Davey's Locker Whale Watching & Sportfishing

Davey’s Locker Whale Watching is absolutely fantastic! I brought a group of students on a field trip on February 6, 12:00 pm trip, and this was my 5th year bringing students out with them. Every single year we have seen a whale along with many other amazing animals. Such a blessing! This year we saw a humpback whale, many dolphins, lots of birds, and sea lions. It was an unforgettable experience for my students. We were especially grateful to have Jessica, an onboard naturalist, with us. She shared so much great information about the animals we might encounter, and the students loved being able to see and touch a dolphin skull, whale baleen, and other artifacts. Captain Mike did an amazing job leading the trip. He was very friendly and did a great job slowing down and stopping so everyone could fully enjoy watching the whale. Captain Angela was also on board and was a wonderful addition to the crew. Thank you to the entire team for consistently providing such an incredible experience for our students. We look forward to bringing another group of students next year!

Had an amazing day on the water with the crew, Danni and Bryce. After a short cruise through the harbor in perfect weather, it only took a few minutes before we were on 3 Gray Whales. After some time with the whales, we were deep in a pod of common dolphins and flocks of sea birds. Highly recommend the experience!

A friend got us tickets to the holiday boat parade in Newport Beach, and it ended up being such a memorable experience! I initially thought we’d be on a smaller fishing boat, but we were actually on one of the biggest boats on Balboa Island, which was a fun surprise. The crew from Davey’s Locker was fantastic, and our captain made the ride even more enjoyable. I had seen the parade from the island before, but experiencing it from the water was a whole new perspective. Every boat was incredibly festive—there was even a “Wicked” themed boat that was a highlight! The weather couldn’t have been better, making it a perfect evening on the water. One of my favorite parts? The drone footage! It captured the parade beautifully and added an extra layer of excitement to the whole experience. Overall, it was a fun, festive, and unforgettable way to celebrate the holidays. Highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance!

We booked our experience through groupon that we close to 50% cheaper than buying ticket directly through their website. I highly recommend going through groupon, then also book a slot that is reasonably early. The tour was fantastic and we did not see any whales just dolphins. But that experience was also good, I had never seen so many dolphins. I highly recommend this place to all.

Will be coming back to Davey’s Locker because the whole crew all the way around is amazing. We were on Catallac with Captain Danni and what an incredible experience. She stayed out late for us to have more time seeing the single whale in the area that day. Thank you sooo much for an unforgettable memory. Highly recommend the “Luxury” whale watch as it’s a smaller group and a really cool boat. Also the crew in the gift shop went above and beyond. We had checked out but the gentlemen who checked out us forgot my girlfriends hat ringing us up (so did we) and ran after us to the parking lot to give us the hat free of charge because he forgot to ring it up. I’ll tell you what you have customers for life now every time we come to SoCal we will use Davey’s Locker for our Pacific excursions because the staff and crew there are incredible. My girlfriend said it was the best day of her life with that experience. Thank you!

We loved the whole experience! The weather was perfect and, even though we didn’t spot whales, seeing dolphins made the trip unforgettable. The staff were friendly and the whole journey was smooth. The only downside was the life jacket situation. I expected we’d all have one since we were going out on the ocean, but we weren’t given any until we asked. The ones provided were the large evacuation-style vests, which felt uncomfortable and made my daughter a bit uneasy. I’d recommend switching to the lighter sky-jet style vests, which are safer and more comfortable for everyone. Other than that, everything was great — a memorable trip!

Was my first time fishing had so mix fun!! definitely was a do a agin since the crew and deck crew where fast and caring that we got a chance to catch proper fish! Thank you guys so much for the experience wouldn’t have done it first anywhere else actually my husband went with his grandpa when they where young so it was really nice for my husband to show this experience lots of fun food was great too thanks a milly (million).

