San Francisco Golden Gate Whale-Watching Tour

Great trip, smaller group size, spectacular views, 3 humpbacks... wow! Every question we had was answered. amazing morning out.

My husband and I were on the tour in the morning of Sept 15th. It started out a little foggy but cleared up nicely. It was cool out on the water, don't show up in a t-shirt and shorts, you will be chilled. The crew was excellent. The captain, 1st mate and the tour guide were all very welcoming and encouraged guests to move around the boat, vocalize what they were seeing and ask as many questions as needed. I really liked that they were respectful of the environment and personal space of the whales, close enough to see, but not too close to impact their personal space. We saw 2 whales, a more distant perspective but they were there nonetheless. We also saw porpoises and the odd shark (a smaller species) jump out of the water. The coastal views were magnificent and travelling under the Golden Gate bridge was a beautiful site. My only wish was that they did not have as many quests on the boat, I think they could have cut the guest list by about 20% to make it a little more comfortable and not as crowded. Other than that, I would highly recommend.

We didn't really see much for quite some time until towards the end of the trip but the crew was very enthusiastic and informative. It was overall a really fun experience.

We left on time and our guides and captain were fantastic! From what I had read in the reviews, I knew to wear a hooded sweatshirt and bring along a rain jacket with a hood! I was glad for both! Do take along a water bottle filled with water as well as a camera and a pair of binoculars. Wear a pair of shoes that won't slip. You may also need some anti-motion sickness pills such as "Dromadine". Most of all----- HAVE FUN!

The boat ride by itself was wonderful. It would have been even better if our trip was able to sight a whale - unfortunately not this time. Still a beautiful way to see San Francisco from the ocean.

A great tour was started from the famous Pier 39. Before the native Sea Lions were awake, the crew of the Kitty Kat already did their best to make their guests feel at home for their tour at sea. Once clear of the Golden Gate bridge the throttle went open and the catamaran was racing towards some whales who’s position was accurately passed on by fishermen in the area. On board marine zoölogist Sydney was teaching the guests about the life and where abouts of the magnificent creatures we were about to see. No less then four whales were spotted during the trip together with some porpoises, seals, sea lions and a lot of birds that were actually pointing out the presence of the whales. Captain Joe, First mate Allyson and Second mate Jacob meanwhile were assuring our safety on board and looking out for our best interest. All in all it was a great trip, absolutely worth taking. One last thing to realise is that by going on this trip, the crew is able to fund their research into the travelling habits of the whales with the purpose of enforce regulations for maximum speed of ships in the whale season to make the environment safer for man and whale!

This is a great few hours, we saw whales and other wild life with a great team on board who are very knowledgeable. However motion sickness can be a problem so get some travel sickness medication and take some sick bags just in case Also wear some water proofs it can get wet from the waves Enjoy

Friendly and knowledgeable tour guides. Saw 2 whales one in the Bay and the other past the Golden Gate. Well worth the $$

The sea waves was terrible, vomited badly and bought 4 bags of vomit to the shore. Bad experienced will never go for this kind of sea activities again. For I know that nothing to blame the organiser as this is reality of nature.

This is a woman owned business. They hire educated knowledgeable staff. I chatted with the photographer and he knew so many interesting scientific facts about whales. On board there was a marine biologist that gave running documentary of what we were seeing and what to look for. Seeing the whales was exhilarating. The only minor downside is that when the boat is on full throttle the sound system was very difficult to hear and I know I missed a lot of interesting things being said.

The ride out was more eventful than anything. 3 hours out - we came back w/ no whale sightings and soaked!

If you only do one thing while visiting San Francisco take the whale watching trip . What an experience great crew and captain and Alex our guide she was phenomenal !!!

This excursion was fantastic, well, except for the weather. It was very overcast, windy and cold. The water was a little turbulent but you never knew what the weather will bring. We did see some whales at a distance and some sea lions. Had it been a sunny day the experience would have been more awesome. However, our tour guide was very knowledgable and answered all questions concerning the sea life. All in all, well worth it.

Great tour guide and captain. Unfortunately no whales on that day but tour was interesting. They do say that if you don't see any whales you can come back for free - we didn't have time to do, but perhaps in a few more years!

This was a lot of fun.. Saw whales, and learned a lot about whales.. Very nice..

the whales where a bit shy on this trip although we saw some at a distance. overhaul still a very nice trip.

We went just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. The catamaran held about 20 people, including a captain and a naturalist. We were briefed on safety, comfort, and what to look for at our destination. The water was rough and the weather chilly. The bow was opened up for viewing later. The staff of the cat was attentive to those suffering from sea sickness. The naturalist spoke about the whales and pointed out like a clock where activity could be seen. We stayed in the area for an hour and saw several sightings. I would recommend and take this cruise again. It is not for anyone who is subject to motion sickness.