our local supplier and is not within our control.
- Departure details
- 400 Main St, Newport Beach, CA 92661, USA Our location is inside the historic Balboa Pavilion located in the beautiful Newport Beach, CA. Our vessels depart from these docks as well. Parking is located roughly 100 yards from our location. Best place to park is next to the Balboa Pier. Please arrive 45 min before the start time.
- 309 Palm St, Newport Beach, CA 92661, USA Our second location is in Unit A of the 309 Palm Street building facing the harbor. Our building is located to the left of the Auto Ferry if you are looking towards the east. Please arrive 45 min before the start time.
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5481WHALE- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Outside alcohol, ice chests, coolers or glass containers are strictly prohibited.
- Vessel may change depending on availability.
- 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
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- A note from Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach
- We have decreased our passenger capacity by 30% for each vessel in our fleet.
What you can expect during your visit- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Community- Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
- Which attractions will I visit with Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:
- Fashion Island
- Dana Point Harbor
- Balboa Fun Zone
- Balboa Pier
- Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters
- How much is Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach?
- Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach price starts from ₱1,914.74. Discover and book Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach on Tripadvisor
- What is the Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach cancellation policy?
- Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach?
- Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach is hosted by Davey's Locker. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Davey's Locker on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Whale-Watching Cruise from Newport Beach on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5481WHALE
Reserve your spot
from ₱1,962.34
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.
Voyager570327
00Dani Rocks!
Dani rocks! it was so nice to have such a cool chick driving the boat -she was super knowledgeable and fun. It was…
F2058HTronw
00Blue sky, blue ocean, blue whale!
Terrific trip! Saw a blue whale and many dolphins. Kayla and Jill -- the crew - totally rock. Would have been a gre…
Masonn01234
00BEWARE…..SCAM
DO NOT BUY GROUPON! It will cost more than a standard ticket! Bought 2 Groupon tickets for $100 then they charged a…
351kater
00Disappointing
Very disappointed. We drove 2 hours to Newport. Received a call as we were parking they were cancelling the 12:3…
cann_it_114
00Take a chance and see a whale!
Amazing experience! Captains Larry and Harrison were expert drivers and incredibly knowledgeable about local wild l…
Nottiredretired
00Beautiful Fin whale watch
We had a great time with Captain Larry and asst Dani. We were thrilled to see a Fin whale, and were impressed by hi…
Q1271SFchristopherp
00Luxury Whale Watching
ALEX AND JILL were marvelous!!!! They shared their knowledge of the sea and animals with all of us. It made the c…
M7870DVroseb
00Great Experience
So fun! Worth it if you want something different and interesting! The crew on board were so nice and welcoming! We …
andrewpG3000HK
00Fantastic experience and photo opportunity
I have been wale watching before, it is always a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon when visiting CA. I tried …
TravelagentCo
00Great!
We enjoyed the calm demeanor of the crew and their knowledge of many types of seal, whales, dolphins, etc. We had a…
Crystal S
00Do not fish with this comosny
Half day fishing trip with friends was a bad experience for my husband. Only fished one hour and the whole group c…
CBearE
00Easy to book, enthusiastic and capable crew and 2,000 DOLPHINS!
We enjoyed our 2 hour whale watching cruise very much. We were a party of 9 (including 5 tweens and teens). Plenty…
noahn428
00horrible customer service
Horrible customer service and their boats are always broken, they handle business very poorly. I would not recommen…
Getaway41113683262
00What an AMAZING trip!
We went on the whale watching tour. It was mid-September...no whales, so this is NOT a time to see them. A little…
pesoares1969
00Wonderful (Just very short. Barely 90 minutes)
I have done this many times and taken many visiting friends here. Didn't see any whales but that's not their fault.…
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
332 reviews
Excellent
227
Very good
55
Average
25
Poor
6
Terrible
19
Nomad_LA
Los Angeles251 contributions
Jul 2022
The boat was very comfortable, roomy and clean. The crew worked hard at making sure everyone was having a good time. The captain was informative without talking all the time. My only complaint was two of the binoculars were not working right. In hindsight I’m sure there were extra’s around if we had just asked.
I sprang for the VIP seats, since we wanted to be sure to be in the shade on the top deck with my ‘pigment challenged’ grandkids from Alaska. It was in the open air, so it was a surprise that we put on sweatshirts even on a day in the 80’s.
The seat was padded rather than just the normal wooded bench, so my aging bottom was thankful. You also get binoculars and a free drink delivered. Wish I could have taken advantage of the bar, as it looked great, but my sissy stomach was not ‘at ease’ with the rocking, so it was 7 up only. It’s not a big deal, like on the bigger boats, but just wanted to be cautious.
If you want to arrive early and line up in the sun for 30+ minutes you probably could have snagged a similar seat and saved a little money. I like to spoil myself when on vacation.
