Had a great few hours on the water. I didn’t see any whales but my fiancé did; I had an amazing time regardless. There’s lots of other interesting wildlife you see and the views are stunning. The crew was spectacular and you can tell they’re passionate about what they do. 10/10 will do again.

It was amazing trip to remember lifetime. This is our first trip to San Francisco with our 4 year old. The staff was very knowledgeable and nice. They took their time to explain about how to spot whales and make sure everyone on board can see and enjoy this experience. For clothing do wear some warm clothes or jackets.Today water was rough but we were able to see whales few times. It was amazing experience. We were really fascinated by the beauty of Golden Gate Bridge. Thumbs up

We had a fantastic time on the water for my husband’s birthday. The day started out a little rough because we had a hard time finding the Gate B at Pier 39 (there’s a new fence near the aquarium that blocks the path to the docks, so you have to walk through the shops/restaurants to find stairs down to the water then hang a right to go back down behind the aquarium. Some signage would be helpful.) However, once we got on the boat we had a great time. The new COVID capacity restrictions kept the trip to only about a dozen people, giving us all plenty of room to spread out. In fact, most of the trip, we were alone on our side of the boat. The scenery leaving the bay is wonderful. Most of the trip we cruised at a high speed to make it out to open water and whale territory quickly. Even though we didn’t see any whales for most of the cruise, the captain stayed out as long as possible until we finally spotted two humpbacks feeding, along with a couple of porpoises and a few sea lions out in open water. Turned into a wonderful trip. The captain and crew are friendly and welcoming. Will definitely cruise with them again.

What a great crew! Joe, Sarah & Pat were all knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. My husband, seven year old son and myself enjoyed our trip, yesterday 8/23/20, immensely. The ridership is limited at the moment due to COVID restrictions so it really feels like a private tour and very personal. Plenty of room to social distance. Joe did a great job as captain, alerting us on movements of the boat, turning the boat for all passengers to be able to view the whales and keeping us safe, above all else. Sarah was the braniac of the tour, helping us all understand the secrets and cool features of the Humpback Whale. Pat took some amazing photos and was the first on our trip to spot a whale! We only had to go right outside the Golden Gate and had approximately 30 whale sightings with a bonus porpoise sighting and of course a few seals. Really amazing! We look forward to bringing friends & family on future trips, it could not have been easier or more enjoyable. Thank you Team Kitty Kat. :)

Overall an amazing experience. Beautiful view of the Golden Gate, porpoises, grey whales, sea lions, and a variety of different birds. Crew is friendly, very knowledgeable, and made it a great experience. Definitely recommend SF Whale tours

While the whales certainly made the trip worthwhile, the crew was SO very friendly and engaging! We had the pleasure of being on board with Captain Joe, Kat, and Sarah. They went out of there way to make sure we had plenty of time to “visit” with the whales. We were proud to support a woman-run business - would recommend to anyone!

We had such a great time! Seen quite a few gray whales, porpoises, and seal lions, even on a rainy day. The staff is incredible, and truly make this event one worth remembering. Will definitely do this event again the next time were in San Francisco. God bless!

Absolutely fantastic time! The crew was both fun and knowledgeable, and they made sure we got to see plenty of whales! If you get the chance to go whale watching you should definitely do it with these guys (and gals)!!

Great experience! Staff is knowledgeable and approachable. Ill be doing this tour again. Couldnt catch the whales on camera, but i did get some great pics of the city.

Awesome tour, you have to put it on your list of things to do.

Great guides with lots of knowleges. All in all a really good experience. Took the early morning tour at 8am which is recommendable.

While I was bummed we didn’t see any whales, I thought our crew did a great job making every effort to give us as much of a chance as possible to see one, while learning lots of interesting facts about the local wildlife and getting great views of the Bay Area. I was also very pleasantly surprised to hear that since we didn’t see a whale, we all received a credit to return at any point with just our name and the date of our tour for a free tour!

