**Unfortunately, due to the unforeseen rise in fuel costs, we have had to add a $5/person fuel surcharge to all trips. We thank you for your understanding and value your continued support as we navigate through these difficult times**
Come and see whales year-round at one of the best places on Earth!
Our whale watch trips depart from Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf daily and guaranteed whale sightings! Join us on a cruise during your visit to Monterey and enjoy time with amazing wildlife in Monterey Bay. Our crew can’t wait to share their knowledge and passion with you onboard to ensure you have a memorable experience! Whale Watching in Monterey Bay is some of the best in the world due to the deep submarine canyon close to shore. Whales are sighted every day of the year and this is an amazing place for all marine wildlife!
Matt W.
2024-04-09 14:11:18
Took a risk taking two 7-year olds, but they had a blast. We saw a bunch of Humpback Whales, dolphins, an elephant seal, too many sea lions to count, and a...
Catherine B.
2024-03-20 15:22:30
We had a wonderful time meeting people from across the world. Our guide Isaiah and Kevin took great care of us. Oh yeah, and we saw tons of whales and...
Emma W.
2024-03-13 12:34:24
We loved our excursion with Discovery Whale Watch! While they fully explained that there was a chance we wouldn't see anything, our trip was extremely...
Lenore K.
2023-12-13 15:36:21
Fun fun funWe saw orcas in the hunt for seals Thankfully no seals were caught but we had an amazing Captain and crew. The weather was perfect!!!
Claire S.
2023-11-13 11:43:35
What a wonderful experience! From beginning to end, the staff was welcoming. They called me before the tour to let me know there was some road closures due...
Bryce A.
2023-10-15 09:35:12
We had the most amazing time, truly a once in a lifetime experience. The team was wonderful. They were all so knowledgeable and friendly, we felt so safe...
Christine D.
2023-10-05 14:04:11
What a beautiful day! After an easy check in you'll meet the crew. For us it was Kevin and Jeremiah Can't thank Kevin and Jeremiah enough. Answers to every...
Pat C.
2023-09-28 14:57:05
The whole crew consisting of Andrew, Maddie, and Jeremiah made our excursion, safe, fun and informative. The seas were pretty rough for novices like my son...
Jacob H.
2023-09-28 08:51:45
Took this tour for a company event the captain, crew, and naturalist (Isaiah) were all incredible! Could not have asked for a more informative and...
Katie L.
2023-09-18 06:14:06
We went out on a whale watching tour in early September. This was a bucket list item for me and did not disappoint! While you can never guarantee what...
Aubrey B.
2023-08-21 11:38:18
My husband and I have gone whale watching 3 times with Discovery now and we had incredible experiences every time. The naturalists on board are incredibly...
Mitch H.
2023-08-12 14:08:35
What an absolute blast of extraordinary magnitude! I took several tours over 3 days, and learned SO much about the diamond in the rough of Monterey Bay! I...
M K.
2023-07-29 20:48:07
My partner and son enjoyed the tour. Their ratings were both 9/10. It would've been 10/10 if I didn't get motion sickness. I personally had a miserable...
Erika P.
2023-07-07 14:52:53
This was a great experience. I would highly recommend. The captain was awesome, the co-captain/guide was fantastic, they both truly love what they do. We...
Jennifer K.
2023-06-16 18:13:16
Amazing experience!! Knowledgeable staff got us up close and provided us with a experience of a lifetime.
Yousuf S.
2023-05-24 16:53:58
The tour was a nice experience. It was enjoyable and the crew was great. I experienced some motion sickness while on the ride, but the crew was very...
Sami M.
2023-05-21 13:41:44
I only have good things to say about Discovery Whale watch! Our naturalist/Guides Sheila (I think that was her name, sorry if I'm incorrect) and Kayla were...
Dave T.
2023-05-21 11:27:14
The ship had a good intercom system so you could hear the guide. The guide had a very strong voice so you could hear him just about anywhere, and there...
