Voyager IV Excursions

Was in Redondo solo for the day and walked by the Redondo Beach pier and spotted this fun small boat. I decided to hop on for a reasonable $ 10 for a 45 minute ride in the ocean.
I thought it was absolutely beautiful. Captain and crew were friendly and we stopped to whale watch — we got lucky and saw a couple whales several times. It was a beautiful day and I would recommend this boat ride for couples or families — child friendly, too.
I read online that the boats leave ever half hour in the summer. Looked like it was running on the hour today (it’s October). I walked up and hopped right on. So fun!

This should be done if you take a trip out Redondo Beach. Adults are 10.00 and the children pay 5.00. The boat ride is about 45 minutes to and hour. I hope I am reviewing the correct Voyager boat. If not anyone please let me know. So just to be out on the ocean is a treat for those who are from the desert. You finally get to look at the pier and the beach from the ocean. Not the other way around. You may get to see the seals swimming near the boat. That is always a cool sight to see. I have not seen a whale yet but maybe that would be on Friday when you can get on the Whale watching tour. Overall I would love to do this again, I plan to.

Would definitely do this again. Crew & Captain were very good. Stayed out a little longer so we could see some Fin Whales we’d been chasing for nearly an hour. Crew & Captain are very knowledgeable about entire sea life, not just whales. All were very courteous & professional, and very kid friendly. I was especially impressed when they circled the boat around to pick a deflated balloon out of the ocean. That Captain then informed us that if any sea animals ate it, it could seriously harm them.

I went out again with Voyager. In the years since my previous review, they’ve stepped up their game. No smoking on the decks? Check. Commentary from a marine biologist? Check. There were people from the Cabrillo Aquarium on board. And it was clear that everyone really liked their jobs.
The nicest people seem to work for this company, too. I had trouble finding them at their new location on the Redondo Pier and one of their employees actually stayed on the phone with me as I walked around the Pier to direct me to the right place.
We did find some whales on this trip — ironically, we were looking for gray whales and found nothing but fin whales. On the way back to shore, we found a gray whale very close to the pier. The captain came on the loudspeaker, asked if anyone had to urgently get someplace and inquired as to whether we wanted to observe the new whale– and we ended up spending an extra thirty minutes on the boat, watching this fascinating gray as it breached and played nearby. Awesome.

Went for the first time. I was a little nervous because we went with the kids 2 and 4 and the trip on the boat is 3 hrs. Was worried about sea sickness but of course the kids were fine the hubby on the other hand not so much, lol. Great experience we saw dolphins, seals, and two whales. All the people working on the boat were very informative and nice.

Great trip! Saw dolphins, sea lions and SAW BEAUTIFUL AMAZING WHALES.
FRIENDLY STAFF, even if we didn’t see whales, boat ride was awesome, views of ocean and shore amazing.
Will be taking this trip again!

We went on the Whale Watching trip on Friday 6^th March at 10.00 am. I didn’t really know what to expect but the conditions were PERFECT. As the naturalist said, such a day was ‘A GIFT’.
Once out of the harbour and past the seals basking on the rocks, we scoured the ocean for the first sight of a whale. We were not disappointed! Firstly we saw a school of dolphins passing by and then, whales! There was a group of them ahead of the boat who seemed to be playing around and waving their fins. They were swimming towards us on their migration path and the naturalist on board gave plenty of clear explanations on what type of whale they were and what their habits are. The captain manoeuvered the boat so that we could get the best views.
After a little while of scanning through the binoculars more whales were spotted and we had some great views of these amazing creatures.
All too soon the trip was over and we were heading back to the port. There were great views of the Santa Monica bay and the snow-​topped mountains behind.
It was a great trip and highly recommended. The staff were all really friendly and so knowledgeable. My only small regret is that the photos I took can’t do justice to what we actually saw. I was so busy taking in the views of the whales with my eyes that the camera was pointing up to the sky :(.

Friendly, respectful, affordable and knowledgeable. Perfect afternoon, saw so many whale!

This can be hard to write a review … it’s not fair to base it on what you see because if there are no whales in the area that day it’s certainly not the boat’s fault.
As for the company, these guys seem very reputable, friendly, and informative. The boats are clean and in good repair. The staff is helpful and courteous. My 16 year old daughter thought her long sleeve jacket would be enough to keep her warm but the man at the checkout counter convinced her otherwise. He pulled a wool-​WWII jacket from the back room for her to wear. She loved the extra attention.
The boat left right on schedule, and we were gone almost 3 hours. After the validated parking, I think we paid $ 2 to park.
As for the wildlife, we did see a humpback whale. He didn’t do much other than a couple of blows, but we got close enough to get a couple of decent pictures. Then we headed out towards Palos Verdes where the grey whales migrate. Our boat was in contact with the Point Vicente Interpretive Center which tracks every whale that migrates past the LA bay. So they knew there was a grey with her baby and helped us find her. Again, we didn’t see much of the grey, just a couple of surface and blows, but then it was time to head back in.
In addition to the whales, we did see several dolphin and seals which made it worth-​while and the boat ride itself was very relaxing.
My advice would be to call them ahead of time and ask if they saw whales the previous day, or that morning if you’re thinking of an afternoon run. That will help you decide if it’s worth the money.