Great tour, knowledgeable staff, great views of whales and golden gate bridge

Very few are fortunate enough to see the blue whales and the Golden Gate bridge at the back drop.

This was a nice boat ride filled with history information. There are beautiful views of the city the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The day I went was a little bit cold. On the boat there are bathrooms and a small little bar where you can buy some drinks and snacks.

A wonderful experience. It’ll be a memory of a lifetime. You get nice pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge up close and personal. Also a nice view of the mountains as your riding on the boat. All the staff were really nice and helpful with information about all sorts of animals specifically about whales, of course. Make sure to wear sunscreen and dress warm as it’s very windy on the water. Well worth the money and time!!!

So lucky to have at least 10 sightings of grey whales in the San Francisco Bay.

This tour was so fun and informative! I loved that this is a research boat, not just a tourist trap. Everyone was so helpful and nice!

The boat (Kitty Kat) was very comfortable, clean, and the staff was a lot of fun and knowledgable. We saw many whales, porpoises, seals and seal lions, and many different types of birds. Going later in the day was nice because the the lighting was great and the temperature was good. Highly recommended, and Ive been with them a few times.

Had a great time and very educational. Got a few views of whales and learned more about them. Also a great view of the golden gate bridge and Alcatraz island.

Went Grey Whale watching in December of 2019. No whales, naturalists microphone was broken so you couldnt hear anything. Boat was over crowded. Though the trip was sold as a whale watching trip neither the naturalist nor the first officer thought wed wee Grey whales.Company offered to rebook us next time we were in San FranciscoLook elsewhere, or just skip it

Captain Ryan was great. Funny and chatty!

The trip started actually 20 minutes late and ended up 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. we didnt see any whale and very little wildlife. Why didnt we spend more time out there? luckily the weather was beautiful and the crew is friendly and provides information about the bay

Whale watching had always been on my bucket list, and I finally got to go! We saw a seals, harbor porpoises, and a humpback whale! The staff were amazing and so friendly and knowledgeable. I already plan on doing another tour when we return! Keep up the excellent work guys!

Happy with some service. Not my wedding day so...staff was attentive and moved the party along. Food was ok.. not specifically spectacular. Otherwise it was memorable.

The captain and crew were all great and we saw several whales! There was plenty of room for everyone on our trip, and you could go inside to get out of the weather if you needed. They also had basic snacks, candy bars, crackers and soda for sale.

We were so looking forward to this tour and made sure to come during the peak time to see whales during their migration. Unfortunately, they thought the boat was a speed-racing excursion instead of an opportunity to see wildlife. Also, their microphone was broken, so we learned nothing and missed opportunities to know which birds we were seeing. We did see some sea lions and porpoises really far away, but were sometimes confused with a floating log. We would have rather slept in, saved a lot of money, not froze our butts off, not had the person next to us puke off the side of the boat, and just watched the birds and sea lions next to Pier 39 (for free and a much better view).