Victoria H.
2023-05-05 14:43:29
Isaiah, Kayla, and the Capt during our trip were great. Isaiah was super knowledgeable and funny! We were able to see multiple humpbacks during this trip....
Kristi M.
2023-04-29 16:56:27
The crew of Isaiah, Danny, and (just forgot his name) were awesome. They were friendly and knowledgable and even went out of the way (and over time) to help...
Laura S.
2023-04-29 13:05:02
fantastic trip. not only did we see a humpback whale, but several pods of killer whales feeding. Isiah was very knowledgeable! highly recommend!
Telaryn M.
2023-04-27 13:07:05
Awesome trip! Very foggy but they found them! We got to see humpback whales for 45 min on the 9am trip, with lots of breaches!
Michelle M.
2023-04-08 09:09:31
5/5 - Discovery Whale Watch's service 3/5 - My own personal experience on a boat Whale watching in Monterey has been on my bucket list since my husband...
Jillian G.
2023-03-29 11:30:21
We would absolutely recommend Discovery to anyone. Small boat (20-30 passengers) made for an intimate and semi private experience. Crew was Excellent;...
Susan L.
2023-03-12 17:02:08
Wonderful tour with caring, knowledgeable, and attentive crew. Marine biologist on every tour and it makes such an impact. I will be back! Thanks to Isaiah,...
Carole B.
2022-12-04 13:18:26
This was a terrific trip! It was just the right size to be able to ask questions of the Naturalist (Isaiah) or on the captain. We saw at least 20 dolphins...
M L.
2022-11-29 23:18:15
This tour was amazing! With Isaiah and Andrew's skills and a bit of luck, we saw 2 humpback whales and 3 pods of dolphins.We loved that the boat was...
Rhonda P.
2022-11-27 21:23:40
We saw a humpback whale breach 3 times! Amazing!!Isaiah and the crew are incredible! The boat is smaller than most other boats, has significantly fewer...
Eva M.
2022-10-19 13:48:29
While I haven't gone a whale watching trip with any other company out of Monterey Bay to compare, I think it's safe to say Discovery is unlikely any other...
Victoria R.
2022-10-17 15:54:30
Had an awesome time whale watching today! The guide Isaiah was informative, educated about marine life, and the geology of Monterey bay! You have to...
Terri V.
2022-09-27 19:47:50
Super informative and fun trip for whale watching. Saw a ton of whales up close and sea lions. Loved Isaiah! Whole crew was great and professional and...
Marieke S.
2022-09-23 14:51:46
Beste Discovery Whale WatchWij hebben enorm genoten van de boottocht , het was zeker de moeite waard en mede door jullie enthousiasme werd de trip nog...
Cathy C.
2022-09-20 20:56:48
The boat ride and whale watch experience was lovely. Wasn't expecting to see much given the best times to see activity from past experiences is during the...
Cameron C.
2022-09-13 11:24:46
Can't say anything but good things about our first whale watching tour experience. The crew, Captain Rob and tour guide Andrew were extremely knowledgeable...
Jasmine L.
2022-09-02 07:34:41
Awesome experience. We were able to spot a group of killers sharks and follow them for almost an hour. The staff was friendly and the marine biologist...
Allee T.
2022-08-26 19:08:52
We had a great time! Came to Monterey on a business trip and the one thing i wanted to do was see some whales. The staff was very friendly and...
Carol L.
2022-08-21 16:43:44
Thanks to Kayla & Isaiah we had a safe and educational trip. It was a little rough out there on the open water, but they had it all under control. I truly...
Alex Z.
2022-08-15 20:35:45
What an incredible first whale watch! Thank you so much Kayla for the laughs, Rod for keeping us safe, and Andrew for the sea shanty--absolute dream team...
Frank P.
2022-08-13 19:17:37
Andrew, our tour guide was attentive, engaging, and enthusiastic. The experience was well worth the choppy seas and the cold conditions. Make sure to layer...