Just returned from voyager excursion… spectacular! Mom and calf (humpback whales) in constant view; playing, close to boat… someone always yelling «there they are again»…add dolphins, sea lions, seals, birds… Captain Andy and staff the best. Don’t miss this adventure!
Diane, Manhattan Beach

This was my second trip with Voyager Excursions, and it was fantastic!
On the first trip, last Spring, we saw Dolphins, Pelicans, Sea Lions, and a few Whale spouts. It was relaxing just to be out on the water.
Today’s trip was just perfect! We saw all the wildlife as listed above, and then there they were…3 beautiful Humpback Whales, right next to our boat! Two of them seemed to like the attention, and stayed around us for over an hour. The crew and captain, as well as the Naturalists on board were all knowledgable about our safety, and that of the Whales, so it was also a safe trip.
This is such a good value! If you live here, are visiting, or have people visiting, do yourself a favor, and book one of their tours. I know I will definitely go out many times in the future! Ps. parking is plentiful, and they validate, so it’s only a couple dollars for the day!

Parking is free for the first 2 hours with validation, and $ 2 for each hour after that.
Our boat left promptly at the scheduled time, 10:00 am. We had 2 captains and a handful of naturalists on board. The naturalists were quick to identify each species we came across and gave some interesting history and facts about the animals.
We were lucky enough to spot a humpback whale quite quickly and it was not scared off by our boat. We later came across a migrating gray whale and her calf, as well as a pod of dolphins.
It is important to keep in mind that there is no way to guarantee whale sightings and some whales are more skittish than others. The crew was mindful of the mother and her calf, not wanting to get too close because it might scare them off their migration pattern. Also, there are regulations about how close the boats are allowed to get to the animals. During our trip, the captain turned the boat so that the marine life was on one side of the boat, allowing maximum viewing for everyone on board.
Even if you didn’t see whales, the view is stunning. You can see Catalina Island, Palos Verdes all the way to Malibu.
Keep in mind whale migration seasons and weather conditions for the best viewing experience!

What an amazing experience! Captain and crew were very helpful and the naturalists (I think we had 5) were very knowledgeable. The office crew was wonderful, very helpful in getting us on a boat the day we had off. We went on a Tuesday and I’m taking the whole family again on Sat. Thanks for a great experience!

I don’t write many reviews, but when I do, they are either really good or really bad.
In this case, the experience was really good! My family and I have never been on a whale watching tour. We have seen whales spouting off of the California coast in the distance, but could never see anything but what we «thought» were whales. I have been debating for years whether to take the kids (10 and 13) on a tour or not because (1) the length of the tour would usually have them wanting to jump overboard (and possibly me as well), and (2) I was scared we would go for a tour and wouldn’t see anything but dolphins and seaweed.
1. The tour was the perfect length of time. 2 ½ to 3 hours is plenty of time to see whales, see dolphin, sea otters and any other marine life out there. Toward the end of the cruise, the kids were ready to go, but instead of trying to throw themselves overboard, they laid on me with their «awe mom, this was the best trip ever» smiles.
2. We saw everything. We saw whales swimming, diving, playing and eating, we saw tiny fish shimmering in the water, we saw pelicans, we saw dolphins jumping around playing and swimming, we saw sea otters swimming, checking us out and just relaxing. Just when we thought there was nothing else to see and sat down, there was an oohhh or an awwwee and we were right back up out of our seats running for the edge to look out.
I thought the fact that we saw everything was a fluke — I mean come on, what are the chances you can see such amazing creatures every time — until we spoke to the crew. They told us that they know where the whales are. If they weren’t right in the bay (where we saw them), then they know the migration patterns and go find them. I know they can’t «guarantee» that you will see a whale, but these guys seem pretty darn experienced and know their water for sure!
This was not only a fun trip, it was an educational trip as well. I don’t know if they always have educators/​naturalists on board, but on this trip they did. The kids got to ask the guys any questions they had about the whales, or fish or dolphins or whatever. We even asked the crew questions and they were knowledgeable as well.
Before the trip, be sure to say hi to Gary the pelican on the pier. He is really fun to feed and take photos of (just don’t walk by too close or he may snip at you).
We went on a rainy, dreary day and there were hardly any people on board. We never had a problem grabbing a railing spot upstairs or downstairs to see everything, and the water was calm.
Definitely recommended, and for the price, we may just be making our way back when we can see another type of whale.