I truly don’t know where to start when it comes to leaving this review. My husband and I were so ecstatic about the trip, but nothing beats the actual experience with the crew and their patients, kindness and customer service at all time high. However, I guess I’ll first start with the knowledgeable fisherman on board with not only sharing their knowledge but with their patience with those who might not have as much experience with deep-sea fishing. This was a birthday trip for my husband who fishes often however this was his first experience deep-sea fishing. Not only did he need help with understanding which rod would be best prior to the trip…They answered question and returned every text message preparing for the trip up to getting us parked the morning of! Their communication is A1!!! Being that this was my Husband’s first deep-sea fishing trip, he ended up getting sick but the care and concern for him is what really showed their understanding and service! They made sure he was good, gave him pointers and got him back up and running to enjoy the majority of the trip! What I really enjoyed personally was watching them care for every person as if they were the only one on board. I never saw any agitation from the constant questions or people tangling their Rods consistently …. they just helped!!!! As a wife for someone who fishes often… and often needs his help with my rod …setting it up, but then having to redo it after I mess it up, I know how irritating that can be, but just as my husband shows patient towards me, I saw the crew do the same thing for everyone!! Also, we enjoyed the food on board as well as the drink selection, but even more so the prices were very reasonable. The crew definitely wanted everyone on board to go home with fish. They did everything they could to fight the sea lions or move spots to get into favorable spots to get us a bite. It definitely wasn’t just a trip to see what happens but they tried their best to make it happen. We went home with 6 fish!!! My husband can’t wait to go back!!!! He wants to do the overnight trip! He is already talking about it either way the guys! We will definitely use Davies locker again, as well as referred Davie’s locker!!!!! Thanks to the crew (all of them!!!! From the captain to the cook) they were a blast! Also, we may have missed this so be prepared to bring cash on board, not card or any electronic forms of payment.

For the 3/4 day fishing. We departed at 6am, boat turning back to the port at 2:00pm. Our actual fishing time is total around 3 hours only. Crews are professional and kind.

Today was absolutely magical on the Pacific Ocean! During our whale watching expedition, we were enveloped by a breathtaking spectacle--around 600 dolphins appeared, frolicking in the water all around us for a whole 30 minutes. It was a mesmerizing and exhilarating experience, with the dolphins leaping and gliding effortlessly through the waves. Their synchronized movements and playful energy left everyone on board in awe. The beauty and excitement of the moment were truly unforgettable, making it a day I'll cherish forever. Not a lot of people were on our boat and it was a beautiful day. The crew was very nice and informative. I didn't check out the bar because I was so focused on the Dolphins that I stayed on the top part of the boat taking on the views. Thank you for the magnificent day! Carla

Perfect experience. Captain Larry and Bryce were great (professional, skilled, and friendly), and tried so hard to find us some whales this lovely day. Alas, they weren't there, and Larry insisted on giving us a free pass to come back. He didn't need to do that, and we're grateful. We did see a pod of about a dozen dolphins as the boat slowed down and we stood at its helm, and this was such a new and absolutely magical experience for my husband and I. Moving is a great word. I literally surprised myself by bursting out into tears. Experiences like this one is what life is about. A trillion thank-yous.

If only hope alone deserves 5 stars. We Went early November on a quiet tour. It was not very eventful exept for a pod of dolphins at the very end. I am pretty sure the Captain was worried too. It was fun just very disappointing. I wish they had a disclaimer indicating your chances of seeing whales that day from slim to most likely. I had seen on the news that morning of whale sightings so I was hopeful. The boat was comfortable. We sat up on the top and enjoyed our ride. A selection of drinks were available at their bar. $6.00 cans of beer. Bring some snacks and a sweater. Perhaps a beanie because it gets windy. Our groupon required us to upgrade due to the type of ship we took. I guess our ship had less people.

Randomly thought, "Hey, why not whale watch while vacation?" Gave them a call and booked ahead. If you are a tourist like us from put of state and are not staying near Newport leave hours before due to traffic! If you get there early, there is a nice walk and shops if you book when they are open. We changed the date, not realizing the time and distance wanting to be punctual. They had no issue rescheduling us kindly for another date. No extra charge to do so. All sales are final. We were fine with that. When getting direction, go off of Davey's Locker. Not Newport Landing. Or you will be taken to a parking garage which will run you between $35-$50. That way you'll only pay 3.00 an hour to park unlike us. We were new and didn't to the advneture and didn't want to be late. You'll check in inside, they give you tickets, and then you stand in a line till you board the boat. We went on an 11:30am tour. Windy on the water. We had large wakes. I was a bit scared what it would be like. So enjoyable. It will either rock you to sleep or make you want to hurl. They offer ginger candies if you aren't feeling well. They offer drinks, including adult beverages, and snacks for purchase. There are two restrooms on board. It had just been after a storm that came in from Mexico and they were really having a dry spell of seeing anything. Sometimes you won't see anything but sea lions. We did not care. We were happy just getting to ride out on the ocean with the girls on a boat. Giving them that experience and memory. They take you out 5 Miles. Within a mile before turning around, we were surrounded by many pods of dolphins jumping. Which is rare. They do this to play, when hunting food, to stay safe from predators, and to communicate. There were lots of babies too! We had never seen babies before. Such a wonderful experience even if we didn't see anything. It was fun to watch the people with their cocktails trying to make it across the boat over the rocky waters. It looked like they already were two sheets to the wind. We all had a good giggle. Larry and the crew were awesome. Our 7 and 8 year old girls were not really looking forward to it, but ended up being so happy they did. They do accept tips at the end, so remember cash. We will definitely be back to do it again.

