Chris' Whale Watching
from $60 per adult
Whale Watching Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
Departures 10:00am and 1:30pm daily, year-round
Quick picks
- Lowest price Chris' Whale Watching $60 per adult for Whale Watching Tours
- Private trip Monterey Bay Whale Watch $700 per group for Private Charters/Film Crews
- Biggest boat Princess Monterey Whale Watching Princess Monterey (110 ft) or Atlantis Monterey (100 ft)
The Monterey whale year
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray whale | January: peak | February: in season | March: in season | April: in season | May: in season | June: not usually seen | July: not usually seen | August: not usually seen | September: not usually seen | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: in season |
| Humpback whale | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: not usually seen | April: not usually seen | May: in season | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: in season | November: in season | December: not usually seen |
| Blue whale | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: not usually seen | April: not usually seen | May: in season | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: in season | November: in season | December: not usually seen |
| Killer whale (orca) | January: in season | February: in season | March: in season | April: peak | May: peak | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: peak | November: in season | December: in season |
Peak In season
From fastraft.com. Whales turn up outside these months too.
Every option side by side
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whale Watching Tours |
$60 per adult |
3 hours |
Not stated | Check dates | |||||
Daily Whale Watching ToursIncludes Tea and hot chocolate, Naturalist and deckhand narration |
$75 per adult |
9:00 AM trip 3.5 to 4 hours (mid-March to October) or 2.5 to 3 hours (November to early March); 1:30 PM trip 2.5 to 3 hours |
Minimum 10 passengers for a trip to depart |
All ages | Not stated | Refund or reschedule only outside 24 hours. Trips may cancel for weather or under 10 passengers, with refund or new date. | Check dates | ||
Daily Monterey Bay Whale Watch Tour |
$76.32 per adult |
AM trips 3.5 to 4 hours, PM trips 3 hours |
Capacity 49 to 117 |
All ages | Sea Wolf II (65 ft, holds 65) or Pt. Sur Clipper (55 ft, holds 35); Blackfin usually on summer 1:30 PM trips | Not stated | Check dates | ||
Whale Watching TourIncludes Heated indoor cabin with large windows |
$79.50 per adult |
2.5 to 3 hours, fully narrated |
3+; children under 3 and pregnant women not allowed | Princess Monterey (110 ft) or Atlantis Monterey (100 ft) | Not stated | Check dates | |||
Private Charters/Film Crews |
$700 per group |
All ages | Not stated | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Old Fisherman's Wharf and the Washington Street lot
All four operators listed here board on Old Fisherman's Wharf, which is closed to cars. Chris' Whale Watching is at 48 Fisherman's Wharf, Discovery Whale Watch at 66, Monterey Bay Whale Watch at 84 and Princess Monterey Whale Watching at 96. Princess sends the exact boarding spot after purchase. For Discovery and Monterey Bay Whale Watch, walk out the wharf and turn right at the yellow Crab House restaurant, then look for Discovery's blue building or Monterey Bay Whale Watch's red one. Discovery wants check-in 30 minutes before departure.
The prepaid waterfront lot at 201 Washington Street is the one Monterey Bay Whale Watch recommends, at $2 an hour with a $14 daily maximum, paid at kiosks or in ParkMobile (zone 21031). It asks guests not to enter the check-in address in a GPS until they are parked and walking. Discovery Whale Watch says the 2-hour street spaces nearby are too short for a whale trip, and an unpaid space can draw a ticket of $49 or more.
Mid-January gray whales and spring orcas
Gray whales pass Monterey in both directions. Discovery Whale Watch puts the southbound peak in the middle weeks of January, when more than 30 an hour can be seen off Point Pinos. Mothers with calves come back north through the bay in spring, it says. NOAA Fisheries says northbound gray whales move up the West Coast from mid-February to May. Fast Raft sees them along this coast from December to May.
In summer, humpbacks are the species Discovery Whale Watch sees daily, and it says feeding humpbacks show up regularly from mid-July to early October. Fast Raft says they are most common from May through November, with a few staying the winter. Blue whales come with good krill blooms, which Fast Raft calls hard to predict. Orcas are possible in any month; Fast Raft sees them most from mid-April to mid-May, when they ambush gray whale calves heading north, and again in October.
Sea otters appear on almost every trip, according to Discovery Whale Watch, which lists Pacific white-sided, northern right whale and common dolphins in winter and occasional bottlenose dolphins. Fast Raft says fin and minke whales turn up now and then, and sei whales rarely. Discovery adds that ocean sunfish (Mola mola) are often sighted, with sea lions and harbor seals around all year.
Calmer mornings and a waterproof layer
Mornings are often calmer on the water, Discovery Whale Watch says, and its longest trip leaves at 9:00 am from mid-March through October. The shorter afternoon trip can bring clearer visibility and warmer air. Discovery recommends long pants, closed-toe shoes and a waterproof layer to stay dry in the wind, plus a hat and sun protection on cloudy days. It allows small shoulder coolers, and tea and hot chocolate come with the trip.
Monterey Bay Whale Watch suggests ginger candies, watching the horizon and staying outside in fresh air, away from the cabin and restroom, for seasickness. Its upper deck makes it easier to see into the water because reflections are less distorted, and passengers can move between decks. Princess Monterey Whale Watching's two boats have heated indoor cabins with large windows.
