Newport Landing and Davey's Locker are two names for what is effectively one whale-watching operation on the Balboa Peninsula, and between them they run most of what leaves Newport Beach. Six boats, two check-in offices 150 yards apart, departures every day of the year, and the cheapest whale trip in Orange County at $40.30 for two hours.
There is no sighting guarantee. What you get instead is a discounted return ticket and, if you book through a platform, a 24-hour cancellation window. For a two-hour trip at this price, that is a reasonable trade.
What it actually is
Newport Landing says it has been offering whale-watching cruises "for over 20 years from Newport Bay"; Davey's Locker says it has been "providing whale watching cruises for over 30 years". Neither publishes a founding year. The registered address for the Newport Landing email list is Newport Landing Sportfishing, 309 Palm Street, Suite A — the sportfishing landing the whale operation grew out of.
The two brands share a booking system and a harbor. The second check-in office is at 400 Main Street. Which one you use is decided by the boat you are on, and the company says it cannot tell you in advance — turn up early at either and you will be directed.
Its GetYourGuide footprint is the largest of any operator on this coast. Of the six Newport Beach whale listings in the feed, five name Newport Landing Cruises or Davey's Locker as the activity provider: the two-hour trip with over 1,500 reviews, the whale and dolphin cruise, the year-round 2.5-hour cruise, the luxury catamaran and the small-group Ultimate trip.
The fleet, and why it matters here
This is the most varied fleet in California, and the choice of boat changes the trip more than the choice of date.
The standard trips run on vessels of 72 to 85 feet carrying 70 to 145 passengers, with indoor and outdoor seating, restrooms, and a galley selling snacks and drinks including alcohol. Named boats include the Ocean Explorer at 70 feet, the Nautilus at 75 feet and the Newport Legacy catamaran, which has stadium seating on the bow and a full bar. These travel up to four miles along the coast.
The luxury trip uses the Catallac, a 50-foot catamaran capped at 35 guests, with a marine biologist or naturalist on every departure and a range of 8 to 10 miles. The Ultimate is a different animal again: a 36-foot rigid-hull inflatable carrying 12 to 15 people at about 30 miles an hour, ages 5 and up, with a professional photographer aboard, no restroom, no shade and no snack service. It also holds the best rating in the harbor.
A VIP upgrade on the standard and luxury trips buys guaranteed seating, a binocular rental and a drink.
What it costs and what the guarantee means
Davey's Locker publishes direct fares of $41 adult on weekdays and $45 at weekends, with juniors aged 3 to 12 and seniors at $33 and $37 and toddlers at $8. Its schedule runs three departures a day from November to February at 9:00, 12:00 and 14:30, adding a late-afternoon trip from late May to mid-August.
Sighting guarantee
No guarantee. A blank trip earns a discounted return ticket — 50% off if no whales, a $7 ticket if nothing at all.
- Wording
- 'We do not guarantee sightings as they are wild animals living in their natural habitat. We do not offer refunds. However, if we do not see whales we will issue a 50% off return ticket'
- Total blank
- 'If we do not see any marine mammals a $7 return ticket will be issued'
- Cancellation
- 'We offer 24hr cancellation policy before your departure date to be eligible for a full refund or reschedule'
- Realistic odds
- Dolphins appear on most trips here, so the 50% clause is the one that ever applies
This is weaker than Dana Wharf's free Whale Check 25 minutes down the coast. It is also honest about what it is.
Price check · GetYourGuide
Live prices, per person, checked regularly. Sorted from lowest.
| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Beach: 2-Hour Whale Watching Tour | $40.30 Lowest | 2 h | ★ 4.3 (1,512) | Check dates |
| Newport Beach: Whale and Dolphin-Watching Cruise | $40.30 | 2 h | ★ 4.3 (472) | Check dates |
| Newport Beach: Year-Round Whale Watching Cruise | $40.30 | 2.5 h | ★ 4.2 (152) | Check dates |
| Newport Beach: Luxury Whale Watching Catamaran Cruise | $74.62 | 2 h | ★ 4.2 (204) | Check dates |
| Superior 2hr Zodiac Whale & Dolphin Watching Newport Beach | $76.50 | 2 h | ★ 5.0 (18) | Check dates |
| Newport Beach: Ultimate Whale Watching Adventure | $84.50 | 2 h | ★ 4.9 (327) | Check dates |
Prices are checked regularly. Three listings sit at the same $40.30 and differ mainly in duration and review count; the 1,500-review version is the safest pick. The $76.50 zodiac listing is the one product here that is not theirs — its activity provider is East Meets West Excursions — so read the provider line if that distinction matters to you.