Labor Day means you should always be on a boat. Sorry I don't make the rules. Any boat will do! It can be a speedboat, ferry boat, sail boat, fishing boat, catamaran or yacht. Pick your poison, but you must be on a boat. That's what we decided to do and I loved it so much. A whale watching/dolphin cruise has been on my to do list for ages it seems and Davey's Locker made the experience so seamless and unforgettable. We booked online and you have the option to choose the VIP section (which we ended up adding on when we arrived at the dock). The regular pricing starts at about $30 per person, but there are little fees during busy hours that I believe are called cruise times so it ended up being an extra $20. However, with a discount code it was 2 for the price of one. It was also Labor Day so that holiday price was applied but no big deal. They have an option for you to also do a luxury whale watching tour with fewer people and extra speed if that is your style. I think the next time I come back (because I will) I will opt for that option just to see what the fuss is all about. The VIP add-on (an additional $20 per person) included priority boarding, a roped off area, free cocktail, upper deck seating and binoculars (it is usually a $5 add on as well). I highly recommend for an amazing view of the ocean. We had the whole row to ourselves . The entire cruise was about 2 hrs roundtrip and we encountered an insanely playful pod of dolphins. Unfortunately, we didn't see any whales but that's nature for ya. Thank you Captain Clark, for a peaceful voyage to and from and for the knowledgeable blurbs about our ocean friends. The whole staff was incredible from start to finish. I just have one ask, please set up a meeting with the whales, they need to actually show up to the next meet and greet. Thank you very much! Parking wasn't too bad. They have a pay by space lot that is about half a block from the check in office/docking area. Also don't forget to arrive 45-60 minutes before departure, because they leave ON TIME!

We absolutely enjoyed our time on the Nautilus ship with Captain Hunter and his crew! It was beyond fun, the boat ride itself is so beautiful that you honestly forget you're there for the whales, dolphins, and sea creature life. We saw 2 whales as well as dolphins which was super cool because the whales were huge and I truly don't know what i would do if I saw more; however, we will be back to try. The cruise is super kid friendly and such a great activity for a family date day! I highly recommend to anyone!

We enjoyed our experience and went in understanding we probably were not going to see an actual whale since nature isn't predictable. I felt it was not overpriced since I was able to book using Groupon.

I went on Monday Jan 20, me my son and his best friend really enjoyed the experience of deep sea fishing. The captain of the ship was great! He would find good spots to fish in. The crew were also very helpful in assisting me adding a leader line and helping with tangles and snags which is something I get frustrated with and takes time to do. They were quick and put me back in the water in no time. Very friendly crew and patient. We are talking about coming back soon. Thanks for the experience! I can't forget about the crew that helped me check in quickly since we did arrive very close to the departure time. Kudos to you as well!

Amazing experience for an incredible price! I would 1000000% go again, especially with the crew we were with. What worked: --the price was fantastic. 6:30pm for $22/person. Super reasonable, especially since it was about a two hour boat ride. -- the crew, Jill, Matt, and Kayla, were really focused on safety and did a great job of trying to give us a good view of the whales and dolphins! What didn't work: -- the waitlist process is a bit of a mess. We were told to wait outside and someone would come out to tell us if we made it off the waitlist. After waiting for a while, I went inside to get an update and saw that they were calling names off the waitlist already. I would have missed my name and lost my spot on the waitlist if I hadn't gone back inside. -- parking nearby is ~awful~. Definitely Uber or Lyft if you can, it took an hour to find a parking spot and by then, we'd missed our original boom by time and had to join the waitlist for the next tour. Overall, awesome and worthwhile experience. The price can't be beat and again, the crew was lovely. The whales and dolphins were stunning to watch. I hope to return again!

