REVIEW: Cruising With Dolphins at Dana Wharf Whale Watching in Dana Point
DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA – Cruising through the Pacific Ocean off the dramatic cliffs of Dana Point is already a pretty magical experience.
And that’s before the dolphins start leaping from the water!
On a recent trip to Southern California, I took my family–my wife, three kids, and three grandparents–on a two-hour voyage from Dana Wharf Dolphin and Whale Watching.
It was a unique and memorable experience–one of the best things we did on the whole trip, according to several of the grandparents.
Here’s what we saw.
The Basics
Dana Wharf Whale Watching is one of the longest-running whale watching operators in Southern California.
And it’s in a fantastic spot–Dana Point was America’s first certified Whale Heritage Area, and it’s known for whales and year-round pods of dolphins.
You board Dana Wharf’s whale watching boats at Dana Point Harbor. It’s easily accessible off the PCH, about 25 minutes south of Newport Beach. There’s plenty of free parking at the Harbor.
For our tour, we went on the Dana Pride.
It’s a 95 foot vessel. For ‘ye landlubbers out there, that’s a pretty big boat! The size means it’s quite stable in the water, and there’s plenty of room up top to get panoramic views as you cruise.
There’s also bathrooms, an interior space, and even a galley serving breakfast foods for morning cruises.
We took a 2 hour cruise (Visit Dana Point and Dana Wharf Whale Watching hosted us so we could photograph and share the experience–thanks!) leaving in the mid-morning.
Dana Wharf Whale Watching clearly isn’t there just to help you snap cool photos for Instagram. Our tour started with a brief lecture from a naturalist, who joined the tour for the duration to answer any whale or dolphin-related questions.
After settling into seats with a table at the top of the vessel, we were off! We cruised through the mouth of Dana Harbor….
…Passed stand up paddleboarders who were (confidently) paddling in pajamas…
…and made our way towards the open ocean.
Dolphins, Dolphins Everywhere
As we motored away from Dana Point, we saw pelicans and seabirds all around our boat, which delighted my kids.
It was a pleasant and sunny day, and it was delightful just to hang out outdoors as a family and cruise along the Pacific. We were in the VIP section, which meant we had our own table with dedicated seats. I definitely recommend this is you’re cruising with little kids.
As we got further out, we saw some streaks in the water heading towards us. We had been discovered by Dana Point’s resident dolphin pods.
And they were ready to have some fun!
Swimming right up to the boat, the dolphins started playfully surfing in our wake, treating the Dana Pride like a very large, very enjoyable toy.
They would cruise along in the waves kicked up by our propeller, and then ride down slalom-style on their bellies, sometimes catching a bit of air.
When that got old, they came up with a new game–swimming out in front of the boat and then dramatically leaping into the sky.
Some seemed to get almost 10 feet high.
If you’re used to seeing dolphins in a big tank at Seaworld or at an aquarium, seeing them in the wild is thrilling.
It was also joyful to see how much they were clearly having fun. There was no particular purpose to surfing along behind our boat, other than the fact that the highly-intelligent marine mammals seemed to get a kick out of it.
Our captain came on the loudspeaker to explain how the dolphins use echolocation to “see” the Dana Pride using sound waves. That skill allows them to swim extremely close to the boat without ever risking getting hit or caught in the propeller.
The captain said they could even tell the condition of the boat, what gear it had in the water, and more by using their echolocation skills.
Mealtime (for the Animals)
That skill also allows them to find fish. As we motored farther from shore, we followed the dolphins to big schools of fish that they would track and then devour.
When the dolphins (or big fish, like tuna, which weren’t visible above the surface but our captain could see below the water) spotted a school of little fish, they’d jump into a feeding frenzy.
Seabirds were watching for this, and they would instantly flock to the stirred-up fish school, diving into the water to grab their breakfast.
The feeding frenzies would last for a few minutes, as marine mammals, big fish and birds all chowed down. When the chowed-upon fishes dispersed, the animals would move on to the next group.
We chased down several of these during the voyage, our vessel joining the frenzy of animals.
I’ve always wondered “When you see birds fly out into the ocean, what are they doing out there?” Now, I know!
For two pleasant hours, we cruised around in the sun, listening to the captain speak about nature, photographing leaping dolphins, and watching birds and fish in their swarms.
Here’s the kicker–we didn’t see any whales! Apparently that’s common–about 40% of whale watching voyages don’t spot whales.
But it hardly mattered. The dolphins were more than enough entertainment. And simply being out on the water as a family, in one of the world’s most beautiful spots, on a big and pleasant boat at a picnic table above the water, made for a perfect morning.
There’s probably a metaphor for life in there somewhere. If you look for whales, you may not find them. But by looking, you might discover other things that are even better. I await my Pulitzer.
The Verdict
Kidding aside, our excursion with Dana Wharf Whale Watching was a great experience.
Some whale watching tours are spartan–a creaky old vessel with bench seating and (gasp!) no bathrooms. I once walked off a whale watching tour in Hawaii because the boat didn’t feel seaworthy.
Others are so luxurious (and expensive) that it feels more like a yacht charter than an experience that’s about seeing beauty in nature.
Dana Wharf Whale Watching feels like it strikes a comfortable middle ground. The Dana Pride is big and steady enough to feel solid in the water, and to have amenities (read: flush toilets) that are a necessity for a multi-hour voyage with kids.
Yet the experience here is still all about being out in nature. The captain’s knowledge and the presence of a naturalist helped to reinforce that.
For a multi-generational group, it’s a great outing, too. You’re out in the world, but it’s not a hike or a swim, and nothing’s too strenuous. The grandparents enjoyed spending time sitting with our kids and watching nature go by.
My advice is to consider this a beautiful ocean cruise with dolphins, birds, and the possibility of whales. If you see some, great. If not, there’s still plenty of marine life out there to enjoy. In the rare case that you see nothing on your trip, you get a coupon to take a future voyage for free.
I would definitely go on the Dana Pride again. Dana Wharf Whale Watching also offers all kinds of other voyages, including sportfishing, and a birdwatching tour that I’d love to try next time.
When you get back to Dana Point Harbor, you can visit nearby restaurants like Jon’s Fish Market–more on that soon!
Want to book your own tour? You can do that on the Dana Wharf Whale Watching website: https://danawharf.com/
