Dana Wharf Whale Watch

Dana Wharf Whale Watch Year round opportunity to see many whale and dolphin species right here in Dana Point, CA And just like that, whale watching was born.
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The story of Dana Wharf:
In 1958 While running several sport fishing boats off the San Clemente Pier,Don Hansen, decided to take children out on a whale watching excursion at the urging of friend and local educator Philip Grignon. For years Hansen and his fellow captains had been watching Gray Whales pass by them but no one was really watching this majestic Whales at the time. Some years later, H

ansen moved the operation to Dana Point Harbor when it opened in 1971. This was where the West Coast Whale Watching industry originated - not only for school field trips, but the public Whale Watching excursion was born in Dana Point. Don's love for the Gray Whale inspired people from all around the world to come and see for themselves the friendly Gray Whales as they migrate past Dana Point. Dana Wharf Whale Watching, the first whale watching company in Orange County, is a year-round whale watching facility in Southern California. Interacting with thousands of whales during the Gray Whale migration in the winter and Blue whales in the summer plus year round whales such as Fin , Orca, Minke and Humpback . In addition to whales, thousands of dolphins, sea lions, sea faring birds and even sharks are found in the beautiful waters right off Dana Wharf. There is always plenty of wildlife to experience, as you will see in this video. Today Dana Wharf sits in the heart of a busy, flourishing harbor and continues to be owned and operated by the Hansen family.

At 10 am Captain Steve located a pod of offshore Bottlenose Dolphin directly out from Dana Point Harbor swimming very cl...
08/21/2026

At 10 am Captain Steve located a pod of offshore Bottlenose Dolphin directly out from Dana Point Harbor swimming very close to the edge of the Continental Shelf. We followed these dolphin for some time watching them jump, feed, and travel. We ventured farther up the coast and found a large Fin Whale. Fin whales are the second largest animal on the plane. We stopped by the navigational buoy to see the resting sea lions. At noon, we did not see anything. This group received whale checks and will be back again to try their luck at whale watching. At 2:30pm we were barely out of the harbor when we once again found a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins. We covered as tremendous amount of water but never saw any other cetaceans. Today’s totals: Two pods of Bottlenose dolphin, one Fin Whale, and sea lions resting on the navigational buoy.

Report & 📸 Nona the Naturalist
📸 Ernie Leal

Dana Point Times

🚨 TURTLE ALERT! 🐢🌊 We spotted this incredible green sea turtle cruising just 5 miles off San Onofre State Beach yesterda...
08/20/2026

🚨 TURTLE ALERT! 🐢🌊 We spotted this incredible green sea turtle cruising just 5 miles off San Onofre State Beach yesterday! Whales, dolphins…and turtles?! The ocean is always full of surprises! 💚

📸 by Laura Lopez

A Humpback Whale, Common Dolphin & A Green Sea Turtle! 🐋🐬🐢Our day began with a small pod of Common Dolphin feeding along...
08/20/2026

A Humpback Whale, Common Dolphin & A Green Sea Turtle! 🐋🐬🐢

Our day began with a small pod of Common Dolphin feeding along the dropoff about 5 miles off Capo Beach. With these cetaceans focused on foraging, Captain Steve decided to give our passengers Whale Checks, free tickets to return and have another opportunity to experience more of the ocean’s wildlife off Dana Point Harbor!

Meanwhile, two very vocal male California Sea Lions were making quite the ruckus as we left and continuing to carry on as we returned to the harbor, entertaining everyone along the way.

At noon, we traveled 10 miles southwest toward San Onofre, where we found a Common Dolphin Megapod traveling and feeding along the dropoff. About 5 miles offshore, a Green Sea Turtle surfaced for a quick look, and several passengers reported spotting a second sea turtle in the same area!

Our afternoon trip brought an unforgettable encounter with a Northbound Humpback Whale just over 5 miles offshore. The whale surfaced straight off our bow early in the encounter, blowing 2–3 times before diving for 4–5 minutes and never fluked. Seeing AND hearing the powerful blow of this massive whale up close was a moment that will certainly stay with our passengers!

Farther offshore, about 9 miles out, a pod of 300 Common Dolphin was traveling north. Once again, we found ourselves surrounded by dolphin, with numerous calves and older dolphins leaping and breaching in every direction we looked. A towering cumulonimbus cloud as a backdrop added to the memorable afternoon!

Sometimes the ocean makes you work for it, but when the wildlife shows up, it makes the wait worthwhile!

Report & 📸 Laura Lopez
📸 Ernie Leal

Dana Point Times

08/20/2026

Front-row seats to something unforgettable! 🐋💨 Just 5 miles straight out from Dana Point, this incredible humpback surfaced and spouted right off the bow! Talk about being in the right place at the right time! 🌊✨

Video by Laura Lopez

08/19/2026

GRWM: Whale Watching Captain Emily Edition ⚓️✨

Come behind the scenes with Captain Emily Graves as she gets the Lot’ A Fun Catamaran ready for another unforgettable day on the water! From dockside prep to taking the helm—this is how a captain gets ready for whale watching! 🌊🐋

Common Dolphins were our common sighting on our first three trips today. Most dolphin were 3-4 miles offshore, out and ...
08/19/2026

Common Dolphins were our common sighting on our first three trips today. Most dolphin were 3-4 miles offshore, out and below Dana Point Harbor. Pods were usually 100-300 dolphin strong. There were many small calves in these pods. This was not unusual as Common Dolphin give birth year round. Our water conditions are optimal year round; so there is no need to migrate for mating or calving. Unfortunately we were not able to find any cetaceans on our 5pm trip. All passengers received a “whale check” which is a free ticket to come back again on us on another Half Price Tuesday! Today was Captain Brandon’s birthday and the dolphins certainly put on a show of leaping high out of the water to celebrate with him. Happy Birthday Brandon from the dolphin and Dana Wharf Whale Watch & Dana Wharf Sportfishing!

Report & 📸 Nona the Naturalist
📸 Ernie Leal

Dana Point Times

POV: You picked the perfect time to go whale watching! 🤯🐋The humpback encounters lately have been absolutely INCREDIBLE—...
08/18/2026

POV: You picked the perfect time to go whale watching! 🤯🐋

The humpback encounters lately have been absolutely INCREDIBLE—big breaches, beautiful flukes and unforgettable moments right off our coast! Who’s ready to witness the magic? 🌊✨

Photo by Laura Lopez

Address

34675 Golden Lantern
Dana Point, CA
92629

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 10pm
Tuesday 6am - 10pm
Wednesday 6am - 10pm
Thursday 6am - 10pm
Friday 5am - 10pm
Saturday 9am - 10pm
Sunday 9am - 10pm

Telephone

+18005909994

Website

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