Had a great evening with the family taking an evening boat ride and checking out the Christmas lights in the Newport Harbor. Enjoyed everything about it. Boat was fine. Had drinks and snacks for purchase. Was a little chilly, but a beautiful clear night. Very easy to find and instructions were on point.

Booked the Newport light cruise for my son 17th birthday and absolutely enjoyed our time. The cruise itself is about an hour and 15 minutes, long and takes you around the harbor and allows you to see all the beautiful homes and boats that are decorated for Christmas. The boat itself Had a bar and served light snacks and hot chocolate, and played Christmas music for the entire duration of the cruise. the staff on the boat were friendly, personable, and stopped the cruise at appropriate times to explain specific homes we might be looking at, such as the simply green home. overall, the booking was easy, It was inexpensive and it was something that we want to add as a yearly tradition. We really enjoyed it, and if you've never been, it's a great unique way to look at Christmas lights and I think you'll absolutely love it. There is seating on the inside of the boat as well as along the outside. I recommend bundling up as it does get rather cold when the wind is blowing, but it's something that you'll enjoy and the kids will definitely love.

Davey's Locker was a great excursion! They took us on the Christmas Lights Tour in Newport. Fun staff! Nice boat and comfortable seating.

Enjoyed my time on the sunset cruise experience in Newport. Boat departed at 7:10 right as the sun had began to set and took us through the harbor between Balboa island and the Balboa Peninsula. Got in line early around 6:40 after checking in to get our preferred area to sit while on the cruise. The top deck all the way to the back of the boat on the side where you dock is the best place to sit in my opinion as you have the little corner section all to yourself and a clear view for photos. There's so many beautiful homes to look at while on this cruise! We even got lucky enough to spot some sea lions swimming and sooo many yachts/boats. Be sure to look on Groupon for a good deal, found our tickets for only $15. Definitely want to come back to experience the Holiday lights cruise during christmas time.

They are fraud and they use boats that are not working or safe for anyone to ride. We got stuck in the middle of the ocean and they had to come pick us up after 15 minutes us being on the boat . They took us back and he told us that we cannot get refund. The customer service was horrible and when we ask for a manager, he raised his voice and he kicked us out. I have a video that I'd like to post for everyone to see how we got treated. I am filing a claim and getting an attorney.

Boat broke down, 2nd time in a row this year for me and guests. Never really got to fish.. I understand these things happen, and you do give out vouchers for an additional day of fishing, but I am from central coast and come down here 3 times a year to be with my sons to go out with Daveys locker. There are additional cost , license, pole , and tackle purchase rental etc.. Sounds like some maintenance needs to be performed on boat. These are trips scheduled months in advance and not sure how long before I can return. Hopefully when I do, the experience will be fantastic.​?

We had a wonderful afternoon/evening on the Catillac with Kayla and Matt. They let us know what was going on and made it a wonderful time... They went above and beyond and managed to find a location where there were tons of birds, dolphins, and seven whales! This was my third whale watching trip in Newport and the first one where I got to see Whales. The boat was comfortable and we enjoyed our adult hot chocolate. I recommend the upgrade... You get a drink included, along with binoculars and seating up top with the captain.

Boat cruisers are always awesome but less line tangled and better fish need to be on the scope of catching

Great time fishing with my son. We caught a bunch of fish and the staff was very professional. We will go again.

They cancelled our boat trip day of and refused to give us a refund. WOULD NOT EVER BOOK HERE AGAIN!!!!!

Lots of people on the boat, 55+. The two deckhands did a great job in helping all the fishermen. Lots of rent rods on this pre Thanksgiving rockfish trip.

Thank you Captain and Crew of the Patriot for a wonderful day of fishing. Went home with the bag limit of sculpin. Whitefish weren't biting even though the Captain did his best to put us on them. Deckhand Jake went around to rig up everyone's pole and provided instructions. Can't wait to go out fishing again with them.