Did the the 5pm golden gate tour with my husband, 2 year old, 4 year old, 7 year old, and 10 year old. Overall, fun and insightful tour. Beautiful views!! I strongly suggest the golden gate tour. If you dont see any whales its still a fabulous way of seeing the city and golden gate bridge. Breathtaking experience.Kids loved it. I would not suggest taking a 2 year old though. He was cold and fussy half the time. He did enjoy it alot, though. The crew was friendly and helpful. We appreciate and respect their respect for wild life and nature. I would definitely recommend the tour. They are a great group of people. Experiencing the golden gate from beneath it was breathtaking! We saw many whales and one even swam under our boat and popped up the other side super close to the boat. It was incredible!Now for the negative. As with all things, theres a bad Apple in every group. Some people are rude and pushy. So many adults stood in front of our kids and pushed them aside. Even after saying something they didnt stop. They couldve easily seen the same thing standing behind my 3-4 foot child. Personally, I feel the boat is allowed too many people for its size. It was crowded and hard to see alot of the time. That being said, we were still able to see many whales.Also, at the end of the tour the crew mentioned giving tips if we enjoyed the tour. They definitely deserved tips. Great crew. My kids were excited to tip the crew too. We gave them each some money and told them to put it in the bucket and come back to us so we could safely exit as a family. When my 4 year old went with my 10 year old and gave the tips to the crew she happened to be in the way of the exit. I was a few feet away with several people in front of me. Some lady grabbed my young daughter and placed her on the ramp to exit and began pushing her down the ramp so my daughter wasnt in her way ( who the heck does that??!!). My older child followed trying to keep her safe and get the lady to stop. By time i got over there my two daughters were at the bottom of the ramp on the dock and scared as people exiting kept them blocked in on the edge of the dock between the boat. I was hollering and telling them to not move and wait for us. My daughter almost fell in the water between the boat and the dock several times. 2 crew members were down there and didnt do anything. People kept exiting and wouldnt let my daughters come back up or let us exit to them. So all I could do was yell to my kids to reassure them and pray nothing happened. It was terrifying. Yes, my kids are my responsibility and I understand that completely. Had this lady NOT PUT HER HANDS ON MY CHILD and caused this situation everything wouldve been fine. HAD THE CREW STEPPED in and demand people wait a minute then the issue couldve been resolved quickly. Instead I had two girls traumatized and my husband and i fearing for their safety. If the lady hadnt been long gone by time we exited she wouldve got a piece of my mind and possibly a talk with the police for endangering my child.Overall, the tour was amazing and other than the scary event at the end, we all enjoyed ourselves. I like to believe the crew members were just unaware of the situation and thats why they didnt step in...who knows. I hollared for help several times and asked someone to make sure they didnt fall in. But nothing was done. I didnt dare leave my spot where i could at least see them until my husband could get down the ramp to them. For the end reason, we will not tour with them again. But otherwise, I recommend them highly as long as you keep your children away from heartless pushy tourists who disregard the safety of children. Keep your kids close...like hand in hand and all should be fine. I accept partial responsibility for letting my child get 3 feet away from me. Maybe Im too accustomed to small town living and kindness.

NICE PLACES TO GO ON SPRING TIME. BRING YOUR GRILL TO BARBEQUE NEAR THE SEA.

Excellent tour! Rachel is very informative and passionate about the animals. Becca is very helpful and super nice. When they say bring rain gear, they are serious! We got pretty wet on an overcast out. But about 17+ miles out from Golden Gate, we saw three humpbacks! So worth the wait and trip and wet and cold!!

The most peaceful, and enjoyable experience I have had in a very long time. A must for that individual who needs a rested, and rejuvenated soul to begin. To start the next chapter. You will experience complimentry drink, food and snacks, while other food items are available. The restrooms are clean, and comfortable.The seating and comfort was wonderful throughout the trip. Simply, a fantastic experience.

It was so beautiful! Best experience we had on our trip to California! Allison was great and very educated on the subject! The crew was very nice and wanted you to have the best experience possible! Felt very safe and that they go out of the bay multiple timers every day!

Went out and had a great time, not only did we see a lot of wild life but they boat crew was great! We saw so many whales, surrounding the boat and it was great. We had Jacob leading the tour and he gave us lots of cool facts and pointed out all the cool stuff. Definitely exceeded expectations it was great!

Awesome people, great information, saw 2 gray whales, highly recommend!!

This tour was amazing! Saw at least 5 humpback whales really close to the ship. Very knowledgeable guide as well. I would highly recommend this if you are visiting San Francisco. Very cold make sure you bundle up!

So great and we saw whales right away. Super knowledgeable crew and safe operating captain. This is a great thing to do with kids or as a date. Ignore the complaints about rough seas. It may happen but they do their best to keep everyone comfortable.

