Chris' Fishing and Whale Watching

Kevin and Captain Tinker were exceptional. We were fortunate to have a glass ocean and gorgeous weather. We had multiple sightings of three separate pods of grey whales, with Kevin providing facts and stories throughout. The price was great and the boat was more than sufficient for the job. Get aboard first and sit upfront for a really great experience (providing you're not prone to seasickness). There's really limited space up front for sitting, but plenty of rail space for viewing the whales and other animals you might come across.

Just had a great tour today saw some grey whales and dolphins + otters and sea lions! Good duration and it was all made so much better by our tour guide Kevin. He made the trip more enjoyable and educational and even gave us some food recs afterwards. Will be recommending this place to friends.

Kevin was our guide and although I don't remember the captains name they were both fantastic!! Saw some gray whales about 20 minutes into the trip and intermittently through the next 2 hours. Awesome time for families. Great weather in January but you will get a little wet from spray and it's pretty windy so a puffy and a shell are recommended! Parking instructions are on their website; don't follow Google maps. You park in the paid parking by the wharf then walk past all the shops. It's 25 Fisherman's Wharf Parking.

This was a great Whale Watching tour and we got super lucky with blue skies and some of the calmest waters I have ever had whale watching (apparently the smoothest it has been in months). The boat itself was ever clean and lucky for us only had 26 people. Lauren was fantastic making sure everyone felt ok/ telling us facts and keeping us informed throughout the journey. We saw around 18 Whales, some dolphins and sea lions. We both loved every second! Great company and a lovely people.

Amazing trip with Chris' - Kevin and Captain made our trip unbelievable!! OK we were very lucky to see jumping whales 🐋 😀 but story, facts and commentary made all trip very special. Thank you 😊 team . Please leave a bit tip as they deserve!!!!!!

Why go with other boats when Chris' is less expensive and Kevin is narrating? Great trip! They took us right into whales. We learned a lot about whales we didn't already know. Thanks guys!!

Absolutely amazing experience. We were really lucky to have caught a lot of whale and orca action and the captain gave the group extra time to take it all in. I'm happy to support a small business. Go in the morning for calmer waters, or take dramamine to feel better in choppy waters!

If looking for a fun fishing or Whale watching experience give them a call. Seem's like a small family or family like run business. Whale watching was great and the Naturalist on the boat made the trip even better.

I am is truly grateful for Chris's team for this trip. We were traveling with my 80-year-old mother, and our original reservation didn't work out because of the weather conditions. I called to check with the team, and they were incredibly helpful. We ended up rescheduling our trip for the following week, and we were very lucky with the weather. The team provides outstanding service, very different from other boats in the Monterey Bay area. First of all, this is the most cost-effective option among all of them. And the crew genuinely cares about making sure you have a great experience. Throughout the entire trip, there was nothing unnecessary -- no extra sales or upsells -- just warm, sincere hospitality from people who truly love whales and can share so many interesting facts. There's also a personal touch: the crew members talked to every passenger individually, explaining things one-on-one. This level of personal service is incredibly valuable nowadays.

This review is in regards to the fishing experience. Booked a 8hr fishing trip for my dad who was visiting from overseas. Fishing trip booked for a Monday. Boat left at 6.30am as promised but came back to shore by 10.30am even though limit was not reached. He caught only 8 rock cod when the limit was 10 and trip was supposed to come back at 1.30pm. I would understand if the limit was reached and they came back early because of that. But in this case, limit was not reached and yet they came back. Checking the website, I see that the fish count was marked as "Limits" but if my dad only caught and brought home 8 fishes, who caught and took home the extra 2? If the deckhand caught extra fishes, shouldn't that be distributed to those who paid for the experience? This is totally unprofessional and unacceptable . The trip should not be sold as a 8hr experience if the boat was only planning to be out for only 4hrs. The weather was sunny and fine. The cherry to top it off, the skipper was very obnoxious when my wife dropped off my dad in the morning. When they were asking questions about the procedure, the answers were very condescending. My dad is an experienced off-shore fishing guy and not a newbie. He had some questions about the baits being provided and his question was ignored. Other responses were curt. You are in a service industry; shouldn't customer service be part of your skill set? Totally disappointed and cannot be recommended. I can see that this outfit has many many positive reviews and mine would be lost in the mix. I hope our unpleasant experience can serve as a warning to even one person and save them from this unenjoyable time.

