Whale watching is an incredible way to see beautiful whales (of all kinds!) in their natural habitat! We are given the opportunity to go to them and leave them undisturbed, in their natural home (the wide open ocean). As my husband and I have gotten older, we’ve researched the treatment of these animals (and others) more and more, and we have made the decision to never participate in animal tourism that hurts animals. We are thankful for opportunities like these, which allow us to enjoy these beautiful creatures without supporting mistreatment of them. My husband and I have had several amazing whale watching experiences over the years in both Orange and Los Angeles counties in California, but our experience with Davey’s Locker in Newport Beach, California, during the month of February was by far our favorite.
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My husband and I lived in Orange County, California, for several years (we just recently moved north to Sonoma County), and my parents came to visit us often. We decided to take them whale watching as part of their birthday gifts (we LOVE to give experiences to our loved ones over tangible items). I found a great deal on Groupon for Davey’s Locker . They had great reviews, so I booked 4 tickets for a February whale watching tour.
Note: We didn’t take any kids with us on this whale watching trip, but they are welcome to go too! Children between the ages of 0-2 are free!
Before I go on, I want to note that this post is not in any way sponsored by Davey’s Locker (they don’t even know that I’m writing this 😉). We genuinely loved our experience with them, and I want to share about our experience and encourage you to try them out too, if you are visiting or live in the Orange County area. Keep reading for information on our whale watching experience in Orange County!
All photos in this post were taken by the Davey’s Locker crew. We got some great photos that day, but they offer a photo package of your trip that can be purchased after your cruise. We didn’t plan to buy the package, but we wound up having such an incredible experience that we decided to go for it!
Whale Watching in Orange County
As I mentioned previously, we booked our whale watching experience with Davey’s Locker on Groupon. You can also book through their website, but their Groupon deal is a steal (search “Davey’s Locker” in Orange County, CA)!
We went on their 10am “Whale Watching & Dolphin Cruise”, which runs for about 2 hours, every day of the year (several times throughout the day, so you have plenty of options!). I’ll be honest- it was chilly! After whale watching several times in the beautiful sunshine, we were a little bummed to go out on the water on such a cool day (February in Orange County can easily be 50F or 90F!). But we bundled up in warm clothing and went for it!
Depending on the time of year, you can spot blue whales, finback whales, gray whales, humpback whales, minke whales, and/or dolphins. During the month of February, our best bet was dolphins and gray whales. And they did not disappoint!
Newport Beach can be very crowded, but we did not have difficulty finding parking that day (likely due to the cool weather at 10am). Check out this parking map for the city of Newport Beach before you go. If you’re going during a busier season or later in the day, you will want to plan ahead and leave plenty of time to find a parking spot (or plan to take the free Balboa Peninsula Trolley).
About 30 minutes into our cruise, the amazing experience began! First we saw numerous dolphins (more than we could count), and then the gray whales came in. We saw several! It turns out that they were mating and were very active (I’ll spare you the “graphic” photos! Hah!). Otherwise, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves!
The crew was also great. They were full of knowledge of marine life and shared what they could. They all had a great sense of humor and kept everyone entertained!
For a short 2 hour cruise, you don’t need to bring much! Bring some water (maybe a snack!), proper clothing, sunscreen, and your camera!
If you’re worried about seasickness, I would highly recommend using Seaband bracelets. I wear these each time I go out on the water, and I’ve never gotten seasick. They are also great for preventing all other types of motion sickness.
If you’re searching for an amazing whale watching experience, I highly recommend Davey’s Locker in Newport Beach, California. Have you been whale watching? I would love to hear about your experiences!
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38 Comments
Rosie
Wow, what an incredible experience! Can’t believe how close you got to the whales, I would also love to see them in their natural habitat. So cool that you got to see dolphins too!
Leah
Yes, it really was amazing! 🙂
Amy Chung
I have yet to spot a whale in its natural habitat. Last month we witness a pod of about 100 dolphins in the Southern Ocean and it was beyond magnificent! We went on a cruise too but at leats it was summer for us so not as cold as you! Love sea bands….life saver. This was no doubt an amazing experience…never gets old!
