The 13 Whale Watching Trips Worldwide That Earn the Upgrade

1.Funchal Bay: Dolphin & Whale Watch Luxury Catamaran Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,684 reviews · 3 hours · from $47Our pick

Board the Atlantic Pearl at Funchal’s New Marina for a three-hour cruise with a Portuguese or English-speaking guide. Watch for dolphins and whales, hear about Madeira’s marine life, then stop beneath 580-meter Cabo Girão for swimming and snorkeling. The catamaran carries about 20 people, with shaded seating, hammocks, a bathroom, and drinks for purchase.

“Great trip on a beautiful catamaran, really jolly and fun hosts, made a good effort to show us the whales in a quiet and respectful way, we saw 2 which was amazing. Fantastic it's only a small group of people onboard too.”

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2.All Inclusive Whale and Dolphin Watching Luxury Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,573 reviews · 3 hours · from $93

From Funchal Marina, you sail aboard a spacious catamaran with indoor and outdoor seating, an open bar, local snacks, and a welcome glass of sparkling wine. The crew searches for dolphins, whales, and turtles before stopping beneath 586-meter Cabo Girão for swimming and snorkeling. Guides speak English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“Wonderful morning out on the water. Top notch service from this Crew. Highly recommend”

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3.Luxury Catamaran Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,107 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129Top rated

Cruise from the Los Cabos marina aboard a double-decker catamaran, stopping at the Arch before searching the Sea of Cortez for humpback whales. Guides such as Jacob, Marco, and Jorge explain whale behavior while a hydrophone lets you hear their songs. Snacks, alcoholic and soft drinks, and hotel transportation are available for an added fee.

“The whales, drinks, food and staff were all amazing! The whole trip was just the best! Jacob did an amazing job explaining all about whales.”

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4.Funchal: Dolphin and Whale Watching by Luxury Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,709 reviews · 3 hours · from $47

Sail from Funchal Marina on a spacious catamaran with Portuguese and English-speaking guides. Look for dolphins, pilot whales, turtles, birds, and other marine life, then cruise to Cabo Girão, Madeira’s 580-meter sea cliff. Most tours include a swim stop, indoor seating, sun beds, restrooms, and a welcome drink.

“A serene and luxurious trip, on a roomy catamaran. We saw a large pod of pilot whales, including young ones, at close quarters. It was good value, we were very well looked after, and the price even included a drink. A super experience.”

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5.VipDolphins Luxury Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,709 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $95

Sail from Funchal with a maximum of 17 people aboard a comfortable catamaran. The crew, including guides such as Sheila, Liv, Maggie, and Nick, serves drinks, local snacks, and desserts while helping you spot dolphins and whales. Afterward, swim and snorkel below Cabo Girao, with towels and equipment supplied.

“Saw two different pods of whales! Including One small group of three in a rare sighting of beaked nose whales…beautiful trip, wonderful crew, tasty filling snacks more like appetizers, you can eat, drink as much as you’d like… informative super friendly cheerful crew, fun swim. Perfect size smaller boat.”

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6.Whales and Dolphins Watching-Luxury Super Grade Cruiser(Hotel Pick up offered)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,268 reviews · from $65

Start at 6:30 am from Mirissa for a 3 to 4-hour cruise in search of blue whales, fin whales, dolphins, turtles, and other marine life. The boat carries up to 40 people and includes breakfast, tea, coffee, a restroom, captains, and safety crew. Pickup from Galle may be available, but confirm any extra charge before booking.

“They were no whales to be seen at all, just a few dolphin. Ship has too many chairs. Pretty expensive for an ordinary ferry ride with breakfast.”

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7.From Fremantle: 2-Hour Luxury Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 455 reviews · 2 hours · from $67

Cruise from Sardine Jetty aboard Steep Point, a three-level catamaran with five viewing decks, heated lounge seating, and live commentary from marine mammal experts. Look for humpback whales resting near Perth during their southern migration. Mothers and calves are often seen from October, and a free return trip is offered if no whales appear.

“We managed to see a lot of whales and learned more about them”

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8.Whales and Snorkeling Tour on a Luxury Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 443 reviews · 3 hours · from $101

Join Michael, Sergio, and the Royal Ocean crew for a three-hour yacht trip from Las Galletas. You’ll watch for pilot whales and dolphins, cruise past Tenerife’s cliffs and caves, enjoy tapas with unlimited drinks, and swim or snorkel in a sheltered bay. Pickup from X-Sur shopping center is available.

“We saw pilot whales, it was really nice. After that we could swim at a nice place. The snack was also tasty.”

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9.Tadoussac/Charlevoix: VIP Lounge OR UpperDeck Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 313 reviews · 3 hours · from $160

Cruise the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park for three hours with bilingual naturalist guides, spotting up to 13 whale species. Choose the glass-enclosed VIP Lounge, with local food and drinks, or the open-air Upper Deck for 360-degree views. Priority boarding and a reserved walkway are included with both options.

“Alexandra was the best. I would recommend the VIP lounge. The food and drinks were were excellent. View from lounge was very good. And we saw a Minke whale.”

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10.VIP (12 Guests ONLY) Ultimate Whale Watch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 198 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $125

From Lahaina Harbor, join a maximum of 12 people on a two-hour raft ride in search of humpback whales. Your captain and marine naturalist may include guides such as John, Sarah, Emma, or Jeremiah. Expect low views, whale songs through a hydrophone, and a bumpy ride that can get wet.

“We were looking forward to this trip very much. We saw humpbacks from quiet close and this was nice. At this time of the year they are all around. However the crew, Cathy and Kristin, looked not very commited to provide a good tour, but to be happy to go back as fast as possible. Boat ride was fun, but I saw much better captain than Kirstin. I understand much more under a VIP Tour, not even water was offered. Listening to the whale song was great, but why only put the microphone 20 seconds in the water? Would not recommend a tour with these guys again - better what…”

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11.Newport Beach: Luxury Whale Watching Catamaran Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 194 reviews · 2h 30m · from $58

Join Newport Landing Cruises for a 150-minute whale watching trip from Balboa Pavilion. You will ride a 50-foot catamaran with a full walk-around deck, listen to English-speaking naturalist guides, and watch for blue, humpback, fin, and minke whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Captains such as Kayla, Larry, Dani, and Chris have helped make sightings especially memorable.

“Saw more dolphins than I could ever imagine. They came right up to the boat and swam near us the whole time. Amazing experience”

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12.Luxury Whale Watch Cruise to The Arch Los Cabos

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 126 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $95

From Cabo San Lucas, cruise toward the Arch and nearby rock formations, then search for humpback and gray whales from December 15 to April 15. You’ll ride aboard a 40-foot catamaran with a crew such as David, Ulises, or Jose, an open bar, and round-trip hotel transport when available.

“This was a great experience. The whales were putting on a great show right near the arch and Pelican Rock. The captain and deckhand were awesome and entertaining. We would definitely go on this excursion again.”

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13.Luxury Private Whale & Dolphin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 14 reviews · 3 - 6 hours

Set sail from Puerto Colón on a private yacht for three or six hours. Your captain takes you toward pilot whales, dolphins, and turtles, then anchors in a quiet bay for swimming and snorkeling. The boat has cabins, bathrooms, a salon, kitchen, and sun deck. Cava, beer, wine, soft drinks, fruit, baguettes, and snacks are included.

“We had a private boat trip for 11 of us and it was amazing , the captain was fabulous let us play our own music. There was snacks and drinks included and to top it al off to got to see some whales and also have some swim time. Would highly recommend and will definitely be back. Thank you”

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