Do not leave a visit to Monterey without taking this whale watching excursion! It's a beautiful boat ride from the Monterey wharf to where whales were feeding. Wow! The day was clear and the boat was comfortable for all of the passengers. A bathroom and indoor seating was available. Kevin our guide was very friendly, knowledgeable and shared lots of info about the bay, the whales and other sea life. We all captured some great photos of the whales. We were the last boat to come in so the trip was so worth it! Captain Tinker maneuvered the boat when Kevin called out the whales he spotted so we could all get the best views of the humpback whales. BTW Groupon has some coupons available too!

This was my second time whale watching with this company. Both trips were amazing! We saw many whales, seal lions, sea otter and many birds. Kevin was great on the mic! We saw breaching whales, and tow at the same time brought tears to our eyes. Was a great experience, would come again if I ever get to Monterey again!

Keith was very welcoming when we looked around at the different whale watching options. Kevin, who was our tour guide, was friendly, knowledgeable, funny, and so excited for us to see breaches and pectoral fin slaps and more on our spectacular trip! It was such a treat to see Mr. Magic (he is quite a performer), and his mom, along with other whales in the ocean. Thank you for a wonderful lifelong memory!

First off we saw so many whales i think the captain said about 10!! It was beautiful. The captain was able to get close to the whales.It was our first time on this boat we normally sail with the sea goddess in moss landing. The boat was smaller and I feel like it had way more people on board then it should. There was no real hospitality as other reviews have mentioned. The windows should maybe get an upgrade it's hard to see out when inside (spent time inside with our kiddo). There were no throw up bags. Not sure if we would return to this boat in the future.

We are local and always do our annual rockcod fishing trip with Chris' Fishing. We can't really compare to other outfits, but we are always thrilled with the experience ad Chris' This year again didn't disappoint. The new deckhand/guide, Devin, was fantastic - encouraging young anglers and helping out the older duffers with their occasional bird's nest. Recommend bringing some extra cash to have them clean the fish as it saves a ton of time.

This boating experience was the worse I've ever been on- and we did see whales on it! When we got on the boat, I should've known when the kid collecting the tickets asked the captain about our tickets and he just shrugged, completely uninterested in the situation. Every w I saw the captain after that, he had zero interest in socializing or trying to make us comfortable. We then boarded in the back and sat outside, but little did we know the speaker from the captain was only audible from the front. Every time the captain spoke, everyone in the back had no idea what he said. The crew member didn't come back to translate either, although he knew we couldn't hear because he stood out there at one point when the captain was talking. Later, we found out the crew member told someone this was actually a fishing boat. So then why are you giving whale tours? Later in the trip, several people (almost half the people on the boat) were sick and throwing up in their buckets. That's disgusting and probably a sign things aren't going well. I went inside to ask if they had soda or anything but they said no, all they had was water. If you're going to pretend to be a tour boat, and half of your guests are sick, stocking up on soda is a good idea. Clearly you have no business being in the tourist business.

was choppy out on the water + bit of rain, and we were warned when we checked in but drove up from the city specifically for this activity so we went with it. The boat had decent seating and tons of standing room. The main lead shared so many facts and lead us to see as many whales + other sea life that they could. If you're out there on a not so sunny day like when I went, would recommend bundling up and on the way to see the whales either sitting away from the rails so you don't get splashed like I did lol

fun commentary along with pointing out where whales were, saw lots of whales, helpful to my mom who was seasick