No whales were spotted (luck of the draw), but we had a great viewing of a large pod of dolphins and of course the sea lions on the buoy. I liked how there were no false promises as the captain, the website and the dock signage was up front on telling us of the status of recent sightings. We were able to get very close for some great pictures.
Can’t wait to do it again.
I sprang for the VIP seats, since we wanted to be sure to be in the shade on the top deck with my ‘pigment challenged’ grandkids from Alaska. It was in the open air, so it was a surprise that we put on sweatshirts even on a day in the 80’s.
The seat was padded rather than just the normal wooded bench, so my aging bottom was thankful. You also get binoculars and a free drink delivered. Wish I could have taken advantage of the bar, as it looked great, but my sissy stomach was not ‘at ease’ with the rocking, so it was 7 up only. It’s not a big deal, like on the bigger boats, but just wanted to be cautious.
If you want to arrive early and line up in the sun for 30+ minutes you probably could have snagged a similar seat and saved a little money. I like to spoil myself when on vacation.
No whales were spotted (luck of the draw), but we had a great viewing of a large pod of dolphins and of course the sea lions on the buoy. I liked how there were no false promises as the captain, the website and the dock signage was up front on telling us of the status of recent sightings. We were able to get very close for some great pictures.
Can’t wait to do it again.
Written 9 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amber L
1 contribution
Jill and Kayla were the best crew for our experience. They both had amazing crowd interactions while sparking conversations they stayed informative to the many animals we saw along our outing. I was beyond glad to have chosen this company but also had them as the crew. Beyond thankful and can’t wait to visit the business soon again!
Written 23 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xenon
Los Alamos, NM169 contributions
Nov 2022
Ok, probably two halves to this review....
First, the part the Vendor could control: Overall, pretty good. Nice boat, Captain was friendly and happy on the speakers. Loading and unloading was relatively smooth. Overall, it certainly looked like a promising trip, and Davey's Locker treated us well,
Second, the part they can't control: Weather and Wildlife. Big Storm earlier in the week resulted in bad conditions on our trip. No wildlife at all, Again, they can't control that, BUT if you are looking at an trip, be well aware that even a day or two after a storm, the water is still really choppy, and the wildlife are not as easy to find.
(Unlucky us to pick the worst week in "Sunny" Southern California!!)
Back to what they can control... they did give us a "try again" voucher, which is nice of them, but probably hard for us to use honestly, since we are visitors to the area and might not make it back.
Some other notes:
Upstairs they had some of the best seats roped off for the VIP holders. So that is the difference between the VIP and the normal version (a special section where you don't have to share seats). But that does mean there are only about half of the "good" seats upstairs that you might think there are.
Parking is a bit of a challenge (but they do give you some instructions). There are lots nearby, pay by phone. The tricky part for us was that some lots are 2 hour max, some are 3;59 (not a full 4 hours) max, and others are 6 (probably 5:59) max. So, check carefully because it's not really obvious at first.
Cute little store where you check in with some fun "tourist" stuff to choose from.
Right near the "Fun Zone" which is a bit easier to find when trying to find the place
First, the part the Vendor could control: Overall, pretty good. Nice boat, Captain was friendly and happy on the speakers. Loading and unloading was relatively smooth. Overall, it certainly looked like a promising trip, and Davey's Locker treated us well,
Second, the part they can't control: Weather and Wildlife. Big Storm earlier in the week resulted in bad conditions on our trip. No wildlife at all, Again, they can't control that, BUT if you are looking at an trip, be well aware that even a day or two after a storm, the water is still really choppy, and the wildlife are not as easy to find.
(Unlucky us to pick the worst week in "Sunny" Southern California!!)
Back to what they can control... they did give us a "try again" voucher, which is nice of them, but probably hard for us to use honestly, since we are visitors to the area and might not make it back.
Some other notes:
Upstairs they had some of the best seats roped off for the VIP holders. So that is the difference between the VIP and the normal version (a special section where you don't have to share seats). But that does mean there are only about half of the "good" seats upstairs that you might think there are.
Parking is a bit of a challenge (but they do give you some instructions). There are lots nearby, pay by phone. The tricky part for us was that some lots are 2 hour max, some are 3;59 (not a full 4 hours) max, and others are 6 (probably 5:59) max. So, check carefully because it's not really obvious at first.
Cute little store where you check in with some fun "tourist" stuff to choose from.
Right near the "Fun Zone" which is a bit easier to find when trying to find the place
Written 10 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ejam2627
3 contributions
Dec 2022
Dec 2022 - My family had a great time. Even though we didn't see any whales and it was raining half the time, we enjoyed the ride. We got to see some sea lions and a bunch of birds trying to catch fish. The driver did steer into better weather, so the other half of our trip had no rain. I would say their P.A. system needs to be updated or raised up louder. It was so hard to hear anything they were saying. Also, the tables were sticky. Just wondering how well they clean.
Written 11 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Krys R
2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
The weather was awful but the captain did his best and we ended up seeing a great whale! The crew was pleasant and the boat ride was so beautiful regardless of limited animal action!
