San Diego Private Family Whale Adventure
4.7
92 Ratings
San Diego

Embark on a thrilling private family whale adventure in San Diego. Cruise in a luxurious family limo on the water with a licensed captain, equipped with safety measures and an observation tower.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Tailwalker Whale & Dolphin Adventures - This is “Private Boat charter just for your Family/Group.” (6 passengers per boat.)
    We will explore the waters off the Beautiful San Diego Coastline in Search of all different types of Whales, Dolphins and other Sea Animals. This “VIP/Private” Tour will put you right in the middle of all the Action to see…
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What's Included
  • Safety equipment provided
  • Complimentary bottled water
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

For nearly two decades, we’ve been San Diego’s exclusive provider of VIP and private family whale and dolphin adventures!
Experience your own private “Family Limo” on the water, guided by a licensed USCG captain! (Tandem trips can accommodate up to 12 passengers per boat)
We hold all current operating permits and are equipped with USCG safety gear.
Our…

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Location
Tailwalker Whale & Dolphin Adventures
Quivira Road
You have a "VIP/Private boat just for your Family/Group". We will personally meet you at "The Market" Cafe located directly behind the Hyatt Mission Bay. (In front of the Commercial Docks)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(92 Ratings)
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Brian_h
Aug 17, 2024
Great trip. Def recommend - Captain Rich put us right on the whales, but the huge pod of dolphins was the star of the day! Great trip!!
Review provided by Viator
364chelseyw
Jul 14, 2024
Save your time looking, this is the one! - Do not book with anyone else! This is 100% the only whale & dolphin excursion you should be considering! Capt. Rich is incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming and really cares about the safety and quality of your adventure! We had family from 6 years to 52 years old and we all had a GREAT time. While we were there we saw the other boats going out for whale watching packed in like sardines and were extremely thankful we booked with Capt. Rich. We saw a juvenile whale and hundreds of dolphins! We even saw a pink fin dolphin! Absolutely incredible experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maryck7204bn
Jun 27, 2024
The best boat for whale watching - This is the best way to go whale watching: on a fast private boat with a captain who knows what he's doing! Future whale watching trips just won't compare. We loved it so much we went twice! One tip, dress in layers especially for morning trips. It can get chilly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kenji496zk
Jun 18, 2024
Wonderful, private ocean tour!! - Captain Rich took us on a wonderful trip out to see whales and dolphins (mid Jun 24). We saw and got close to two blue whales! He has been in the business a while and knows where to go to spot the sea life. We enjoyed the view from the rooftop seats. Cast Rich is very personable, easy to talk to, and knowledgeable about what you are going to see. I highly recommend Cape Rich and Tailwalker Adventures for a uncrowded, private adventure. I plan on doing this again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Greg_s
Jun 12, 2024
Great trip - We saw two whales and hundreds of dolphins. The caption was great and made sure we had a wonderful experience.
Review provided by Viator
Monicah791
Mar 24, 2024
Amazing day of whale and dolphin watching! - We had an amazing time with Captain Rich and Tailwalker. Rich called to give us an update on the weather and then passed on instructions where and when to meet. Once on the boat, he gave us a safety lesson, allowed us to go up onto the flying bridge, and we were on our way. We first came upon a gray whale, our goal for the day, we then had a sea lion make his way past us and then it was off to a very large pod of dolphins. The dolphins were jumping and swam along with our boat for at least 30 minutes. It was amazing!! On the way back towards the bay, we saw more dolphins and then Captain Rich took us past the sea loins who reside in the bay. The day was wonderful!! And truly the best part of our trip. We plan to return and go blue whale watching with Captain Rich. Thank you again Captain Rich!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jerry_j
Aug 30, 2024
Great Boat and Tour. Did not see much but still a good time. - Great Boat and Tour Guide. We did not see much on the trip but a few sea lions you can see from shore. All in all still a good time.
Review provided by Viator
Gina_w
Mar 11, 2024
Huge disappointment - This was an incredibly disappointing experience after having read so many reviews about marine life sightings. The water was extremely choppy and 2 of us were sea sick. The long ride off shore felt interminable and all for nothing. We had a brief glimpse of 2 dolphins in over 2 hours of scanning rough, white caps. Saw nothing else. The captain eventually turned back to shore and sped all the way back (which was a relief to get off the boat). We were freezing, sick and bored. Super disappointing since we flew out from Texas for this excursion.
Review provided by Viator
W1539kxthomash
Aug 5, 2024
Don’t book - Cancelled 2 hours prior. No accommodation given. Children upset as we had booked the private tour and excitement was high. Poor experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shannonbl5919qc
Mar 19, 2024
Dangerous and uncomfortable. - This was really bad. As we were walking up to the boat, we figured out that there was really no seating. He sticks you up on a perch on the bridge of the boat, which seems really good at first, but the bench seat is broken so you are sliding out of it the whole time and I literally have a cut from a nail going into my butt cheek from the broken seat. We were with our children who are teenagers, and two of us were asked to precariously sit on the roof of the boat and it was horribly uncomfortable- my daughter and I have bruises on our backs from having to lean against the seat rail to stay safe on the roof of the boat as he drove over waves. Lastly, he is not a charismatic captain. In fact, there was not a personality to speak of. I NEVER write reviews. I grew up with small business owners as parents so I really wanted this to work out, but this guy charged us over $700 to ride in a dangerous situation and to admonish us for not looking out enough for whales. I would recommend going on a different tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $179
From $179
up to 6 guests
3 Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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