Hi!  Thank you for stopping by my whale watching/nature blog page. This gives me the opportunity to talk about all the exciting things we are doing for our whale watching season, in my own words, and let you know a little bit about myself!

I am from Seattle where I spent my entire life up until the last two years.  I made my move to San Diego to enjoy the water and the year-round extraordinary weather.  I grew up on the shores of Puget Sound, where my Father was a Marine Biologist, and he did a lot of environmental impact research. Growing up with my Father, I learned to have a huge respect for the sea and the mammals that live and thrive in it!! 

As the owner of Sail San Diego, we made the decision that we must do our part to enjoy the whales, dolphins and sea lions but make sure to do this with the least impact on the environment and to be strict about following the whale-watching guidelines. We want generations to come to share in this beautiful experience. We strive to be the most Eco- Friendly Whale Watching Company in San Diego.  We are currently talking with a Marine engineer about converting our boats so they will run off Biodiesel. We feel the marine industry can really benefit from the use of Biodiesel fuel burning cleaner emissions and reducing pollutants, which, in turn, helps to prevent depletion of the ozone layer and acid rain.  With gas prices soaring and our fossil fuel supply diminishing, Biodiesel can be a viable alternative!

Sail San Diego Whale Watching is also very special because we only take up to 6 guests at a time (unless the group is one big group then we take up to 10). We have the best Whale Watching Captains in the business.  Most of who are trained naturalists and are at arms length away to answer all the questions you may have about the whales and the migration. We don’t stop with just the whales though.  We see sea lions and pelagic sea birds on every trip and very often get to play with the dolphin and porpoise that are curious about us and come and run in the bow wake for a while.  It is soo much fun!!  Our Captains will show guests what to look for when looking for whales and will pull plant life out of the water and talk with kids and let them feel it and give them some basic knowledge about the local habitat.  We have literature on the boats about the grey whales that is easy to read and very informative.  I am so proud of our Whale Watching/Nature trips and strive to provide the best experience for all ages.

We are running two boats this year.  We have a 40’ Catalina sailboat and a beautiful 26’ Panga power boat. They are both fabulous ways to whale-watch here in San Diego and you can’t ask for more in amenities to make each of our guests very comfortable.  We offer all beverages including beer, red/white wine, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to nibble on while sailing.  For those chilly days we will offer hot chocolate and we always provide the following for everyone’s comfort:  Extra jackets, hats, gloves, blankets, sunglasses, sunscreens, binoculars, and very comfy seating.

If you want a unique experience I really hope you will take the time to come and join us!

We are so different from many of the other whale watching companies here in San Diego and we really want to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with all of you about these magnificent creatures and the habitat they share. I will keep you posted soon on how the season is going.  Our first booked whale watching starts on the 28^th of December and we can hardly wait!

Whale watching has been very exciting this season!  I wasn’t sure how the sailboat would work out for our whale watching trips but it has been fantastic!!  Our guests have loved being able to sail while out on the pacific and enjoy all the advantages that using the sailboat has.  It is so fun to have a group of dolphin swim with us while under sail.  The dolphins get right under the bow and enjoy the push and the wake the boat makes.  They will stay and play with us for sometime then it’s off to play somewhere else!! The dolphins are actually my favorite part of the trip.  We have had many whale sightings this year and I have been fortunate to take the time to go out on the whale watching boat several times.  The weather this year has been a little unpredictable but when the sun’s been out it has been gorgeous!!!  I have gone out on those sunny occasions and was very proud of the trip we offer our guests and proud of our Captains, who really knock themselves out to make this such an incredible trip for everyone.  The thing that I loved was how quiet the boat was and how just hearing these magnificent animals was so amazing.  When you get the opportunity to get close to these animals and you can hear them come to the surface and then take that big breath it is such a rush to hear this unique sound.  On the last trip I went on we followed a Mom and her Calf for about an hour.  Remember, we respect the whale guidelines but on occasion the whales will come closer to us.    You can see the barnacles and the markings and I never knew but the barnacles and the coloring they make is why they are called Grey Whales.  I learn so much from our Captains- I wish I could go on every trip to gain more knowledge- I learn something every time.

I am going to insert a picture of the boat the University of Washington named after my father soon.  My Father was a Marine Biologist for the State of Washington and the boat the RV PASQUALE does bottom research on the Puget Sound and is moored in Anacortes.  I thought it would be a great way to honor my Father who passed away in 1972 when I was young.  He would be very proud that I am on the water and sharing this with all of the guests that we take out to enjoy this experience!! 

We also have the Panga 26’ Offshore ready to do whale watching trips.  This boat is so nice and rides so well.  It is the perfect way to get further offshore because sometimes we need to get out further to sees these whales, especially towards the end of the season.

I will keep everyone posted on a regular basis and I am really happy to share on this whale watching blog.  If you are reading, thank you and I will post again really soon!!