Hi and thank you for this question. The honest answer is the best time changes daily depending on the weather and viewing conditions as the whales are always active feeding. Typically the 9 am has the calmest seas and the prettiest morning light unless is is foggy then the 11:30 becomes the best time. In the Fall the 2 pm trip starts to be the best with spectacular afternoon light and calm seas. So overall it is hard to say which is best but I would go with the 9 am trip from May through June and the 11:30 from July through November..The 2pm trip is only added when the weather forecast looks great for a calm afternoon and are usually fantastic as well. The most spectacular trips however are the private photo tours we offer on evenings in September and October. If you read the reviews you will see that all the times have good success rates as we have an abundance of whales here and the best boat to get you to them.

Hello Mimi Thank you for this question. We have the age limit for this trip set at 4 but the truth is we take infants fairly often. It really depends on the child’s temperament that day. To answer your question directly YES we think this tour is great for 5 and 9 year olds. . We suggest that family’s with children younger than 4 to please reserve a private tour so we can cater the trip to your child’s needs that day. Thank you again and hope to see on the water soon. Mark

We suggest that you dress in layers as the temps can change quickly. For example Long pants, T shirt plus sweater or sweatshirt plus a wind breaker or rain coat . The boat is big enough that everyone can bring a backpack with some extra clothes. Hats and gloves are sometimes a good idea on the 9am tours. I hope this helps Cheers Mark

Hello Angie, Both of our boats offer fantastic whale watching opportunities. The powerboat gets you to the whales fast and enjoys wonderful experiences with the whales. The sailboat is a more tranquil experience and has the most magical interactions with the whales were they sometimes choose to swim over and interact with us. There are laws about how close we can go and so it is up to the whales if they choose to come over and say hello. I can not really recommend one over the other it is really up to you and the whales as to what experience you will have, both are wonderful so it comes down to if you would rather travel fast over the ocean or would you like travel in a more relaxed mode.

Hi Sandra, Thank you for the question do we give a refund if clients cancel a trip. Yes we do when the trip is canceled more than 7 days in advance or if we can rebook the day and time we were holding for you we give a full refund minus a $25 cancelation fee to cover the costs of canceling ( time and credit card fees), if you cancel less than 7 days before your trip we give you a 50% refund and if you cancel less than 48 hours before your scheduled departure there is no refund unless we can rebook your trip, then since we did not lose money by holding a spot for you we give a full refund minus the $25 cancelation fee. We understand that life happens and plans change and will do what we can to help and have often times give refunds to people who cancelled due to emergencies but we want folks to understand that we have a short season to make a living and if you cancel on a whim at the last minute we lose that time and do not get it back. This information is available on our website

Hi Karen, We tend to have calmer sea conditions here than up in Monterrey bay as we are in a more protected area. That said it really depends on the weather the day you decide to go. My suggestion for you would be to come see the whales in September as that is the least windy month and we have many magical days with the whales at that time. Otherwise throughout the year the morning trips tend to experience calmer conditions than the afternoon tours. We also are going out on a 44 ft sailboat which is much more stable than a power boat which helps with the seasickness.

Hello Hellen on Thames, We take many young children out every year and I do have a child of my own so I understand your concerns. We offer a special family private tour of a shorter duration (1 hour) if you would like to try it out before committing to a longer tour with other guests aboard. On a private tour we would go out with only your family aboard and and can tailor the tour to fit with yours family comfort level upon the sea. Here at Port San Luis /Avila Beach , we have several miles of protected waters where even on windy days there are little to no waves and an abundance of wildlife to observe! The youngest ever to travel with us here has been 4 months old and the oldest was 86.

Hi, Gee I,m not sure about breakfast. I didn,t write about that. We have a great time and the snacks/ wine / ect were great !