Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari
Experience our exclusive Underwater Viewing Pods. Unique glass windows get you eye-to-eye with dolphins and whales!
Connect with nature when you join one of our memorable, year-round whale watching cruises.
We are open with cruises 100% outdoors from start to finish, enhanced cleaning procedures, reduced guest capacity, and other safety measures.
All safaris have live narration from expert naturalists and Mrs. Capt. Dave’s legendary Triple Fudge Brownies are served as a special treat at the end of your trip.
Manute’a, our 50-foot catamaran sailboat, is the primary boat used for our daily whale watching trips. Above the water or below in our Underwater Viewing Pods, Manute’a offers an up-close, eye-to-eye, better than Disneyland, unforgettable experience! Although Manute’a normally has plenty of elbow room for her 49 happy passengers, during the pandemic we have reduced guest capacity for even more space.
“…this tour offers the best whale watching in the world…!”
– CBS Los Angeles
Our Zodiac Dolphin & Whale Safaris offer small groups a high-speed, smile-plastered-to-your-face, exhilarating whale watching adventure. You can be within arm’s reach of wildlife! Upscale features include heavily padded seats with seatbacks and a large sunshade. And with speeds of 30 knots or faster, you’ll spend less time looking for animals and more time enjoying them. Although our zodiac-style vessels are Coast Guard certified to carry as many as 26 guests, for plenty of elbow room we limit capacity to about 20.
“Better than Sea World, The Zoo and LegoLand so that says a lot!” – Angela L. / TripAdvisor
Private Charters & Ash Scatterings
Charter duration is customized.
All six boats in our fleet are available for private charters. Our Charter Coordinator will work with you one-on-one to arrange the perfect experience for your group or family. Private charters are perfect for family reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions, as well as corporate functions, team building, and professional media/film productions.
We also provide the opportunity to disperse ashes at sea off the beautiful coast of Orange County, California, from the comfort of a private boat.
The viewing pod was INSANE!!! I felt like I was swimming with the dolphins they were so close and could hear them as well!!” – Sadie B. / Yelp
Ocean Education/School Safaris
Turn your students into junior marine naturalists!
Very special rates available.
Add new value to your school curriculum with Captain Dave’s education initiative all about the southern California coastline, its rich ecosystem, and the marine wildlife that calls it home. Public and homeschool students of all ages are welcome to participate in our classroom on the water. These trips are also perfect for scout troops!
“This is 100 times more fun and educational than Sea World!” – mgar2764/TripAdvisor
About Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari
Why watch whales with Captain Dave’s? Because your family deserves the very best!
• Five-star ratings from customers on sites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google. We’re also a proud recipient of TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice award.
• We offer the best customer service!
• Customized vessels and exclusive features including Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods, Eye-Spy Tram Nets, micro-museum with whale and dolphin artifacts, and more.
• Captain Dave’s unique vessels are never crowded with a maximum of 6 to 49 passengers, depending on the vessel, for an intimate whale watching experience.
• We are a real eco-tourism company providing only sustainable wildlife viewing.
• Our knowledgeable marine naturalists explain how these animals live for a fun and educational oceanic adventure that adults and children of all ages will love.
• Captain Dave and trained rescue team members have been recognized worldwide for their conservation and whale rescue efforts.
• Mrs. Captain Dave’s famously yummy Triple Fudge Brownies are served complimentary on every whale watching trip.
About Captain Dave
Yep, he’s a real person, not just the name on our door! Captain Dave is a marine naturalist, passionate conservationist, photographer, award-winning filmmaker and author, and whale watching captain.
A founder of Orange County’s first whale disentanglement group, Captain Dave was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to raise awareness of bycatch from fishing gear entanglement. He is often called upon as an authority on wild dolphins and whales, and was a keynote speaker at the LA Drone Expo for his spectacular use of drones to film whales and dolphins in his acclaimed video “Drones Over Dolphin Stampede and Whales off Dana Point and Maui”.
Videos and photographs from Captain Dave’s safaris have been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, and The Today Show, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and in feature films including the Academy Award-nominated film, Racing Extinction.
Dana Point Whale Watching
Dana Point, California, USA
The Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World®