There were 90 people all excited to take the tour waiting to go down to the pier to get on the boat right off the bat Sydney was really irritated and short tempered and honestly I dont think she should have been. After we were all boarded, we definitely lightened up. They all did an amazing job pointing out the whales, and explaining everything. Just a thought to avoid aggravation between host and Tourist plan an access an egress non-combative really amazing boat we seen the other boats really struggling this was a really nice experience thank you so much

The kids love this place its fun an exciting.

Great experience. Very knowledgeable tour conductor. I appreciated the fact that the tour doubles as a scientific research vessel and they bring attention to conservation issues. We saw a dolphin, whales, and harbor porpoises plus a lot of seabirds. Loved the knowledgable commentary throughout the tour.

Honestly. The tour was good, except for the fact that I got sea sick. There is NO way they could have prevented that. But they took every precaution to make sure that I was comfortable by telling me to go outside and get air and gave us FREE ginger candies. They are such a great tour with a GREAT CAUSE.

It just seemed like a long boat ride. The only reason the Capitan slowed down was to get plastic out of the water. We did not slow down to see if we could see anything next to the boat in the water or stop at all. We did see some dolphins, birds, sea lions, but no whales, which I know isn’t a guarantee. BUT, you need to slow down, stay stationary for a little to see if any wildlife comes up to the boat. Don’t just fly out to sea and then back to the dock. We traveled so quick that we could see a dolphin pop out of the water maybe 1 time, and that was it...if you didn’t see it, you more than likely missed it. I was not impressed.

Good tour with good narration and an honest desire to support ocean life in the Bay Area. Boat is smallish and rocks substantially compared to many others tours in other places. Would avoid if you are easily sea sick. If you are not, its a much more intimate experience than many whale watches.

Lots of fun, very educational too. We did see whales, and the captain of our ship radioed a huge tanker about the whales position while we were there. The tanker manuvered to miss the whale!!!

Well, a little opposite of what I expected. The crew stated that it was super windy and choppy when we went out. (Didn’t seem like that when we boarded the boat) The boat ride out there was a little scary as waves were getting quite high. Sat in the back hoping to get great pictures - all my 2 kids and I got was a shower. Literally soaked. I was totally bummed and once that happened. I ended up seeing 2 dolphins off in the distant. We did not end up not seeing a whale. I understand that it isn’t the crews fault but still disappointed- especially with the amount of time we spent out there (a little over 3 hours - at least after all that time, I was dry by the time we reached land) and the amount of money. I still give it 4/5 stars. The crew was all great and asked if we needed anything when we were soaked and bummed. They really do care and really want you to see whales but it wasn’t in the cards for us. Not sure I’d go again

Had such a great time on the bay to bay cruise on the red and white fairies. Very nice they have headsets the tell you about the cruise. Really enjoyed it with the family. I would do it again.

It was a fun experience! Saw a lot of different animals along the way and learned a lot about them! Would definitely go again! Wear warm clothes, it gets cold!

Love it!!!! I had a lot of fun watching about 10 whales and even got a great footage. The crew was awesome and I definitely recommend them.

Nice area to walk around and enjoy some food.

If you love ocean world you should attend this place. We enjoyed watching aquarium and otters there are so friendly. Tottaly worth to go

The tour around the bay was great, and the knowledge of marine life was fantastic, would highly recommend

It was a nice ride and got to see some of the most majestic mammals on the planet give it a visit, you wont be disappointed.

Have been twice. Staff were great and enthusiastic both times but think they just put 5-10 too many people on board. Saw Whales each time though. If you get sea sick it may be worth calling and asking where they plan on heading. We saw Grey whales in the bay where it was flat the first time and then saw humpbacks out in the sea this time where it was a little bumpier.

Love this ride. Was well worth the wait on the ride out out. The Captain was very informative and respectful of the whales and dolphins

This is the best value for money experience in San Francisco. The crew were extremely kind and knowledgeable and we were lucky enough to see a Humpback whale fully breach twice, as well as a Grey Whale, seals and porpoises. Unforgettable experience, and a must do if you are in the city.

