San Diego whale watching

[jennbill]

Are there any companies in San Diego that offer whale watching on smaller vessels than those offered by Hornblower?

 

We've been spoiled by our experiences in Puerto Vallarta and are looking for a more "intimate" experience.

[Splinter]

If you want a unique experience, you might want to consider taking the new trips offered by a company partially owned by former America's Cup skipper Dennis Conner. The boat is a reproduction of the original 19th century racing yacht America. While this is not a small boat (the America is 139 feet long), it does sail, so less likely to scare away the whales. I am going in two weeks. They leave right from the Maritime Museum just a few steps north of the cruise ship pier:

http://www.stars-stripes.com/san-diego-sailing/san-diego-whale-watching.html

 

You might also want to consider a kayak whale watching trip. If you actually get to see whales on these, there is nothing like seeing them at water level!

 

These go out of La Jolla:

http://www.hikebikekayak.com/Whale_Watching_Kayak_Tours.html

 

http://www.lajollaseacavekayaks.com/whales.php

 

Otherwise, other than Hornblower (the largest company), you can book whale watching cruises through the Birch Aquarium, H&M Landing, Seaforth Landing and Mission Bay (Islandia) Sportsfishing.

[jennbill]

Thanks for the ideas. And you're right there's nothing like seeing whales at water level. In PV, we were in a zodiac with two marine biologists for our guides. Awesome. Their respect for the animals was tremendous.