Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching Dana Point

Dana Wharf is located 40 minutes south of Disneyland in Anaheim, one hour south of LAX airport in Los Angeles, and one hour north of Sea World in San Diego. We are basically in the heart of Orange County!

Advance purchase is strongly recommended, and trips often sell out quickly. To maximize your chances of getting the day and time you prefer, please buy your tickets well in advance. Tickets can only be purchased with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

We do run in light rain, but if it becomes extremely windy, we might have to cancel the trip for safety reasons. If the trip has already left the dock and conditions become unsafe, we will issue a "whale check" that will allow you to come back another time for another cruise!

Yes! We have no age limit for our whale watching cruises. Everyone is welcome, and our boats are very safe with high rails.

While we don't put a limitation on who may or may not attend, pregnant women should always consult with their doctors before participating in any active activities.

Unfortunately, we do not have waiting lists for our trips. If the date and time you want is sold out, please choose another date and time from the schedule for this activity.

Please arrive no later than 30 minutes before the cruise departs.

This season's sightings include gray whales, humpback whales, fin whales, and minke whales. Dolphin sightings include common dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins. Please note that there is NO better time for seeing whales or dolphins as they pass by 24 hours/day!

Sightings are guaranteed, meaning that if you do not see a marine mammal (whale OR dolphin), we'll give you a voucher for a free trip!

It's always whale watching season at Dana Wharf! Gray whale season starts the day after Thanksgiving every year and typically runs until the end of April. January to March are the peak times for gray whales, and they coincide with our annual Festival of Whales. Blue whale season runs from May until November. Whatever the season, we also typically see pods of dolphins, sea lions, squadrons of pelicans, and other seafaring birds.

Whales migrate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no best time to see whales, but the weather on the water tends to be calmer in the morning.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that we stay 100 yards away from the whales, but some may swim right up to the boat! Dolphins usually come very close, but we do not touch, swim with, or feed the wildlife.