What to Bring on a Whale Watching Tour: A Summer Packing List for Dana Point

Summer whale watching out of Dana Point is the easiest version of the trip all year. The water is warm, the swell is small, the blue whales are in town, and the boat ride out of the harbor is short. But it is also the season people show up the most under-prepared. They pack like they’re going to the beach, then spend half the trip cold or squinting or running out of sunscreen.

Here is the actual summer packing list we give our friends and family when they come down to ride along. It is shorter than you think, but every item earns its place.

What to Bring (The Short List)

• Polarized sunglasses
• A light long-sleeve layer plus a windbreaker or shell
• A hat with a chin strap or one you don’t mind losing
• Closed-toe shoes with grip
• Reef-safe sunscreen, applied before you board and reapplied once
• A water bottle
• A phone or camera (and a strap for it)
• Cash for the snack bar and the crew tip jar
• Seasickness meds if you are sensitive
• A small bag to keep it all in

That is the entire list. Below is why each item matters and what specifically works best on the boats out of Dana Point.

Polarized Sunglasses

The single highest-leverage item on the list. Polarized lenses cut surface glare off the ocean, which means three things: you can spot the dark shape of a whale 6 feet below the surface, you can see the silver flash of a sardine ball that draws dolphins, and you don’t get a headache from the sun bouncing off the water for two and a half hours.

Any pair works. The bargain ones from a gas station are better than no polarized lens at all. The crew uses polarized constantly. If you ask a captain what he or she would bring on a trip with one item, it is sunglasses.

Layers, Even in Summer

This one catches people every single trip. The freeway thermometer says 87 degrees, you walk down the dock in shorts and a t-shirt, and 25 minutes later the boat is 8 miles offshore in a 12 knot westerly and you are freezing. The combination of moving boat, sea breeze, and evaporation from your skin drops the felt temperature 15 to 20 degrees off what the parking lot temperature suggested.

Bring a lightweight long-sleeve layer plus a thin windbreaker or shell. You can pack them down to nothing and pull them out the moment the wind picks up. Nobody has ever regretted having an extra layer on a whale watching trip. Plenty of people have regretted not having one.

For the full season-by-season clothing breakdown, our what-to-wear guide covers the rest of the year.

A Hat (With a Chin Strap or a Cheap One)

Wide brim if you want maximum shade, ball cap if you want maximum sight lines. Either works. The non-negotiable is that you accept it might end up in the ocean. A 15 knot gust that comes over the bow when you are leaning to look at a whale will take a $90 hat the same way it takes a $5 hat. If you bring a chin strap or a cheap replacement, both you and the hat have a good day.

Closed-Toe Shoes With Grip

Flip flops are not your friend on a moving deck. The boat moves, you adjust, and your foot needs to be planted. Sneakers, deck shoes, or any closed-toe shoe with a flat rubber sole works. Heels, slides, and flip flops all create the same problem: they slide on a wet fiberglass deck the moment a swell rolls under the hull.

Reef-Safe Sunscreen

Reef-safe is the right call out of Dana Point because the runoff from the deck and the spray from the harbor goes right back into the kelp ecosystem that supports a lot of what you came to see. Beyond the environmental angle, you simply need sunscreen. The reflection off the water doubles your sun exposure, and the breeze masks the burn the entire time. People walk off the dock at the end of the trip looking like cooked lobsters because the wind hid the burn going on underneath. Apply before boarding, reapply once during the trip, and you’ll be fine.

A Water Bottle

Hydration on a sunny boat ride is underrated. The snack bar sells water but if you bring your own you don’t have to step away from the rail when the captain calls a sighting.

A Phone or Camera (With a Strap)

Phone photos of whales are surprisingly good. The animals are big enough that even at 50 to 100 yards the camera resolves them well. A dedicated camera with a 70-200mm zoom is nicer if you have it. The one thing both need: a wrist strap or a lanyard. Dropping a phone overboard is one of the most common mistakes on summer trips, and a $5 lanyard prevents it.

If photography is the main reason you’re going, our whale photography guide covers settings, anticipation, and where to position yourself on the boat.

Cash for the Snack Bar and the Crew Tip Jar

Cards work everywhere now but cash speeds the snack bar line during the busy part of the trip and the deckhands appreciate the tip in cash. If you had a good experience, a tip goes a long way. The crew is on these boats every day in every condition and they make your trip what it is.

Seasickness Meds If You Are Sensitive

Summer is the calmest water of the year out of Dana Point, but if you know you are sensitive, take Bonine or Dramamine an hour before the trip. Bonine is the one most captains recommend because it doesn’t make you as drowsy. We keep some on the boat but the best results come from taking it before you board, not after you feel queasy.

For the full breakdown of what works and what doesn’t, our seasickness guide walks through every option.

A Small Bag to Keep It All In

A backpack or small drawstring bag keeps everything organized and lets you set it down on the bench during the trip. The boats have bench seating and shaded interior cabin space where you can stash gear.

What Not to Bring

A short list of things people pack that they regret on the boat:

• Heavy beach umbrellas or chairs. The boat has seating. You don’t need them.
• Full coolers. Snacks fit in a backpack. The snack bar handles drinks and ice cream.
• Drones. Federal law prohibits drone flights near most coastal marine wildlife. Don’t bring one.
• Alcohol from outside. Beer and wine are sold on board. Outside alcohol is not allowed.
• Anything you cannot afford to lose. Don’t bring jewelry or expensive items that could go overboard.

One More Thing About Summer Trips Specifically

The most overlooked piece of advice we give summer first-timers: leave room in your day for the harbor itself. The boats run from Dana Point Harbor, which has good food on either side of the docks, restored historic ships you can wander past, and a sea lion colony hauled out on the south jetty most afternoons. Get there 45 minutes early, grab a coffee, walk the docks, and you’ll be ready and warmed up by the time the boat boards.

If this is your first time, our first-time walkthrough covers what to expect from the harbor walk-in through the trip and back. For everything else, our FAQ handles the rest, and the live schedule is at our whale watching page.

See you on the boat.