Leah
I bet the dolphins were beautiful! I have seen them several times, but never that many! Awesome!
Jane Dempster-Smith
Great article and the photos from Davey’s locker was amazing. I have never done a whale watching tour so your article has helped. If we return to the US and to Orange County we will definitely do this. Thanks for sharing.
Leah
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I highly recommend whale watching at some point if you get the chance. It is amazing!
Sarah
This looks like such fun and cold too lol. Love seeing wildlife in their habitat. We love to give experiences as gifts too. Beautiful photos, looks like the whales were happy to put on a display for you 🙂
Leah
Yes, definitely cold (especially for Southern CA!), but well worth it for the show! 🙂
Lisa
What an enthralling experience! I love whales, and to see this for myself one day would really be a dream come true. You’re so lucky to be in a part of the world where you can see these wonderful creatures. Davey’s Locker sound like a great company too. The seabands are really good, I’ve used them before as I always get seasick!
Leah
It really was exciting! I am very thankful to live so close to the ocean, where these types of experiences are easy to come by. Yes, we were very happy with the company!
Anda
How lucky that you could see whales! I took this whale watching cruise in Orange County and didn’t even spot the tail of a whale. Just my luck.
Leah
Oh- what a bummer! We did get lucky that day!
Margie DQ
Have been whale watching in Monterey and Alaska, but never in Orange County. I love watching them. I still haven’t seen one fully breach!
Leah
I bet it was beautiful in those locations! I’ve been in Monterey too, but Alaska is on my bucket list!
Trisha
I have never been but it is a dream of mind to do this one day! Hopefully that day is sooner, rather than later! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Leah
I hope you are able to go soon! It really is an incredible experience!
Karen
Wow, whales and dolphins in one trip, that just sounds amazing
Leah
Yes, dolphins often travel alongside whales, so it is common to see both at one time! 🙂
Christina Erickson
So nice that they took pics for you. That way you could relax and enjoy instead of worrying about capturing shots yourself! Gorgeous animals.
Leah
Yes, I agree! It was nice to know that we had the option, and we could simply watch the whales rather than look at them through our screens the entire time!
umiko Silalahi
What a great experience! I never thought we can watch that many and diverse whales in California coast. I wonder if it’s guaranteed you will be able to see them on a tour. And seems like Davey’s Locker is the tour to go to if you want to do whale watching in Orange County.
Leah
It is never guaranteed that you will see whales, but I have been on several whale watching tours, and I have always seen whales. 🙂 It is possible that you’ll miss out though!
Amanda
This looks like an amazing whale watch! We have done some northeast whale watches only – so we need to check out a west coast one soon 😉
Leah
I would love to go in the NE! Hopefully one day soon!
Jocelyn
Wow, they are right there by the boat! Amazing! You got some great photos and it looks and sounds like a wonderful experience.
Leah
Yes, it was incredible!
Sinjana Ghosh
Wow you were so close to the largest mammal of earth, Must be such an awe-inspiring moment. You are right, animal tourism is largely cruel. Kudos on finding and sharing such an experience of ethical animal tourism.
Leah
Thank you for your kind words! I am always happy to hear that others are aware of the cruelty of most animal tourism opportunities! I have been very thankful to be able to go whale watching in the open ocean several times.
Liona
Such an incredible experience! Saving this for later.
Leah
Hope you get to go soon! 🙂
Mrs B
Wow! I’ve always wanted to go whale watching! This sounds amazing, and I love that you included helpful tips-such as where to park. Newport can be a beast when it comes to parking for sure! Now I want to go whale watching next trip to Cali!
Leah
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hope you get to go soon!
Archana Singh
By the look of your photos and description whale watching experience with Davey’s Locker on Groupon does indeed look like a steal. You were so lucky to see so many of them. I really have to try this. I loved the helpful tips in your post, especially parking tips.
Leah
We did get very lucky! It was a beautiful day!
Dominique
I didn’t even know you could go whale watching there!
Leah
Yes, it is a great spot! 🙂
Sarah Wilson
Oh my, what a magical experience!
Leah
Yes, so magical!