15 Unmissable Private Whale Watching Charters in the USA

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews Our pick

Set out from Newport Harbor with Captain Nick or another USCG licensed captain on a private two-hour whale and dolphin trip. The small twin-engine catamaran carries up to six people, giving you a quick, personal ride toward local wildlife. Expect harbor views, naturalist commentary, and possible dolphins, whales, and sea lions.

“We went on a Dolphin/Whale watching excursion with Nick from East Meets West yesterday morning. It was honestly the trip of a lifetime! Nick was our captain and is extremely knowledgeable about marine life. We learned alRead more”

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2.Private Luxury Whale Watch

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

Meet your captain and naturalist after pickup from your ship or hotel, then ride to Auke Bay and board a private yacht. Over about four hours, watch for humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, seals, eagles, and bears. Champagne, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and snacks are included.

“So incredible! Our crew was super informative and an overall great time. We felt comfortable as soon as we got on the yacht thanks to Mallory and Captain Pete's awesome efforts! Saw bubble feeding and breaching! 10/10”

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3.Private Family Whale & Dolphin Adventure in San Diego

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

Take a private three-hour boat trip from Mission Bay with Captain Rich of Tailwalker Whale & Dolphin Adventures. Your group of up to six has the whole boat, including an enclosed cabin, observation tower, restroom, safety gear, and bottled water. Look for dolphins, gray, humpback, fin, and blue whales, plus sea lions and other marine life.

“We enjoyed the experience of going out to see the Fin Whales, and are happy we did this excursion. But, in the future it might be a good idea to put more information on the description. We had difficulties finding the boat as the ‘Mission Bay Read more”

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

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

Spend five private hours with a Ketchikan captain such as Tony, Lukas, or Grayson, fishing for salmon, halibut, cod, and rockfish. Your trip includes gear, bait, water, snacks, wildlife viewing, possible whale sightings, and coastal scenery. No fishing experience is needed, and your catch can be processed and shipped home.

“Absolutely amazing experience! I had the best time on this charter. The captain really knows his stuff—tons of fishing experience and insider knowledge. He took us to all the right spots and had all the tricks to help us reel in a great catch.”

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5.Private Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour in Newport Beach

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

Join Captain Dustin aboard Surfrider, a private 40 mph speedboat for up to six people. Cruise Newport Harbor, then head along Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point with a Certified Marine Naturalist explaining dolphins, whales, sea lions, and other marine life. Bring your own food and drinks for the 2.5-hour outing.

“We had a wonderful time on the dolphin tour. Dustin’s knowledge of the history of the harbor, past and present was a added bonus. We saw so many dolphins! He exceeded our expectations. We will definitely book another tour on our next visit.”

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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

Join Eric at Maui Plane Rides for a private one-hour flight over Maui’s central valley, Kihei, Sugar Beach, and Molokini. From the plane, you’ll search for humpback whales with a headset for clear commentary and a small viewing window for photos. The flight carries only your party of two to five people.

“Best Experience ! Such great communication and hospitality :) thank you Eric !!”

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7.Private Whale Watching Adventure

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

Set out from Ala Wai Harbor with Captain Chris and crew on a private 30-foot Zodiac for a two-hour search for humpback whales. You may also see spinner dolphins, sea turtles, or monk seals. The boat carries up to six, and water and soft drinks are provided.

“Crew was great for our whale watching tour even through the rainy weather! Saw whales, dolphins and a monk seal. Crew was knowledgeable and informative, would def do it again.”

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8.Family and Private Group Whale and Dolphin Watching

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

Take a three-hour semi-private or private RIB from Dana Point with guide Will, carrying no more than six people. Search for dolphins, seasonal whales, sea lions, sunfish, and possibly Orcas while learning about marine life. Morning and afternoon trips run in most weather, with snacks, water, and BYOB allowed.

“2 plus hours of whales and lots and lots of dolphins and sea lions. The day could not have been any better!”

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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

Join Captain James of Ocean Safaris for a three-hour whale-watching trip from Santa Cruz, limited to six people. You will explore Monterey Bay and its marine sanctuary aboard a fast, quiet vessel, looking for whales, dolphins, seals, otters, turtles, sharks, and seabirds. The captain also serves as your naturalist and guide.

“I have been on many tours and not one comes close to the experience we had with Captain James. Even if we had not seen a single animal this would have been a great tour but we saw many incredible animals. What a perfect day. Highly recommend!”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews

Join Captain Nick for a private two-hour whale and dolphin trip from Newport Beach. The 26-foot catamaran carries up to six people, with suspension seats, 360-degree viewing, and a SeaKeeper stabilizer that cuts side-to-side motion by up to 92 percent. Expect expert commentary, coastal views, and close wildlife encounters.

“Nick was utterly amazing!! We were desperate to see dolphins as it was my daughter’s dream. We had to travel 15 miles out into the ocean, but Nick never gave up and then we found the most amazing pod of about 150 dolphins. We spent about 15 minutes amongst them, watching them jump and play and swimming alongside the front of the boat. It is a memory that will stay with the whole family forever. He certainly made my daughter’s dream come true and we all absolutely loved it. You just would not have had the same experience on a larger boat and we probably wouldn’t even have found them…”

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11.Private Whale Watching Activity: 6 passengers max

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

Join Hawaii Apex Charters from Ala Moana for a private two-hour whale search off Oahu’s south shore. Captain Philip, Holli, or Izzy may share facts about humpback whales and Waikiki while you look for breaches, mothers with calves, turtles, and other wildlife. The boat takes six passengers at most, and photos and videos are provided.

“Went on this tour with my girlfriend for my birthday. Came out from south shore and trip was close to 2 hours or so. Had a pretty fun experience on the waters and our captain was friendly to talk to. 10/10”

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12.Private Whale Watching and Marine Wildlife Tour

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

Set out from Sitka with your private group and captain Tad for about two hours along southeast Alaska’s coastal waters. You’ll search for whales, orcas, sea lions, seals, otters, and other marine life from your own boat, with local commentary, flexible departure options, and hotel pickup and return available.

“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

Meet your guide at Makena Landing for a private two-hour paddleboard tour along Maui’s Wailea-Makena Coast. You’ll receive a basic lesson before heading toward the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Beginners and mixed-skill groups are welcome, and guide Brittany has been praised for clear instruction and Hawaiian history.

“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

Take a private two-hour boat trip from Honolulu for up to six people, looking for whales, dolphins, and turtles along southeast Oahu. You’ll see Waikiki, Diamond Head, the lighthouse, and the Honolulu coast. Captain Mike and Rick have both led praised outings, though boat and crew quality may vary.

“Not worth the money or time. We saw whales, crew very inexperienced at this. Boat and excursion a fishing charter not whale watching, no refreshments of any kind. We saw and followed two whales, but crew very inexperienced for this type of charter.”

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15.Private Whale Watching/Sailing Tour for 6

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3 reviews · 3h 30m

Spend about three and a half hours sailing Monterey Bay with up to five companions. Captains such as Tiki and Kiwi share local insight while you look for whales, dolphins, sea lions, sea otters, and sunfish. Drinks and light snacks are included, but wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

“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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