Dolphin and Sea Lion Tour of Catalina Island
Description
Explore the captivating marine life of Catalina Island on this Dolphin and Sea Lion Tour. Set sail from Avalon on a six-passenger boat to encounter playful Common Dolphins and majestic sea lions in their natural habitat. During whale migration season, the tour also ventures to spot Grey, Blue, and Fin Whales, along with other coastal wildlife like Harbor Seals and resident Bald Eagles. With a dedicated Captain on board, the adventure promises an engaging experience filled with local insights and wildlife spotting. Ideal for families and nature lovers alike, this tour lasts up to one hour and is suitable for ages 4 and up. - Up to 1-hour tour searching for dolphins and sea lions - Maximum capacity of 6 passengers for a personalized experience - Opportunity to see various whale species during migration season - Departure from Avalon, accommodating small bags and cameras
Tour Options
Itinerary
This Catalina Island dolphin and sea lion excursion takes full advantage of Catalina Island’s abundant wildlife and scenic coastline. Our six Passenger boat will take you from Avalon out into the Pacific Ocean in search of our favorite species, the Common Dolphin. During whale migration season we will also travel out to the local hang out for the whales as they migrate through the nutrient rich waters of Catalina Island. Frequent visitors to our coast include Common Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Grey Whales, Blue Whales, Fin Whales, Harbor Seals, Sea Lions, resident Bald Eagles, and sometimes even a Buffalo along the coastline. Although we cannot guarantee we will see dolphins on each trip, we can guarantee the Captain will work his hardest to locate them and use all of our local connections to find their whereabouts!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(43)
Dolphin sightings are not guaranteed but we got lucky! Our tour guide Carson was knowledgeable and friendly! We got to see lots of different marine wildlife. The saddle-seats made it feel like a ride too! Super fun! Worth the splurge for animal lovers.
Highlight of Our Royal Caribbean Trip! Thrilling Ride, Amazing Dolphins, & Top-Notch Guide Meeting Spot Tip: If you book this, head to the green pier in the middle of the harbor and walk all the way to the very end. We had a little bit of trouble finding it at first, but once we were on board, it was smooth sailing! The boat itself is private, fast, and pure fun. It features unique "pony" seats that you ride saddle-style, plays great music, and delivers the perfect dose of adrenaline for older kids. Honestly, even if we hadn't seen a single dolphin, the boat ride alone was worth every penny. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the island and local sea life. He was upfront that dolphin sightings aren't guaranteed, but after driving around and checking out some cool fish and sea lions, he spotted a family of dolphins out of nowhere! He was so patient, giving us plenty of time to linger, watch the dolphins play around the boat, and take amazing photos. This was one of the most exciting adventures our family enjoyed on our entire trip. I would recommend this tour without hesitation to anyone visiting Catalina Island!
The most important thing that you should know is that this is a speedboat! The ride is very very fast. Four of the passengers are seated on saddle like seats with a metal bar to hold and two of the passengers are on a bench seat. I had my 4 year old on my seat as she would have likely fallen off her own seat with the bumps and speed. Recommended if you like thrill rides. That said we did see a lot of dolphins and seals so that part was very nice.
Wonderful experience to go out on the ocean to see seals and dolphins. It was just over an hour which was more than enough time. Our captain was amazing very informative. We had a blast!
It was such an amazing experience! Carson was a very personable and knowledgeable guide. He shared lots of great information about Catalina and the wildlife.
By far the best experience to view dolphins and sea lions in their natural habitat without actually getting in the water. Also, our captain Frank was genuinely pleasant and engaging. I recommend this company 💯
Clayton our guide knows everything about the sea life animals. He had us around dolphins and sea lions and seals. He is very knowledgeable and friendly. We had a great time on this excursion. Thank you Clayton.
Carson was the absolute best tour guide EVER! He immediately found us a pod of common dolphin that we followed and got up close and personal with! The sea lions and facts about the animals and species and even geography was wonderfully. 10/10 experience
Easily one of the best parts of our trip! We were able to see so much wildlife up close and take a fun boat ride as well. For the price it was excellent and our captain Carson was both knowledgeable, fun, and engaging with the kids and adults alike. We really loved the whole experience!
This was the best thing we did at Catalina! We are a family of 5: 2 adults three kiddos and we all loved this tour. Our guide Carson was awesome. He gave us history of the island, answered every question, and took us way out to sea where we got the Chance encounter of a lifetime and got to see a whale. It was mind blowing, us in this little boat next to this huge whale. We also got to see the sea lions and seals which were supercute. Even the boat ride alone out to sea was just the best and with, Carson’s personality and knowledge of the island everything just came together for this beautiful experience my family got to have.