We went today, the day after new years to see if we could get lucky with any sightings since a week ago we saw there were orca sightings but unfortunately there wasn't any whales or dolphins. It was still nice to be out in the waters. Kayla, Addie, and Lisa were amazing and very accommodating. They made it very enjoyable and we will definitely come back again soon in hopes to see some whales. Thank you!!

Bioluminescence potential sightings in Newport Beach area! My daughter wanted to try and see this natural phenomenon. She booked a boat tour with Davey's locker at Balboa Village in hopes to see this tonight. We ordered tickets online . ( $ 40p/ Adult) Various times available. Check in inside at Davey's store. They will give you colored pass tickets. Save this ticket! You will need to hand it to a crew member when you board the boat . They recommend you arrive one hour prior to your departure time. Mainly to find parking . Waiting areas are just outside along curb or across the street or around the corner . Someone periodically announces where to wait on the speaker which was helpful. ( It depends on the time you booked your tour.) They do their best to depart on time and inform us of their efforts to find the bioluminescence. Our crew was Kayla, Bryce , Lisa and Mark. Mark walked around and spoke about the bioluminescence and helped us spot it in the waters . He also gave us tips on how to get the best photos too. Btw, the back of the boat has the best viewing potential. The sides are good too. Yes!!!! We were able to see the bioluminescence tonight off the waters near Emerald Bay and on our way back too! So glad we came tonight . It's nature after all ,and it's not guaranteed that you'll see it . Also , this tour company does whale watching as well .

Celebrated my boyfriend's birthday with a simple whale watching tour and had the time of our lives! Kayla was all around helping and bartending, and was greatly accommodating for the occasion. For the price, time, and views, we would 100% do this again any day.

I go out with them frequently. Well maintained boats, knowledgeable and friendly crew. When we don't see any animals ( which happens occasionally) they always give us coupons for discounted re rides. Even those occasions are fun with a couple of hours on the ocean looking at the beautiful coastline

Where do I begin... it was me and my son first time going out fishing on a boat.. and we caught a bunch of sculpin.. than our line broke on both rods cause sportsman warehouse tied our lines‍.. and the deck hand helped both me and my son out by providing us what we lost (lure and weight) and we were back to fishing once again.. it was an awesome experience and I can't wait to go back again.. and for the parking make sure u park at balboa pier cause that's where I didn't understand the information they gave me..

Great friendly staff. We unfortunately didn't see any whales on our whale watching tour. But we did see a huge pod of dolphins and 2 sunfish! It's nice that you can get a discount on another tour if you don't see whales. Very informative tour guide. Ship was clean and comfortable. Would definitely return next season when the whales visit again.

The VIP seating was so worth it! We loved the view from the bridge & our time with Captain Kayla. Her knowledge & enthusiasm made the trip so much fun. Thanks Kayla. Then there were the THOUSANDS of common dolphins & their babies. Never seen anything like it. Great time!!

This was my first time on the Holiday lights cruise around Newport harbor. I ended up getting an amazing deal on the tickets because I opted for an earlier time (4:30). Let me tell you, this was the best $20 cruise I've ever taken (tickets are normally $43). You need to arrive an hour before your scheduled departure as parking may be a challenge. Davey's locker sends you an email when you book the ticket with handy information and maps to recommended parking lots. I enjoyed the earlier cruise as you boarded when it was still light outside and then would watch the sunset as you started to cruise around the harbor. Once it got dark, you could see all the houses decorated with holiday lights. There is a restroom on board the boat and a small concession stand. Each boat probably seats about 80 people and you can opt to sit on the upper deck for a better view or inside if you're cold. The cruise lasted about 75 minutes. The service was quick and the staff was very business-like. I would do the cruise again next year but would aim for the boat parade.

Been fishing with the Thunderbird for a while. Good choice whenever I don't feel like driving to San Diego. The recent 2-night was hot with 75 bf. Probably the most I've seen on this boat. The crew is solid and so is the food. They'll take good care of you. Don't worry about needing a passport. They'll go beyond San Clemente if needed, but never across the border. Probably just marketing bait for the avid traveling fisherman. Tight lines!

had a amazing time at Davey's. As soon as we got out we started hooking up like crazy. Deck hands were great help through out the trip.Will definitely be coming back again.