Things have changed captains are not the same crew is not the same second time coming out with the new crew and i can know say i will permanently be giving my business to J&M fishing boats crew and captain are much better . I wont be coming back ‍

Top-Notch Whale Watching Experience! We had an absolutely unforgettable time out on the water with Captain Roy and his young deckhand! From start to finish, the experience was smooth, fun, and filled with amazing whale sightings. Captain Roy's knowledge of the ocean and gentle, steady handling of the boat made us feel safe and totally at ease -- you can tell he's a seasoned pro. The young deckhand was a rockstar -- friendly, attentive, and clearly passionate about what they do. They made sure everyone was comfortable, shared fun facts about the wildlife, and helped make the trip extra special. You can really see how much they both care about giving people a meaningful, memorable experience. We spotted whales, dolphins, and got incredible photos. If you're thinking about booking a trip, do it! You'll be in great hands. Thank you Captain Roy and crew -- we'll be back again for sure!

Best whale watching experience in 12 years of going in San Diego,Hawaii and Alaska I went with Chris, in 2021, in February because of guarantee if you don't see whales, free passes to go again. Unfortunately we we didn't see whales and I did use free pass to return and we saw whales But, Friday November 8 was ama,saw so...many whales very active and up close, amazing!! Thanks so much, knowledge shared and experience

While in Pacific Grove, we decided to get on a Whale Watching tour. There were so many options, but we found a Groupon for Chris's Whale Watching and we decided to go with them. The reviews were good and the price was right. They had sailings at 10AM and 1:30pm, so we chose the morning one. Our vessel was average, there were about 25 people on our cruise and it did not feel cramped at all. There are indoor benches as well as outdoor benches to sit and watch the whales. There's also a restroom on the boat, no snack bar. Around 35 minutes into the trip, we stared seeing whales, first we saw some baleen whales, a bit later we saw some humpback ones. We also saw many seals and sea lions as well as many birds. We spent about 1.5 hours very close to whales and other marine animals, it was a great experience and the captain got on the PA often explaining what we were seeing and where to look for the whales...very informative. I fully recommend this tour.

Pros: - Great website and transparency with the fish counts and keeping them honest on how many fishes were caught (10 rockfish limit) and being able to reserve online was great - Went fishing for rock cod and the deckhand Reed on the Checkmate was awesome. Super helpful. Brother broke 2 lines and he had spare to sell and helped get him set back up. Help untangle a bunch of lines for people and overall a good dude to chat with about fishing. - Found a lot of great spots for us to fish on the boat (which had both 2 indoor benches and a bathroom). There were about 20 people on the boat and did not feel too crowed (though a few times we were caught up with each other esp when the tides were high) Cons: - Didn't leave port until 6:30am (even though the website said 5:45 and be there 6am sharp). Would be great if they can be more accurate on the port times since we were driving from 1.5hrs away - Could be closely, there's the base fee, but you need licenses, sinkers, rig, poles, and a gunny sack. So be prepared to spend a little bit more in addition to your reservation Overall, couldn't be happier with Chris and would highly recommend!

