Dana Point Whale Festival

Join Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari to celebrate migrating Gray Whales that use Dana Point’s headlands as a landmark on their long journey with a two-weekend Dana Point whale festival.

[singlepic id=95 w=320 h=240 float=left]Gray whales, which make one of the longest migrations of any mammal, can be seen off Dana Point from December through April. The whales travel 10,00 to 12,000 miles from the Chukchi and Bering Seas to the lagoons of Baja, California, where they mate and have their calves. They are often are seen within a mile or so of the shoreline, where some believe they use Dana Point’s headlands as a landmark on their journey, making them a popular whale to watch. In early March Dana Point Harbor celebrates the annual Festival of Whales with ocean-themed events and activities that have an emphasis on education and environmental responsibility.

Throughout their migration gray whales face numerous challenges and hazards one of which takes the lives of nearly 1,000 whales and dolphins every day. It is estimated that 308,000 dolphins and whales die because of fishing gear entanglement every year worldwide. Captain Dave organized Orange County’s only whale disentanglement group in 2008 and has successfully disentangled several gray whales, including Lily, whose disentanglement made national headlines. Capt. Dave recently wrote and published, “Lily, A Gray Whale’s Odyssey”, a magnificent photographic journey of a gray whale’s migration.

[singlepic id=96 w=320 h=240 float=left]The Festival of Whales began 42 years ago as an annual seaside event in the town of Dana Point, California. Our community and visitors celebrate the migration of the Gray Whale and other species with a variety of activities both in and around the Dana Point Harbor area with the main event being, of course, whale watching. The Dana Point Whale Festival dates tend to be among the most popular for whale watching tours. Be sure to make your reservation in advance!

Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers the most unique dolphin and whale watching in the world! Daily, year round, Dana Point whale watching trips aboard a high-tech, high-speed, Catamaran Sailboat can get you up close & personal with magnificent blue whales (seasonal), gray whales (seasonal), fin whales, humpback whales, minke whales, orca whales, and five species of wild dolphins that can number in herds up to 10,000 and more for an educational and incredibly exciting experience. Our high-tech catamaran “Manute’a” is never crowded with a maximum of 49 passengers.

Be one of the pod and feel what it’s like to swim with dolphins and whales without getting wet in our two Eye to Eye Underwater Viewing Pods. Knowledgeable marine naturalists explain how these animals live while you see and touch our collection of whale and dolphin artifacts. You can listen below the surface too with our research quality hydrophone. And Mrs. Capt. Dave’s yummy triple fudge brownies are served as a special treat on the ride back.

Share your trip LIVE with friends and family back home at DolphinSafari.com, the first and only place in the world you can view whales and dolphins live from your computer during our daily whale watching excursions.

For more information about the Dana Point Whale Festival or to make whale watching reservations please call us at (949) 488-2828, email, or reserve online.