What to check before you book
Check-in is 60 minutes before departure — the longest lead time of any operator on this coast, and not negotiable at a harbor where parking is the bottleneck. Newport Beach parking is cashless and paid through the city's app or website; the private valet structure takes cash but refuses large pickups, vans and minivans. Set your navigation to exclude toll roads and ferries, or it will send you to the far side of the harbor and add the auto ferry fee and a wait.
On board, no glass, no coolers and no outside alcohol; food and soft drinks are fine. No heeled, wedged or hard-soled shoes — flat rubber soles or sandals. Strollers stay on the dock, pets stay at home, and the operation is wheelchair accessible as far as the dock but has a three-step incline onto the boats.
How it compares with the neighbors
Dana Wharf, 25 minutes south at Dana Point, is the direct rival and the one with a real guarantee: a free Whale Check that never expires. It costs more, from $68 on the platform. Harbor Breeze at Long Beach, 40 minutes north, carries an Aquarium of the Pacific naturalist and charges $48 for 2.5 hours, with no guarantee at all.
Newport's answer is frequency and price. Deep water starts close to this coast, the boats clear the jetty in minutes, and at $40.30 a two-hour trip is cheap enough to repeat if the first one is quiet. For the rest of the state, see California.
Our call
The 2-hour standard trip on a weekday morning
At $40.30 with more than 1,500 reviews behind it, this is the cheapest reliable way to reach whales and dolphins in Orange County, on a 70 to 85-foot boat with a restroom, a galley and narration the whole way. Newport's deep water starts close in, so two hours is genuinely enough.
Skip it if If you want a sighting guarantee or a long trip — Dana Point gives you the first and Monterey the second.
Check dates from $40.30Questions people ask
Are Newport Landing and Davey's Locker the same company?
They are sister brands working the same harbor and the same booking system, with check-in offices about 150 yards apart at 309 Palm Street and 400 Main Street. Which office you use depends on the boat, and you are directed when you arrive.
How much is a Newport Beach whale watching trip?
Davey's Locker publishes adult fares of $41 on weekdays and $45 at weekends, with juniors aged 3–12 and seniors at $33 and $37 and toddlers at $8. On GetYourGuide the standard two-hour trips are $40.30, the luxury catamaran $74.62 and the small-group Ultimate trip $84.50.
What is the difference between the standard, luxury and ultimate trips?
Standard trips use vessels of 72 to 85 feet carrying 70 to 145 passengers and travel up to four miles along the coast. The luxury trip is a 50-foot catamaran capped at 35 guests with a marine biologist or naturalist aboard, ranging 8 to 10 miles. The Ultimate is a 36-foot rigid-hull inflatable seating 12 to 15, running at about 30 miles per hour, with a photographer aboard and no restroom.
Is there a sighting guarantee?
No. The company states it does not guarantee sightings and does not offer refunds; if no whales are seen it issues a 50% off return ticket, and if no marine mammals at all are seen a $7 return ticket. Bookings can be canceled up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
When should I arrive and where do I park?
Check-in is 60 minutes before departure. Newport Beach parking is cashless — lots and meters are paid through the city app — and the company publishes an interactive parking map. Set your navigation to exclude toll roads and ferries or it will route you to the wrong side of the harbor.
Can children and wheelchair users come?
Children are welcome on the standard and luxury trips; the Ultimate RIB trip is ages 5 and up and requires reasonable fitness. The operation is wheelchair accessible down to the dock but not fully accessible, with a three-step incline onto the vessels. Strollers stay on the dock and pets are not allowed.
Which whales will I see?
Gray whales on migration from December through April, blue and fin whales from May through November, humpbacks irregularly, and common dolphins in pods that can run into the thousands in any month.
Official sources
- Newport Landing Whale Watching — home
- Newport Landing — frequently asked questions, trip types and policies
- Newport Landing — about us, ships and crew
- Davey's Locker — whale watching times and fares
- Visit Newport Beach — whale watching (archived)
- GetYourGuide listing 511075 — activity provider line (archived)
Updated September 17, 2026 · partner prices refreshed October 6, 2026