I was so impressed with my whole experience. I purchased 2- 4 adult tickets on Groupon. 1 of us was sick so he ended up not being able to join us . To my surprise I was given a voucher for 1 person whale tour to use in the future. I was a little concerned looking at the weather and wave predictions. The water was 12'-13' clean swells. I was assured that the morning boat was out looking at humpback whales as we spoke. To be honest the swells were big but smooth, the wind was minimal and only 60-61*, the sun was out with some clouds in the sky with the sun peeking through making it a beautiful day. That was just the beginning. We started by seeing sea lions on our way out of the harbor. On our way to see whales we saw several rafts of sea lions diving in and out of the water. It was impressive. We were told whales were about 45 minutes out but we started to see a group of 4 off in the distance after only 30 minutes. On a side note there was a 3 year old boy who accidentally drop a shoe into the water. He was very upset and was crying. I was shocked that you could see it floating as we moved away. I was utterly impressed when 15 minutes later the captain popped his head out and asked if that was the shoes! Yes, he actually went back and his crew netted the shoe. Then we were off to view more whales. I was moving from the starboard to port side of the boat as the rest of my family stayed in the back. The whales were literally going from the front of the boat to the back to give everyone an awesome showing. We saw their tails as they drove under and even belly rolled to give us a friendly hello. Of course there are a number of companies that offer whale tours. I actually looked at the 2 story boat next to us as we were boarding and was second guessing my choice. Our boat was definitely smaller but that meant we were closer to the water. On our way back my daughter noticed 2 whales spouting. As we took our time to get back to Monterey the 2 story boat chased them down to give their passengers a better look. As we already had our fill and didn't want to be greedy (I was glad to hear back since I felt a bit sea sick). A big tip was well earned. Thank you again for a wonderful experience. It was a great way to celebrate my husband's birthday.

Not only did we get some interesting facts of the sea life and Monterey Bay, but we saw tons of seals and humpback whales. They made it such an amazing experience for us!

This business is another prime example of good old American greed! They sell more thickets than they accommodate sitting! Unless you're first 25 people on the boat be prepared to stand the entire 3 hrs! $60 per ticket whether you sit or stand - BS! At one point I checked inside of the cabin for available sitting- some passenger was spread out sleeping taking up the entire bench. Crew with no reaction! I should have done more research before booking. Plenty of boats @ the wharf which are roomy & accommodate all their passengers. I won't be recommending Chris' whale watching to my family & friends!

Nice size group. They knew where to find the whales with out much wait. Not much narration during the watch which was good as you got to be in experience. But did point out the important things.

Great experience! We were able to see multiple humpback whales, dolphins, and seals but the highlight was seeing a blue whale and her calf!!! AMAZING experience!

Great day fishing,Friendly crew Boat not packed like some charters small fish but its Monterey

This was a fantastic fishing experience! From the people in the shop to the gentleman on the boat, everything was absolutely perfect! I will definitely use this service again if I'm in the area. Keith in the shop took care of his customers like they were his family it was amazing! Devun on the boat was fantastic and helpful! The captain was very experienced and helpful as well! Thank you all for such a great trip!

Four of us did 2 separate day charters for Rock Fish and Ling Cod. Different boat and locations each day. Captains know their spots, deck mates knew their jobs. Great experience and limited on fish. Good pricing as well. Easy parking, check in and boarding process. Be sure and tip your deckhand, he works hard for you...........

Second trip with charter after 4 years. Deckhand and captain Troy? were both helpful. Easy checking in and enjoyable experience. The recent negative reviews for the business was concerning, fortunately my experience was professional and the same from my last trip. Thanks!

Customer service: 11/10 Experience:11/10 Price:11/10 Special shout out to Keith for making everything go as smooth as humanly possible. Top tier customer service he was the absolute best. We got to see so much wildlife. It was incredible. Not to mention there were multiple whales next to us numerous times! Quite the experience. And the crew had so much respect for all the ocean animals it was refreshing. Boat ride was very smooth, ample amount of space to roam and view. Husband tends to feel a little dizzy sometimes on excursions like this and didn't have a single issue so that was great. They made special remarks as well because we were on our honeymoon. Overall an amazing experience and we will be visiting again in the future.

What an amazing trip. We saw about 30 whales. The crew was so engaging and knowledgeable. Very personable. Will definitely recommend.

Date of Trip: October 18th Boat: Checkmate Been out with Chris' many times of the years. Keep coming back. Sea was a little rough, but par for the coarse when it comes to the ocean, and beyond the control of the boat crew. Captain Troy did the best he could to smooth out the ride. Moved around until a little until we found some quality fish. Even saw quite a few whales. Great trip!