I went out on an overnighter trip on the thunderbird and had a great time. One of the best run charters in Southern California. Aside from being a very fishy boat, the captain and crew did a great job from top to bottom. They were very attentive to helping all the anglers, from novice to advanced. I think there is a general sense of indifference to customer service with many fishing charters.. but the Tbird crew, despite their popularity and success, did not exhibit any of that. Chris, Collin, Jared, Jose, Carmelo in the galley, even Bridget who helped book the trip for me - all top notch and some of the best I've seen, and I've been on many of these trips. I would recommend going out with NPL/Davey's Locker to anyone.

Had a great 12:30p whale watch on the Catallac boat with captain Larry and Bryce. They went out of their way to find us a blue whale, plus we saw a few mola mola fish and tons of dolphins. A great crew and a great day!

The whole crew on Freelance was awesome Mike in the galley makes delicious food and is hilarious. Ron and Brian were great deckhands extremely patient and knowledgeable. Approachable. Willing to help and seemed like they truly enjoy their job. Capt got out and helped also when we had fish flying over ever rail on the boat. Awesome trip. Thank you!

Captain Kayla and Bryce for the win. Two whales sighted - gray and humpback. The humpback even breached and then came up for food, so we got to see his face. Pro tip: keep looking at the whale while the boat's leaving the area-- you never know what the whale will do!

I regularly take a twilight boat and am always thankful for courteous crew members. Great hamburger as well ! Thanks guys !!

First ride and got lucky and saw a Mako shark eating a fish carcass. Larry the captain said he'd been a captain for 5 years and hasn't seen anything like it! Our group included kids and adults ranging from 2+ and we all had an excellent time. Jill made it exciting and was very interactive with us and had a great sense of humor. Rent binoculars or bring a set as watching the shark feed with them on made it even more exciting! So many snacks and drinks available for purchase at a reasonable price. No assigned seating unless your VIP. Our group moved around the boat and sat at various places without issues as seating was available. I enjoyed the front of the boat stadium seating the most! Amazing trip!

Captain Dani and Bryce were fantastic. We saw common dolphin and two types of whales. The trip was super informative, fun and safe. Highly recommend.

Nice trip. captain was very experienced and stopped at the right spots for a lot of sculpin, sandab and whitefish, but the sand bass was not too active by the cold weather. Two crews were so friendly and did the best services. recommended

Fantastic day out with a super crew who work their socks off to ensure everyone enjoys the experience... bid shout out to Cameron and Thomas on deck, Kevin & Mike in the galley and Captains, Obie & Rusty... sorry can't recall other Captains name. Fantastic time... highly recommend Thank You Joe & Jo-Ann N.Ireland

Deckhand Thomas and captain oby are the best duo out there !! Captain will put you in the fish and Thomas will help you with everything else. For sure to catch big fish !