Biologist-led trips and Princess Monterey's 110 ft boat
Chris' Whale Watching has the lowest fare of the four, $60 per adult and $40 for children 12 and under, for a 3 hour trip at 10:00 am or 1:30 pm daily. Its pages describe Coast Guard approved boats with twin engines, radar and sonar but do not mention a naturalist. Princess Monterey Whale Watching charges $79.50 with taxes and fees included for 2.5 to 3 hours, and calls its 110 ft and 100 ft boats the largest in Monterey. It does not carry children under 3 or pregnant passengers.
Monterey Bay Whale Watch says marine biologists lead its trips, among them owner and lead naturalist Nancy Black. Its 3 hour trip starts at $76.32 and the 4 hour morning trip at $84.80, usually on the 65 ft Sea Wolf II or the 55 ft Pt. Sur Clipper. Discovery Whale Watch lists adult fares of $75 to $85 plus fees, carries a naturalist and deckhand, and needs at least 10 passengers to sail. Its morning trip runs 3.5 to 4 hours from mid-March through October and 2.5 to 3 hours from November to early March.
None of the four promises a free return trip if no whales are seen, on the pages checked. Monterey Bay Whale Watch charters a private boat for $700 an hour and runs seasonal all-day, killer whale search and seabird trips from $196.10 for ages 13 and up. Discovery's extended trips last 6 hours or more, start at $145 and use its two fastest boats, Kahuna and Pacifica, with no more than 30 passengers.
Watching from shore
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Gray whales migrate past this reserve, three miles south of Carmel on Highway 1, from December to April, and SeeMonterey says they can be seen from shore.
Before you book
- Discovery Whale Watch needs at least 10 passengers for a trip to sail, so quiet days can be cancelled; it offers a new date or a refund when that happens.
- Bring cash if you want to tip the crew or buy snacks and drinks on Discovery Whale Watch boats.
- Photographers often prefer the main deck on Monterey Bay Whale Watch boats for its low angle to the water, and friendly whales or dolphins sometimes come right alongside.
- Getting there. Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is about 10 minutes from downtown Monterey, according to SeeMonterey. Driving takes about 1 hour from San Jose, 2 hours from San Francisco or Oakland and 5 hours from Los Angeles. Amtrak's Coast Starlight stops daily in Salinas, and a free bus runs from there to downtown Monterey in about 30 minutes.
The operators
Discovery Whale Watch
from $75 per adult
Daily Whale Watching Tours
- Length
- 9:00 AM trip 3.5 to 4 hours (mid-March to October) or 2.5 to 3 hours (November to early March); 1:30 PM trip 2.5 to 3 hours
- Group
- Minimum 10 passengers for a trip to depart
- Age
- All ages
Naturalists on every trip; marine biologists and naturalists lead tours
Monterey Bay Whale Watch
from $76.32 per adult
Daily Monterey Bay Whale Watch Tour and 1 more option
- Length
- AM trips 3.5 to 4 hours, PM trips 3 hours
- Group
- Capacity 49 to 117
- Age
- All ages
- Boat
- Sea Wolf II (65 ft, holds 65) or Pt. Sur Clipper (55 ft, holds 35); Blackfin usually on summer 1:30 PM trips
Trips led by marine biologists, including owner and lead naturalist Nancy Black
Princess Monterey Whale Watching
from $79.50 per adult
Whale Watching Tour
- Length
- 2.5 to 3 hours, fully narrated
- Age
- 3+; children under 3 and pregnant women not allowed
- Boat
- Princess Monterey (110 ft) or Atlantis Monterey (100 ft)
Calls its boats the largest in Monterey (110 ft and 100 ft)
Monterey questions
When is whale season in Monterey?
Boats go out year-round. Gray whales pass mainly from January to March, and humpback and blue whales feed in the bay from about May to November. Orcas can turn up in any month, most often mid-April to mid-May and in October, according to Fast Raft.
How much does whale watching in Monterey cost?
Standard trips from Fisherman's Wharf list adult fares from $60 at Chris' Whale Watching to $79.50 at Princess Monterey Whale Watching. Monterey Bay Whale Watch charges $700 per hour for a private charter.
Head to head
More whale watching tours in California
- Dana Point, California from $40
- San Diego, California from $30
- Newport Beach, California from $38.75
- Santa Barbara, California from $80
- San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, California from $72
Sources
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.
- montereybaywhalewatch.com/faq
- discoverywhalewatch.com/our-trips/whale-watching-tour
- montereywhalewatching.com/whale-watching-cruise
- chriswhalewatching.com/whale-watching-tours
- discoverywhalewatch.com/seasons
- fastraft.com/what-we-see-when
- fisheries.noaa.gov/species/gray-whale
- montereybaywhalewatch.com/whale-watching/whale-watch-tour
- montereybaywhalewatch.com
- montereybay.noaa.gov/visitor/whalewatching/...
- seemonterey.com/plan-your-visit/getting-here
- seemonterey.com/things-to-do/parks/point-lobos
- montereywharf.com/event/...
- montereywhalewatching.com/about-monterey-bay
- montereybaywhalewatch.com/schedule