Fantastic team.

Wonderful experience seeing whales and different kinds of wildlife! Definitely bring a jacket/dress warm. Would certainly recommend!

Beautiful sunny day, clear sky, could see for miles. It was windy though, which meant rough seas, and I learned that the strong winds can make it harder to see the plumes of a surfacing whale. Despite the rough seas, and the challenging conditions for spotting a whale, I had a great time! The captain was masterful in handling the boat in the steep waves. We Sailed by Alcatraz, and under the Golden Gate Bridge. What a beautiful view of the San Francisco skyline from the bay. All the while giant container ships slowly floated along unaffected by the turbulent water., as dozens of fantastic sail boats charged through the waves. Oh, whales, we didnt see any. We did see all kinds of marine life. Becky, the naturalist gave us ongoing insight to all that we saw. I am 67 years old, this kind of stuff has been a life long hobby, and I learned several new and interesting things about wildlife I am familiar with. All the crew were friendly and professional. Lastly, the captain used good judgment. He was no doubt under pressure to find us a whale. And he acknowledged that the whales were likely to be found further out to sea, but prudently chose not to turn our whale watch boat trip into a high adventure boat trip.

This was our fifth whale watching cruise altogether and our first from SF. We’d had some sketchy experiences in other locations (*cough*Tadoussac*cough*), but SF Whale Tours and their team are fantastic professionals and very dedicated to what they do, which is immediately apparent from the beginning of the tour.We chose the 2.5-hour Golden Gate tour; the boat, the Kitty Kat, was mid-sized and large enough to comfortably move around to get the best vantage points. We also didn’t notice many of the swells outside of the bay, unlike when taking a zodiac tour.We were fortunate enough to have seen at least 10 humpback whales, countless porpoises and other wildlife on our short tour. Naturalists and crew were very knowledgeable and affable, and dropped some facts that even we as would-be whale buffs didn’t know.Only drawback was that certain guests were quite pushy and used their elbows to hog the best views on the boat; I was fine since I‘m quite tall, but my shorter wife sometimes had trouble seeing. Nothing that the operators can do anything about, though, and they did tell travellers not to behave this way, but be prepared to deal with jerks here as anywhere else.All in all a five-star whale watching experience.

Overall, this was a great experience! Whale Girl was very knowledgeable. My family really enjoyed it.

UNSAFE FRAUD: We went on the 12 noon trip on Sunday 07-July-2019: cost $170- we saw NO whales- the ride was VERY harsh - trip should have been cancelled since the earlier ride was dangerous with most passengers getting sick- the boat was barely able to negotiate the ocean waves- the restroom was disgusting and unhygienic- there was not enough room for the people on board; they greedily sold way too many tickets - not even standing roomtours are a low quality, unsafe, over-hyped fraud.We demand a full refund of the trip cost.

Nice staff fun boat ride but didnt see any whales.

Took the tour today on San Fransisco whale tours. our boat had been looking out for whale for quite some time but no luck. Boat was about to return back when thankfully whales appeared. Crew is knowledgeable and shared lot of great info. Whales created quite an adventure by not showing up till almost the end of the tour. They sure made a grand appearance.Special shout out to crew for taking extra effort as they made sure everyone got to catch the whale sight.

Its a beautiful place to take photos, and there is a lot of things to do

Super fun for kids

We had a GREAT time!! Unfortunately, the whales were not cooperating but we saw lots of wild life and learned so much about the bay area waters!! It was a nice way to spend the morning. Everyone involved is passionate, friendly, caring and super knowledgable!! I would definitely go again and recommend to friends.

SO INCREDIBLE. we saw everything. Porpoises, seals, and gray whales feeding!! The captain is great and on his A game when it comes to finding whales. If there is a whale in the area, he will find it. The only issue we had was getting sea sick (obviously not the guides fault). Do your research about sea sickness and be prepared! It will almost ruin the experience.