James T.
2022-08-09 13:09:00
This was an absolutely fantastic trip. The people at Discovery are the friendliest, most accommodating and helpful group we could have asked for; from...
Caite N.
2022-08-07 09:37:17
This was such an amazing experience! The staff is absolutely awesome. Whale watching is already amazing on its own but the upbeat, helpful and knowledgeable...
Kathy B.
2022-07-31 09:11:07
Our first whale watching tour was a hit! The crew at Discovery was amazing. Very knowledgeable and took us directly to a huge pod of whales. It was the...
Giacomo C.
2022-07-22 09:26:47
There's a reason these guys have 5 FULL stars: they're simply the best. The tour east to book, fast to check in, punctual, thorough in safety procedures,...
Sophia B.
2022-07-01 16:12:17
We had a blast! Trust them when they say to bring warm layers--it gets cold out on the water. We went in mid-June, and while it was sunny and warm on land,...
Jeramiah F.
2022-06-29 09:18:26
This was super awesome! Would recommend to anyone!! Ocean was a little rough, but it was still worth it!
Current Season and Sightings
Summer / Fall Season (Mid-March through early December)
During the summer/fall season we are focusing on feeding whales that come to the bay to feast on small fish and krill. We expect to see humpback whales daily but we can also view blue whales, fin whales, gray whales (finishing migration), killer whales and a variety of other dolphin species. The summer / fall season can be very windy in the afternoon! The wind pattern we get from spring to mid-summer is great for the ocean, but can make it difficult for a boat ride. Please consider this when you choosing between your options.
We offer a morning tour (recommended) at 9am which is 3.5-4 hours in duration. We also offer an afternoon tour at 1:30pm which is 2.5-3 hours in duration. Whale sightings are consistent all day, but the morning sea conditions are usually more favorable. We like to take extra time searching a variety of areas around Monterey Bay in the morning, while the seas are calmer so that we can make our best route plan for the afternoon when the seas can be more choppy.
We typically run a 5pm Sunset whale watch tour in the summer months as well. For the 2021 season, we have also been running these for spring break. Enjoy the wildlife and then relax as you take in the beautiful sunset over the Monterey Bay!
The bay is always teeming with life! There are still opportunities to see several different species of dolphin, Humpback whales, Blue whales, and even Killer Whales on occasion!
Join us on a Monterey Bay whale watching trip and Learn more about seasons in Monterey Bay.
Winter Season (December-Mid March)
During the winter season we are focusing on migrating whales. The one of largest movement of mammals on earth happens just off the coast of Pacific Grove, CA – the south end of Monterey Bay. Gray whales pass by the coast, about a 30 min ride from Monterey Harbor. Due to the short distance from the “gray whale super highway” our trips can be shorter in duration for the winter time. We depart at 10am and 1:30pm daily during this time of year.
The bay is always teeming with life! There are still opportunities to see several different species of dolphin, Humpback whales, Blue whales, and even Killer Whales on occasion!
Join us on a Monterey Bay whale watching trip and Learn more about seasons in Monterey Bay.
Check out personal accounts of our trips on our review pages. We have reviews on Facebook, Yelp, and Trip Advisor. Or read two of our recent reviews below the photos. Can’t get enough of Discovery Whale Watch? Check out the options for gift cards!
Why Choose Discovery Whale Watch?
Join some of the best in the business! Our crew is passionate about marine life and has been working in the whale watch industry for years. Our trips depart from Monterey Harbor, which is an ideal place for local activities before or after your trip such as Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and the scenic coast line of Pacific Grove. In addition, it is the most convenient area to see the whales. We can easily view whales in any part of the Monterey submarine canyon system from our location. All of our whale watch and nature tours include narration and personal time with a naturalist who is well versed in local wildlife. Our naturalist team also participates in opportunistic whale research and helps our whale watch passengers become citizen scientists in cooperation with Happywhale! Learn more about our crew here.