The Voyager took us out to see the humpback whales on 1−9−15. What a fantastic
trip! The humpbacks were near the boat and kayakers and I did not know that they have been here since New Years’ Day. They slapped the water with their flukes, and a couple of times they came out of the water and landed on their sides. I was thinking we saw 20 or 25 whales, but I was told by naturalists they were the same three whales. There were lots of dolphins, and birds trying to get the fish the whales
brought up. This seems to be a family run business and the crew and naturalists are
all very knowledgeable and professional. Thank you to the Voyager for offering the lowest prices around making it an affordable trip for a family and for bringing us out
to see the magic and wonder off our coastline! SPECTACULAR trip!

We had a very successful first trip whale watching. The boat was clean and well maintained and the crew was friendly and informative. We saw humpback whales within 15 minutes or so of leaving the dock and continued to see more whales, dolphins and sea lions throughout the entire 3 hour ride. I can’t wait to go again!

Just pulling into the dock after my first whale watching experience. Outstanding. Dolphins, sea lions, plenty of birds and about 4 humpback whales. We followed a mother and her calf for most of the trip and they pulled up right next to the boat. Clear skies, about 70° on a January day. Absolutely amazing. Highly recommended. Crew and staff incredibly friendly and would like to mention that it is not everyday the whales pull up to the boat, but it was still amazing and i would do it again.

Went or tried to go whale watching I should say. We left on the last boat rife of the day which was set for us to not only see the whales but the sunset as well. I was excited seeing as I hadn’t been on a boat since I was a kid. We set sail and all was looking good until we passed the docks far away from the pier, the big waves started coming at us. The boat started rocking heavely side to side and we all started to worry. The captain I believed that’s the right word, reassured us everything would be okay and explained where all life jackets were located at just in case.
As we kept going further into the beach we kept noticing seals and lots more seals but no whale. However we did notice the waves getting worse and the worrysome was obvious so the captain said he did not want to take us back just yet he wanted to make sure we at least saw the sunset but he could not continue goimg further into the ocean as the waves were not very safe. So he made a turn and took us down another part of the beach where it was a lot calmer, we saw no whales but at least we’re safe and we saw the sunset. He was considered of us and not only did he not want to put us in danger but he also did not want us to feel we wasted our time. Good boat ride defenetely recommend.

So I was really looking forward to this. We had such a great day out about mid 70s and really thought this would be fun.
Since I’m still new to the area just getting out in the water and seeing all the scenery surrounding Redondo was great. Thought it was really cool to see the seals hanging out and swimming throughout the ocean.
One thing I was disappointed in was actually seeing the Whales. We found one, but he really didn’t come up to the surface much and we spent most of our time trying to keep up with him and find him. If I want to do whale watching again I definitely want to make sure I’ll be up close and personal next time. Anyways the staff is great and comfortable ride.

Went whale watching this weekend and was excited to see whales amongst other things out in the ocean. We traveled about 5 miles out on pretty turbulent waves. If you get sea sick easily, stick to the bottom deck; it sways a lot less than the top. Make sure you have open access to the edges of the boat (bottom floor only!) or to a garbage can. Thankfully, I didn’t get sick, but I was sitting nearby a few who did.
If you buy an excursion ticket, parking is $ 2, which is amazingly cheap. Also, the price of the excursion itself was only $ 25, which I found to be pretty cheap. From what I overheard, children 5 and under are complimentary (2 max; any extras have to be paid), but make sure to double check these prices.
The boarding line up starts around 1:00pm for the 1:30pm excursion, but most people get there around 1:15pm. The boarding and unboarding processes are pretty simple, but the boat can get separated from the dock, which could leave a 1 – 2 foot gap for you to jump. Be careful! There are staff on the boat there to help you out.
The boat is two floors; I would suggest the top for a better view. Bring a coat because the wind chill can get a bit cold, but if you’re sensitive to the sun, I would suggest bringing a hat.
Our 3 – 4 hour excursion saw dolphins, sea lions, 3 fin whales, and a bunch of birds. I really appreciated the guides that were on this tour. From the moment you’re waiting in line to when you’re already out on the water, they share some really interesting facts about the whales and other wildlife.
Out at sea, there seams to be some miscommunication with some private boats that are also out whale watching, so they end up getting too close and scaring the whales away, which is a bummer. Another thing about this voyage is that when we spot a whale, we do head towards it to get a closer look, but we keep the boat facing toward the activity, so the best views are at the bow, which can get extremely crowded. If the boat was turned, people would have more space to see the activity.
On our way back, we spotted the last fin whale and it got about 20 – 30 feet in front of the boat. It was AMAZING. So majestic!
Overall, I really liked the tour. It was a good amount of time out at sea and the guides were knowledgable. I would like to see the boat turning to offer a better view, but I guess I can’t really say that’s easy since I’ve never piloted a boat.