Enjoyable half day fishing trip with my uncle and cousin on a beautiful Thursday in February. My uncle loves to fresh water fish, so I figured a half day deep sea fishing trip would be something that he and his son would remember on their short SoCal trip from Illinois. I knew nothing about this topic before I started to do some exploring, and Davey's Locker consistently came up as a good choice. Since Newport Beach is also close to where they were staying, I figured it was the way to go. You can reserve on-line at https://daveyslocker.com/deep-sea-fishing-trip-tickets/#fishing, but didn't take reservations too far out in advance, so had to wait about a week before. Initially I had thought that we would number 8 - 10 guys, but the final count was just the three of us. For the boat ticket, it was $65 per person (no discounts for seniors or children). Since it was our first time, we also needed other tools as well: -- rod/reel rental ($22 for standard, $40 for premium) - I later learned from my uncle that a more sensitive rod would have made a difference (he wished that he was able to bring his rod from home). -- One day fishing license ($20.26) - required and they do check -- they tack on a processing fee if booking on-line. Ours ended up being $12.87. There was no additional tax added on top. As requested, we got to the dock a bit early and checked in. At that point, I decided I would rather be the photographer than be a fisherman, so didn't need to rent/buy fishing equipment for myself. I had never received my promised email after booking, but saw that my CC had been charged so figured it was OK). At that time of checkin, we also needed to buy hooks and weights, which came out to $64.39 total (torpedo, scampis, and tackle pack). We got two of each, but was charged an extra tackle pack...could have been an honest mistake, but I noticed it too late to ask for a refund. We left right on time at 12:30, and there were only 20 fisherman onboard. This made a HUGE difference in that the boat wasn't crowded. I later learned that max capacity is 48, and 24 is the guaranteed half load amount...so 20 was a great number. While traveling to the location, a deckhand prepared the bait...baby squid...there was plenty for the entire trip and the excess was later thrown overboard for the gulls. The first stop was a reef about 10 miles off-shore, and they went fishing for Sculpin (type of rockfish). Everybody fished for those, and the group as a whole caught enough to allow everyone to keep 5 each (the daily limit). Someone also caught a huge crab. Every fisherman is given a burlap numbered bag, and as they catch each fish, the deckhand would unhook the fish and put it in the bag. The back spines of the Sculpin is poisonous, and plenty of warning was given to be careful with the fish...which is why most allowed the deckhands to handle the fish. You need a different set-up for each type of fish. The deckhands will help you set-up your rod if you ask, but we found that there were plenty of fisherman willing to share and help each other, including novices. Most of the fisherman knew each other and the deckhands, and it was very clear who were the visitors and who were the regulars. After an hour, the captain moved the boat closer to shore to fish for bass, whitefish, perch. Bass was the fish that most were looking for, but whitefish was more plentiful. My uncle did catch a large sheepshead, but it needed to be thrown back since they were not in season. March 1st is when they are, and the boats get a lot more crowded at that time. About 4 1/2 hours into the trip, the captain headed back. During the 30 minute trip back, the sun went down and it got cold (really appreciated the windbreaker that I had brought). This is when the fish were processed (cleaned)...some guys wanted it completely filleted, while others just wanted it gutted. In all cases, the poisonous barbs were removed. There is a fee for this service, and after tip, probably added another $60 to the tip jar just for the two of them. The throwaway was tossed overboard, and it attracted a huge group of gulls (50 or more), all trying to grab their share of fish, and dropping bombs (good to wear a hat and not look up). The entire trip was about 5.5 hours with more than 3 hours devoted to fishing. It's really well organized, and we really appreciated the friendliness of the other fisherman. There is a small galley in the inside of the boat, serving hot food and drink (didn't see anybody use it though)...most people didn't bother eating or drinking. It was either fishing or preparing to fish. My uncle brought the fish back and ate them the next morning (he really liked the Sculpin). It was nice to see him and his son bonding while fishing, and that's what I will remember most about this trip.

Had a great time chasing Bonita fish around Catalina Island. The whole crew team did an amazing job helping everyone around the boat. And Hats off to the Chef for always provides amazing food for the trip. ‍ (Boat: Freelance 3/4 Day 10/13/24)

What an awesome 2 hour whale watching trip. We got lucky and saw a bunch of dolphins right out of the harbor and during the ride out. Towards the end we got to see a Grey Whale close up to the beach and hung out for about 20 minutes. Awesome company with great employees with good knowledge and fun information for adults and kids. I highly recommend taking the family out with Davey's Locker!

Great staff! So helpful! My boys had never been on a deep sea trip and they loved it! Thank you for all the memories!

We bought a Groupon & I love the fact that we could punch in the code in the Davy website & transaction is smooth & complete. When we got to the spot, the guy checked us in & that was it. Easy Peezy. Wish a lot of companies were like that when purchasing a deal. Kathy, the expert on the boat was very nice & helpful. The boat ride was smooth sailing & the captain was entertaining. Even though it was supposed to be whale watching, it ended up just dolphin watching. No whales to be found today. Lol The Dolphins were BEAUTIFUL to watch & to see so many of them swimming was breath taking. Kathy was telling us that there were 1,300 dolphins in this part of the ocean. Almost at the end of our ride, we saw some sea lions chillin' on the buoy dock. Funny to see because they are not bothered by the bell ringing on top when they move around. LOL What a great experience, not only to see these dolphins & sea lions, but relax & enjoy our ocean fix.

Shout out to Kayla on our December 1st, 2024 adventure with Newportwhales! It was truly a magical day! We saw over 5 humpback whales and tons of dolphins! It was spectacular and the captain and crew were AWESOME! A MUST SEE DAY AT SEA!

Had a good day of fishing on the Freelance. The captain and crew were great. I'll be coming back for sure.