The 15 Private Whale Watching Charters in the USA to Book First

1.Private 2hr Supreme Whale/Dolphin Watching Tour, Newport Beach CA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews Our pick

Review of Newport Beach’s private two-hour whale and dolphin tour, with Captain Nick, small-group comfort, pricing, tips, and practical details.

“Captain Nick pulled out all the stops for us and we had a breathtaking experience. The boat trip itself would have been reward enough (super fast and fun!) but it was truly awe-inspiring to see dolphins and whales feeding and plaRead more”

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2.Private Luxury Whale Watch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 139 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Review of Juneau’s private luxury whale watch, with a yacht, naturalist, private transport, drinks, wildlife, pricing, and booking tips.

“My family booked Luxury Whale Watching Tours for the day we were scheduled to port in Juneau during our Alaskan Cruise- we could not have chosen a more amazing company and crew! It was far more luxurious and enjoyable than we imagined. They gave suggestions for a dinner in town prior to the excursion and arranged to pick us up from the restaurant giving us more time to enjoy downtown Juneau. Everyone that was a part of our experience was so kind and knowledgeable answering all our questions and simply filling our time with great conversation. On the yacht we saw at least five humpback whales breaching and were even…”

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3.Private Family Whale & Dolphin Adventure in San Diego

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 98 reviews · from $179

Review of San Diego’s private six-person whale and dolphin tour, with Captain Rich, boat details, wildlife odds, value, and practical tips.

“"Best birthday present ever! My mouth hurt from smiling so much, but I just couldn't stop. This was one of those core experiences for future marine biologists!" -- Mia, age 9. Captain Rich was super helpful and knowledgeable. We saw a blue whale, two fin whales, and a bazillion dolphins!”

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4.Private Ketchikan Fishing Combo & Whale Watching/ Wildlife 5 HR

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $700

Review of Ketchikan’s private five-hour salmon and halibut charter with whale watching, wildlife, scenic stops, and catch shipping.

“Capt. Luke took my family out for a fantastic day of fishing..we tagged out in less than 2 hours…Great boat and equipment …I would highly recommend this charter!”

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5.Private Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour in Newport Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Review of Newport Beach’s private dolphin and whale tour, with fast boats, expert guidance, coastal views, pricing, tips, and practical details.

“Dustin went out of his way to make us comfortable. The massive amounts of common dolphins were so beautiful. I noticed there was a whale sighting later in the day unfortunately we didn’t get to observe it.”

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6.Maui Whale Watching -PRIVATE- Air Tour: (2-5 People): SEE WHALES!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $420

See Maui’s humpback whales from a private plane, with pilot commentary, Molokini views, and a weather-based refund policy.

“What a wonderful experience we had! My boyfriend and I chose the Whale Watching Air Tour. Eric was incredible! He was professional, knowledgeable, kind and so entertaining. We were able to see many different groups of whales and beautiful Maui. A must when visiting the island! Enjoy!”

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7.Private Whale Watching Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Review of Oahu’s private whale watching boat tour, with pricing, boat comfort, wildlife sightings, itinerary, tips, and booking advice.

“Captain and crew were awesome Saw a mother whale and calf who let us observe for a long time Lots of sea turtles”

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8.Family and Private Group Whale and Dolphin Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $150Best value

Review of Dana Point’s intimate six-person RIB whale and dolphin tour, with practical details on wildlife, price, weather, timing, and value.

“We had the best time! Will is very accommodating and we will be going back out soon😁. We were able to get up close to a pod of dolphins, took great pictures and enjoyed the beautiful views.”

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9.Whale Watching Monterey Bay semi-private limited to 6 people max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $199

Review of Ocean Safaris’ six-person Monterey Bay whale watching tour, with wildlife, pricing, safety, itinerary, and practical booking advice.

“It was our first time to be able to see and experience whales up close. Our guide, James, was very knowledgeable and really knew where to go to search for whales. He was very kind and accommodating. We will definitely book again. Highly recommended!”

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10.Superior 2hr Private Whale & Dolphin Watching Newport Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews

Review of Newport Beach’s private 2-hour whale and dolphin tour, with a six-passenger boat, Seakeeper stabilizer, captain Nick, and year-round wildlife.

“Captain Nick was great! He was enthusiastic and could tell us a lot about dolphins and whales. He did his utmost to let us enjoy the dolphins and whales to the fullest.”

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11.Private Whale Watching Activity: 6 passengers max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Review of Oahu’s private whale watching tour, with small-group comfort, seasonal tips, pricing, meeting details, and what to expect offshore.

“We went on the whale tour in April, and it was absolutely unforgettable! The crew was knowledgeable, friendly, and made sure everyone got an amazing view of the whales. You could tell they really care about marine life. Perfect experience for anyone visiting between December and April when the whales are actually here — we saw several up close! Highly recommend booking during this season.”

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12.Private Whale Watching and Marine Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $1,095

Review of Sitka’s private whale-watching tour, with boat access, local commentary, wildlife odds, price, timing, and booking advice.

“Tad is an amazing captain and marine life whisperer! We saw sea lions, sea otters, seals and four whales!”

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13.Private Paddleboard (SUP) Whale Watch: All Skill Levels Welcome

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $189

Review of Maui’s private SUP whale watch at Makena Landing, with beginner lessons, Hawaiian history, sanctuary views, pricing, and booking tips.

“Fun time paddle boarding with Brittany. She is a great instructor and gave us a lot of Hawaiian history. Enjoyed it so much!”

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14.Private Whale Watching and Dolphin Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 4 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $265

Review of Oahu’s private whale and dolphin boat trip, with honest advice on views, wildlife sightings, price, boats, guides, and booking.

“Nothing really memorable except for the 1 whale n baby we saw. Substitute captain and his friend who he was training. They were fishing also and seemed more interested in that than trying to locate whales. All he talked about were his business’ on the North Shore and himself. Not very knowledgeable on finding whales which is what I paid for. Would NOT recommend the boat Sashimi! Boat was not very clean! Had to demand they get the water and ice that was to be provided and-waste of money and time.”

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15.Monterey: Private Whale Watching/Sailing Tour for 6

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3 reviews · 3h 30m

Review of Monterey’s private whale-watching sail for six, with wildlife, snacks, drinks, meeting tips, pricing, and honest booking advice.

“Captain Tiki was a wealth of knowledge and so accommodating with our 3 sons. We saw whales, sea lions, a sun fish, and otter! So much fun :)”

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