CaptDavesWhaleWatching

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life..." - Khalil Gibran A breaching whale reminds us—it's not just the waves we face, but how we rise above them. 🐋 (📷: Matt Stumpf 5.10.25) #MondayMotivation #WhaleWatching

It’s wonderful to know that soon, our water will hopefully be visited by many more migrating gray whales as well as returning guests. We’re looking forward to both the familiar and new! Are you planning on joining us in 2025? #captdaves #whalewatching #graywhale #beautiful

Gray whales bring a peaceful feeling as they migrate through our area each year. We can’t wait to see more of them in 2025! #captdaves #whalewatching #whalewatchingtour #graywhale #awesome #amazing #cool #wow (📸: Matt Stumpf 12.22.24)

Humpback & gray whales couldn’t be any more different! Even seeing a glimpse of their backs is enough to distinguish the two- one a uniformly dark & ridged back silhouette as it dives, and the other, a mottled variety of gray & white with clumps of rusty colored barnacles.

We have another tie from our Best of 2024. Caitlyn did some beautiful work!  “Here are two of my favorite photos that I took this year. I couldn’t decide which one I liked the best. I just love how many times we got to watch humpbacks breach this year! They were so acrobatic!”

There’s something magnificently freeing about feeling the wind on your face and seeing wildlife at your side. What a poignant moment to feel one with the ocean! This connection can only be felt on the water, so come aboard with us and feel the call of the sea.

Did you know? Humpback whales are identified primarily by their tails. We love seeing those beautiful flukes! Over the past three months, we’ve seen them regularly & it’s our hope we’ll eventually know each whale by name. What would you name a humpback whale? #tailsup #captdaves

The surface has been alive with amazing moments lately! Watching dolphins and whales feed is truly spectacular. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of stepping into a nature documentary so come out with us while the whales are feasting in force! (📸: Jay Spring Photography)

Happy Saturday! We’re back once more with another image from our Best of 2024. Matt Stumpf captured this awesome tail throw.  #bestof2024 #photography #wildlifephoto #humpbackwhale #whaleconservation #whalewatchingtour #ExperiencetheConnection #captdaves (📸: Matt Stumpf)

Looking for winter break activities with the kids? How about whale watching? Nothing speaks to the joy & wonder of the season quite like seeing marine mammals in the wild. It would be a shame to miss all the amazing sightings, so why wait?  #winterbreak #captdaves #visitdanapoint

It’s tails up Tuesday! Right now is absolutely the time to get out on the boats with us and see some #epic #humpbackwhale sightings. If you’ve been waiting and wishing for awesome experiences, now’s your moment. Have you had fun with humpbacks yet?  #tailsupTuesday #wow #nature

It’s ‘dolphinitely’ exciting to see whales, but we also ‘whaley’ love hanging out with dolphins, especially when it means a look at such a sweet baby Risso’s dolphin! What a cutie! #babydolphin #cute #adorable #aww (📸: Matt Stumpf & Caitlyn Nieblas 11.20.24 & 12.2.2024)

We’re back again with our photographer’s top picks for the Best of 2024. Thanks for your awesome work Stacie!

The whale rises, graceful and serene, but you get the sense of the power behind the beauty before it dips back down into a watery world full of mystery. Are you ready to experience this for yourself? Don’t miss your chance to come aboard while so many humpbacks are here!

What ‘fin-credible’ sights! If you’ve wanted to see whales, don’t wait - come on out here now! Humpback whale encounters were up 86% compared to November 2023. They’re playful, present, and plentiful, so grab your chance to get on board and see them while they’re here!

We’re diving into December and hoping to continue last month’s truly stellar wildlife sightings trend! There have been some amazing moments, so we hope this month will have memorable experiences too. What kind of wildlife are you hoping to see in December?

Celebrate with us as we honor our photographer’s top picks for the Best of 2024! “This is my favorite picture I’ve taken so far. I really love all the different textures in the water and how the dolphin looks like it is crying out crystals of light.” (📸: Daelyn Danilof)

During this season of gratitude & joy, we can’t help but appreciate the many amazing moments we share with our guests worldwide. We’re grateful you share our love for whales & dolphins. Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving, we hope your day is one of warmth & togetherness.

We don’t always get to see Risso’s dolphins, but when we do, we love it! Unlike common or bottlenose dolphins, this species is beakless, and typically only have teeth in their lower jaw. It’s a cool feature that makes them unique among the various dolphin species.

“Take me to the ocean. Let me sail the open sea. To breathe the warm & salty air & dream of things to be.” -Erica Billups We love how Dana Point offers so many opportunities to see marine life. There is no whale season here- we can see them all year long. Have you visited yet?-JO