We had our first sighting of marine life as we left the harbor, where Bottlenose Dolphins were swimming alongside a Navy vessel entering the harbor. We traveled beyond the Nine Mile Bank, and while we did not find whales, we did find a small pod of Risso’s Dolphins. On our return trip, we encountered a large pod of Common Dolphins. They swam all around the boat and could be seen far into the distance. They stayed with the boat for quite some time and entertained guests riding the bow waves and leaping out of the water.

We saw a harbor seal and a flying fish with a couple of random dolphins. Then we had an unusual sighting of a gray whale, which is typically only sighted in San Diego from December through April. The whale seemed to be going both north and south. Passengers were delighted to get a glimpse. Later, we saw a pod of about 300 common dolphins, which were a joy to watch. The water was so calm and clear that you could see the dolphins through the water pretty deep. And some were leaping pretty high out of the water.