Its fun but I think it disturbes them

Got to go on a short tour. We sat on top of the ferry, which was great because it was well-over 99°. Worth it.

What they do is incredible and we learned so much! Absolutely a must when visiting!

Fabulous! Numerous whales spotted. Crew and naturalist extremely whale knowledgeable. Highly rexommend!

Pretty fun, got to track a whale for an hour and see tons of other sea life, too (the random facts / history they give over the intercom are also fun and informative)

Great experience. A must do if visiting SanFrancisco

Good tour, maybe a bit short. Still definitely enjoyable.

So much fun! Michael and Sydney were informative and knowledgeable. They were great with the kids questions.

Nice place! Wish I could just stay.

Good experience. Sharks, gelly fishes are awesome. You can visit it.

Beautiful view on the back side of pier and they shops we pretty neat. Food was amazing at hard Rock Cafe .

Its efficient and convenient method to look briefly San Fransisco Landmark

Beautiful and informative. The crew was kind, and helped everyone enjoy what we saw.

Relaxing and fun ride. But no whales:(

Awesome experience, want to go again

Fantastic experience, and our definite favourite in SF! The staff were incredibly kind, knowledgable and eager to share their knowledge about whales, whale watching, and SF with every passenger. The enthusiasm and fun was definitely greatly appreciated.Take note, youre not going to to see anything extremely up-close, and for good reason to protect the well-being of the whales and other aquatic wildlife. This isnt SeaWorld, and for good reason.Thanks again!

Wonderful staff and knowledgeable naturalist-great boat trip and we saw whales!

Absolutely loved this. We did an 8:00am tour in October, so it was quite chilly. I wore layers, gloves, and a beanie and didn’t feel any cold except for my nose!! The tour was led by a young lady studying whales from Berkeley University. Learned a lot about whales and seen tons of other sea life and several whales! This is also a women owned business. The boat felt very safe and was well maintained. The captain was also great. He gave us a great safety briefing and got us safely to and from the whales. A++++

Amazing, educational experience with a very knowledgeable crew. Will definitely be doing all of my bay area whale watching with them

Great view for free, especially for right next to pier 39 and all of that x)

Loved it, saw hump back whales, porpoise, seals, and more, went under the Golden gate bridge twice, loved it!!

What a cool experience! The tour was amazing and the staff was very knowledgeable.

I HAD A BLAST OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG HE WAS HUUUUUUUUUUGE

We seen 2 Humpbacks! The crew was great! Very knowledgeable.

They were amazing. We struggle a little finding a whale but they didnt stop till we managed to see one. Totally recommend!

Great people and we did get to see a Whale.

Great place to watch the sea lion on pier 39 good food and shop

Beauty, joy, relaxation, chocolates, sour dough bread and friends, what could be better.

We had a blast with San Francisco Whale Tours on Saturday. The boat was fast, captain was friendly and confident, and the naturalist was incredibly knowledgeable and interesting. He shared facts about the islands, wildlife, and was a genuine noce guy. We saw SO many whales, seals and sea lions, and birds. My husband, 12-year old nephew, and I all enjoyed the trip immensely and would highly recommend it.

We had an awesome time on the Kitty Kat tour which is great for both adults & children. Captain & crew professional & friendly. We took great videos & photos of several whales spouting, breaching & diving. Will return again next year. Thanks for a great tour.

Amazing view and interesting city to go visit if you like big citys.

Wow! What a wonderful day trip! It will remain a wonderful memory for the rest of our lives. I thank Allison, the naturalist on board, for making the outing so interesting and informative. We learned so much from her and her devotion all marine mammals was contagious.We saw humpback whales and one gray whale. It was, possibly, one of the best days of our lives: to see those magnificent creatures in their natural settings. It strengthened our conviction to support organizations that protect our oceans and the creatures within.I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to witness the beauty and majesty of our marine brethren.

Amazing crew - very friendly, helpful and educational. Great experience

Really cool thing to go do