Captain Stagnaro, what a great time I've been deep sea fishing many times but on his boat and his crew I will be back. It was a beautiful morning and he put us on the fish no screaming no yelling what gentlemen and fun to be a great captain. The crew did a great job. when family comes to visit we're going to be on the sea

I have been deep sea fishing many times and My experience on this day was the worst by far. I hope the owners read the reviews and make changes. So many things were horrible on this trip out. First off, boat was about 45 minutes late. Second, we were told we would be fishing in shallow water due to the new laws, which I completely understand. About 30 minutes into the trip we abruptly stopped and head poles in the water. When we asked for bait we were told we were only being provided the fly rigs. Third, as we begin catching fish, the deckhands and captains were just tossing them on the floor of the boat. No fish were being placed in bags which resulted in the fish being mixed with other Fishermans. After 30-40 minutes we moved to a new location. At the second location they completed a fish count. The deckhand walked around filling bags with ten fish and a bucket for the overflow. Yes, small fish I had not caught were given to me due to limits. Fourth, felt like we were conned into purchasing a Halibut rig. We then stopped at one location for about an hour and a half, which during this time the deck and clean the rock fish. We were then told to pull in our lines and that we were heading back arriving on shore by 11:00. If you read this review prior to a trip, I highly advise you to book with another company. The above experience has NEVER been mine and should NEVER be yours.

What a great trip today on 'The Star of Monterey' today, I can't wait to do it again! It started off rainy before we left the dock but it didn't last long. The swells were big but I loved it! The captain said we were going out farther than normal because we were in for a treat, and what a treat it was! Humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, otters, seals. We came up to a pod of whales in a feeding alliance, we saw approx 5 different ones & one with a calf swimming alongside of us for a while. My husband and I did this in 2019 also and went in Chris' ' Checkmate'. Great, great service. I also really enjoyed the captain talking about all the different sea life, depths of the ocean, history, etc. IMHO, I will only go on Chris' charter boats instead of the bigger boats, I feel they are more personal & intimate. I can't wait to go back!

We had an awesome experience out on the water. Nice boat with 2 available bathrooms, very knowledgeable crew, and we saw plenty of cool whales. Next time we'll have to do the fishing experience!

Bring water to drink, wear sunscreen,sun glasses and rubber soled shoes. Boat ride was choppy due to the waves, super fun for me as I have my sea legs and good balance, however not so good for 78 YO mom. Bathrooms on board and everyone was friendly and we had a great time!

Overall great experience! Saw lots of humpbacks, seals and birds. Only challenge was lack of seating and if you sat people were standing in front blocking your view.

Amazing day. Plenty of whales and other sea life but oh my, the whales! Chris' Fishing and Whale Watching did not disappoint. This is my first time whale watching from Monterey and I had no idea so many passed through the area. We were on the Star of Monterey for reference. It is on the smaller side but in good condition. The crew was pretty hands off and other than admonishing a couple of kids to stop jumping and to stay off the parts of the boat that were off-limits, they didn't say too much. If the crew gave a brief summary on boat parts, I didn't hear it. But I think it would have been more helpful if the crew used clock positions when calling out whale sightings instead of right and left, back and front. Aside from that, and the pukers, we saw, as promised, WHALES. And other sea life. And WHALES! We go whale watching in Maui, but don't see pods. Or pods feeding on schools of fish. See pics. Fact: The crew is not responsible for how your body reacts to rough and choppy seas. Motion sickness is your responsibility, not theirs. What is your responsibility is moving to the back of the boat if you're going to hurl.