The entire experience was smooth and handled professionally. We changed our reservation time twice due to weather and the company was accommodating. Parking was easy to find and check in was exactly as described! A stress free experience for all of us!
The entire experience was smooth and handled professionally. We changed our reservation time twice due to weather and the company was accommodating. Parking was easy to find and check in was exactly as described! A stress free experience for all of us!
Written 16 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DarrylMann
Swaffham, UK28 contributions
I went on this excursion twice during my visit. We were advised that there had been less animal spottings due to poor weather and being late in the season however we saw dolphins both times. The first trip the crew were more engaging with the customers and, although both times we were advised to let crew know if we see anything, the first crew made it much easier to alert them to sightings. The second time out there was a specialist with bones etc to interact with people on the cruise which the children looked to e joy which was nice. The captain of the second boat was less talkative on the tannoy letting us know what was going on but overall both were still good
Written 13 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nanci_Dru
Albuquerque, NM283 contributions
I booked a whale watching trip without any real research into different companies, as we were in a hurry. Davey's Locker came up first and had really, really affordable prices ($36 for two adults and two babies). Booking online and signing the waiver were easy. I called to ask where to park since we were running late, and an actual human (who was helpful!) answered. The boat itself was fine and had a small indoor seating area and plenty of space outdoors. It had a small concession stand, too. The boat took off and we were in for a treat, as we saw a whale, a sea lion, and tons of dolphins that swam all around the boat. The captain and crew went above and beyond to try to ensure everyone saw the whale, as whale sightings had been elusive that week. They were great about telling us where to look, and we stayed out longer than anticipated as we saw the whale as we were heading back. Also, kudos to them, they stopped to pick up a huge bunch of Mylar balloons that were floating in the ocean. I 100% recommend Davey's Locker!
Written 24 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carynn Rader
2 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
My husband and I took our two boys (8 and 4 yrs old) on this cruise and we did not enjoy ourselves one bit. They are not informative during the cruise. They “guarantee” you will see whales/dolphins, but that is not the case. After cruising for about two hours with no sight of either, they pulled up to a couple sea lions to make us feel like we had seen something. Spent $90 on our tickets, $10 to rent binoculars from them, $50 in concession and after a huge disappointment they give you coupons to reride and waste more money for only $7/person this time. No thanks!
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J&N Bledsoe
North Kansas City, MO7 contributions
Mar 2023
We were pleased that we saw 4 whales, dolphins and seals. That is a very successful whale watching cruise! However, we arrived at the harbor 45 minutes early for our cruise (as was suggested), and we were simply told they would start letting people on the boat in 45 minutes. When it was time to get on the boat we noticed everyone else had paper tickets. We had to go in the building around the corner and check in. I'm just wondering why we weren't told we needed to go in the building and check in when we showed up early and were told it wouldn't load for 45 minutes.
Written 28 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leeannmorrell
Santa Clarita, CA106 contributions
Feb 2022
Such a great crew! We took a mid morning boat last Sunday and it was so much fun. We were worried because my mom is 91 and has limited mobility so she was going to be in a wheelchair but we called ahead and the man who answered the phone was really nice about letting us know which boat to book on to accommodate the wheelchair situation. When we got there they had us pre board. Boarding was easy because the crew jumped in to help with the wheelchair and in in helping my mom up the three steps she needed to navigate to get onto the boat. John, Kayla and Jill were such a great crew. John found a huge pod of dolphins (turns out it was a nursery pod with the cutest baby dolphins!) Kayla took professional grade photos of the dolphins which I just had to buy and Kim is a really fun narrator. She was more excited by the baby dolphins than almost anyone else except me I think. It really shows when people love their jobs! We will definitely book with these guys again!
Written 16 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is there a bar on the boat? Asking for a friend.
thumper1
Massachusetts777 contributions
I had a mixed drink -- a Mai-tai or something similar. (Sorry about my previous answer that came with a little help from autocorrect.)
Guide249235
Houston, TX
From Catalina’s Island..you have to take ferry back to NewPort Beach?
Can you bring food on the boat?
kytten13
Tucson, AZ43 contributions
I saw another family bring snacks for their young children and no one said anything.
Do you have to be vaccinated to go on the boat?
Ted L
2 contributions
I was vaccinated, my companion wasn't. They never asked us about vaccination, but a call to them would be wise.
Can I take my dog on the boat?
Ted L
2 contributions
I don't know. It may have to do with whether or not it's a service dog, but I wouldn't bring it without being certain that I could hold the dog the entire trip (the water can get choppy) and that the animal wouldn't disturb others. If I was the owner of the boat I'd say no, but the only real way to know is to call them directly.
Elizabeth
Springfield, OR
My fiancé and I will be honeymooning in Newport and would love to do this. We will have our two dogs with us though. Are we able to bring our dogs? We each have 1 husky.
