Cetacean Boat Tours in the Basque Country
Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
The cetacean excursion is a unique adventure of its kind! We suggest you board our boat in a small group for an excursion to observe cetaceans in their natural environment.
The observation area is located off the coast of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, 45 minutes of navigation. An oceanic fault called Gouf de Capbreton is the meeting place for many species of cetaceans, fish and birds.
We are fortunate to be able to come across more than fifteen species of cetaceans in the Basque Country, including dolphins, whales and porpoises.
Observing them in their natural environment is a privileged experience.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please arrive 20 minutes before Check-out.
Please don’t go down to the pontoon and wait on the dock: a member of the team will pick you up.
Plan: Sunglasses - Sunscreen - Windproof - Jersey / towel if you want to swim - Bottle of water.
Plan to arrive early on Saint-Jean-de-Luz to park.
What To Expect
You will embark on a cetacean-watching excursion off Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The rendezvous is at 8:30 at the pontoon, little Briefing, we embark, and for this boat trip, we will set sail, direction the Gouf of Capbreton. The Gouf is an ocean rift. Deep only a few dozen meters in front of Capbreton, it descends into the abyss at a depth of more than 4000 meters. This canyon is a very important place of biodiversity. The entire food chain, from plankton to fish, to cetaceans, of which there are more than 15 species on the Gouf. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the Gouf de Capbreton observation area. On site it is important to be careful to locate cetaceans. Small groups of a few individuals may be encountered up to groups of several hundred dolphins. For the lucky ones it may also happen to meet the race of a whale. In any case their approach will be in a way that respects as much as possible their tranquility. Return around 12:30 to the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Contact us for more information!
Options
Cetacean Boat Tours in the Basque Country
What‘s Included
Professional Skipper
Professional boat
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
7 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
great experience
SilkLy,Apr 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Outing at sea absolutely incredible with the company Oceanboat! The crew was really friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The highlight of the trip is the observation of cetaceans: we saw an impressive number of dolphins, far beyond anything I had observed before. Until now, I had never seen more groups of a dozen individuals, but this time it was something else... much bigger pods, a really impressive and almost unreal show. Same for particularly visible globicles. We were extremely lucky. The boat was also very comfortable: its small size is a real asset, as it limits the feelings of nausea that can be experienced on larger ships. It also allows you to leave in a small group, which makes the experience more user-friendly and offers much better visibility into everything that is happening around, without being embarrassed. The boat stopped and let the groups approach themselves, they came from afar, curious. An outing that I highly recommend!
Excursion at sea to see cetaceans
D9442WIcarolined,Jul 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great sea trip. We saw a whole school of dolphins playing around the boat and who accompanied us for a long time. Paul is a super nice and attentive captain. We highly recommend this activity.
Unique experience
marioncB8769PI,Jun 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Just a wonderful experience! In the respect of dolphins and for our greatest pleasure: the children loved it. A big THANK YOU
Unforgettable!
am lynes2014,May 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Unforgettable experience! We did this family outing and it was just magical. We had the chance to meet 3 different species of dolphins, a moonfish and we even saw a bluefin tuna! Paul our skipper is rich in information and kindness. A big thank you
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Operated by Oceanboat64