We came on a Saturday morning for the 10am whale watching. We had a group of four, and we really enjoyed our trip. There were a few obnoxious people having a photo shoot for a solid hour, blocking the views off the front of the boat...but that's no fault of Chris'. Some people just suck. The captain and his helper were really knowledgeable. They went over all the rules in the beginning to keep us safe, and reminded everyone at the end that if you get sick, do it off the back of the boat. Unfortunately those same obnoxious Photoshoot people didn't listen to that and took up the bathroom for quite a while while they were barfing. The guy working tried to ask her to come out and puke off the back of the boat several times, but like I said some people just suck. Poor guy had to clean the bathroom up after her but he was a good sport about it. It rained but the captain was doing his best to stay clear of the storm clouds. We saw so many whales which is the only concern I had beforehand. I thought it would suck to go out and not see any, but that wasn't the case. Lots of them were far away, but luckily we got to see some super up-close as well. The captain did a great job informing us of things we saw along the way. Very knowledgeable staff. He did a great job taking us to places where there were whales to see. Would definitely be back!

old guy at the front is insanely rude, zero help at all. don't go in here unless you're ready to feel like an idiot

I can't even explain properly about how fun this was. We were extremely lucky and managed to see at least a dozen or more whales during our trip!

It was a great experience whale watching in Monterey bay for me and my husband. Perfect and reasonable prices, time on the water and friendly relaxed crew members. I appreciate that they did their best to not only show us whales but other wildlife. I will book again and be back.

Went on a rock fish boat. Although I spent the trip blowing chunks into the pacific and did not fish, the deckhand took care of me so that I did not leave without fish, just my pride. Thank you!

I have fished with these dudes twice, they had people throw tiny fish on the deck and not back like anyone would due to letting them die, then filled the bags of people that hadn't caught those fish. The deckhand should have counted people's fish and had them get off the rail at their limit. Deckhand was a goon, who could care less. They want your money and to get off the water ASAP. 3 of 6 hours on the water. Don't get duped into this clown show. Go elsewhere

We were very disappointed with this tour. Apart from seeing a few sea lions, there wasn't much to experience. What truly ruined the day was the attitude of the front desk staff--one person in particular made racist remarks and treated us poorly, while being extremely welcoming and friendly to white guests. It's unacceptable to treat customers differently based on their background or nationality. This behavior completely spoiled the mood and made us regret choosing this company. There are many other tour providers who offer a better, more respectful experience. Not recommended at all.

Went on a sanddab and crab trip. Only 8 passengers along with the captain and one crew member, so plenty of room to get comfortable on the trip. Had a great day fishing, but this is not a trip for you if you don't want to get your hands dirty. When it came to the crabbing portion of the trip, fishers were expected to help bring up the crab pots and help fill replacement bait bags with anchovies and bait boxes with squid. This is smelly and messy work, but fortunately there were guys on board ready and willing to do this. I'd do it if I had to, but more than happy to let others before me! We were lucky to get limits of crab that day.

Great crew.We got to see alot of whales and other sea life.Highly recommend their services

Phil I have gone with them before, supposed to be rock and ling cod. we only caught rockfish and were at the dock by 10:15. wind and sea was not rough. hope you don't travel far like most of the guys on the boat with me very disappointed!

I went on the 1:30 tour on August 25th with Joe and Joey, and let me tell ya, this experience was GREAT. First time whale watching, and will definitely come back for another tour! The captain made sure our boat was right in on the action. And he seemed like he knew where they would be and when they would breach. Seeing those hump back whales chase sardines to the top off the water is something I won't ever forget. Captain Joe even took time to explain some of the biology of Monterey Bay and sparked my interest in learning more about marine life. Big SHOUT OUT to the crew. I highly recommend using this charter as I will for sure be coming back. My girlfriend was scared of the ocean too, but said she had a blast. Thanks!!!!

What a great experience! We saw a family of Orcas and the pups were jumping around and putting on quite the show!

Do yourself a favor clean and filet your own fish at home .They will butcher it for you for 20 bucks a bag.....

I'd like to thank Chris' Whale Watching and team for the amazing experience today. Everything went smooth and we had a great view!

What a joke this charter is. We left at 630am back by 11 we didn't catch limits and still head back deck hand was cool as F and was the only reason the trip was fun. But the captain was a real jack wagon. Very disappointed highly doubt I'll ever be back 1 ling and a copper is not a limit