12 Whale-Watching Cruises with a Meal Worldwide Worth Booking

1.Adeje: Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise with Lunch and Swim

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,573 reviews · 3 - 4.5 hours · from $59Our pick

From Puerto Colón, cruise Tenerife’s southwest coast with a multilingual guide in search of pilot whales and dolphins. Choose a three-hour sail to Diego Hernández Bay or a 4.5-hour route toward Masca and Los Gigantes. Lunch, drinks, a swim stop, and 16 underwater viewing windows are included.

“Beautiful surroundings, flying fish and lots of pilot whales. We stopped for a swim and then lunch. A great day.”

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2.Los Gigantes: Whales and Dolphin Watching Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 569 reviews · from $74

Join captain Antonio from MPC Yacht Charter for a three-hour cruise from Los Gigantes. Look for pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, turtles, and seasonal whales, then swim or snorkel beneath the 600-meter cliffs. The small-group boat serves cold tapas, fruit, drinks, and lunch.

“This was a very enjoyable experience for my family. We were 7 people of all different ages and enjoyed it very much. The host was very accommodating and professional, and was a good guide. The snack assortment was very good as well. Overall a 10/10 experience. Beautiful views. We also saw a neighboring pirate ship with friendly people aboard. :) The only criticism we have is that the kids would have liked to have more time in the water (it was only about ~10 minutes of swimming)”

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3.Maui Premium Sunset Dinner Cruise & Whale Watch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 504 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $189

Cruise from Maalaea Harbor at sunset for whale watching, a four-course dinner, drinks, and live naturalist commentary. You may hear whale song through a hydrophone and spot humpbacks, dolphins, Lana‘i, Moloka‘i, and McGregor Point Lighthouse. The boat carries up to 65 people.

“We had an excellent experience. It could not have been better. We saw a mother whale teaching her calf how to breech, a single whale decided to hang out beside and under our boat for an incredible amount of time showing off for everyone on board. We also saw many other whales within the 2 hours plus hearing them sing through the hydrophone. I was so looking forward to this excursion and my expectations were beyond met. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the number of whales we saw was incredible. Add in the close up viewing of a whale checking us out, it just could not have…”

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4.Brisbane: Whale Watching Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 448 reviews · 5 - 8 hours · from $113

Travel from Brisbane to Redcliffe, then cruise Moreton Bay aboard the multi-million-dollar Eye Spy catamaran. Captain Kerry Lopez and her crew guide you toward humpback whales, with a fresh picnic lunchbox included. Hotel pickup may be added, and every ticket supports whale research.

“An amazing experience! The tour was so informative and a beautiful site to see the whales in their natural habitat. Even better to have a tour which cares for these beautiful creatures and there environment. Thank you!”

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5.Hervey Bay: Half-Day Whale Watching Cruise with Meal

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 198 reviews · 4 hours · from $113

Spend four hours on Whalesong Cruises’ purpose-built catamaran from Hervey Bay, watching humpback whales and possible dolphins, turtles, dugongs, and seabirds. You’ll get live commentary, morning or afternoon tea, lunch or dinner, and a chance to hear whale song through a hydrophone.

“The highlight of a nine week holiday. Never dreamt that we would see so many whales up so close to the boat. And such enthusiastic staff who shared our excitement at seeing the whales. Also it was great to have coffee served, fruit and cake for morning tea ( brought to us while we were hanging over the side of the boat looking at the whales) and then a lovely lunch as we motored back to shore.”

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6.Cabo San Lucas Whale Watching Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 197 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $115Top rated

Cruise from Cabo San Lucas with Sunrider Tours for about 2.5 hours. Look for migrating humpback and gray whales, pause at El Arco for photos, then enjoy a fresh Mexican buffet, open bar, music, and dancing. Captain Pepe and server Cesar have earned special praise for attentive service.

“Crew was fantastic and the views were amazing… the boat ride was very smooth, very clean and well maintained!”

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7.Whale Watching Dinner Cruise in Cabo San Lucas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 116 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Board a catamaran at Cabo San Lucas Marina at 4:30 p.m. for a 2.5-hour cruise to the Arch and nearby whale grounds. You get drinks, dinner, crew entertainment, and sunset views. Whale sightings are never guaranteed, but the boat also offers a lively evening on the water.

“It was a great time. Great service and the food was awesome. Entertainment was good. We got to see many whales.”

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8.Hervey Bay Whale Odyssey Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 50 reviews · 6 hours · from $138

Cruise from Hervey Bay aboard Freedom to Platypus Bay, where humpback whales rest and play near K’gari. Your six-hour day includes morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, whale-song listening through a hydrophone, expert commentary, three viewing levels, air conditioning, and free WiFi.

“what an amazing experience, how lucky are we to be able to get up so close to these beautiful animals. Lots of whales to see, captain and his staff were very knowledgeable and friendly Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea all enjoyable. I would recommend this trip and if given the chance do it again with Freedom.”

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9.Bundaberg: Whale Watching Sightseeing Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 24 reviews · 4 hours · from $113

Join Lady Musgrave Experience at Bundaberg Port Marina for a four-hour English-language cruise along the humpback highway. Watch for passing whales from spacious upper and foredecks, hear live commentary, and enjoy ham and chicken wraps, with vegetarian and gluten-free choices available.

“Great for finding whales in a very short amount of time. Lunch was delicious. Staff friendly and helpful”

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10.Campbell River: Whale Watching Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 20 reviews · 6 hours · from $230

Join Discovery West Adventures from Campbell River’s Discovery Harbour Marina for a six-hour cruise on a covered, heated 30-foot aluminum boat. Captain Josh and his team search for humpbacks, orcas, dolphins, seals, and seasonal bears, with lunch, drinks, a land stop, and an onboard bathroom included.

“Great activity but spent half the tour making way to and from lunch location, would have preferred to eat on board and get the full 6hrs whale watching.”

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11.Wilsons Promontory: Whale Spotting Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 20 reviews · 6 hours · from $180

Spend six hours cruising Wilsons Promontory with an English-speaking captain, watching for migrating humpback and southern right whales. The route passes Rabbit Island, Sealers Cove, and Refuge Cove, with chances to see dolphins, fur seals, seabirds, and shy albatrosses. Morning tea and homemade lunch are included.

“Very friendly staff, good food & drinks and we saw some whales of course! And it's great that the staff has a lot of knowledge.”

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12.From Punta Cana: Samana Bay Whale-Watching Cruise with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 5 reviews · 8 hours · from $140

Travel from Bavaro to Samana Bay for a whale-watching cruise, then stop at Cayo Levantado for lunch on the beach. You may see humpback whales breaching, tail-slapping, and surfacing. The eight-hour outing includes transport, a boat trip, lunch, and a multilingual guide.

“La cascade est magnifique. On a vu trois ou quatre dos de baleine mais on a eu de la chance, nous étions du bon côté. Les autres n’ont rien vu. Pas assez de temps à chaque activité. La balade à cheval pourrait être prise en charge par l’organisateur.”

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