Voyager Excursions

Few beach towns in all of Southern California offer so many affordable options for heading out to sea, or at least taking a spin around a harbor, as Redondo Beach. And RB’s King Harbor is nearly as popular with sea creatures as with weekenders, thanks to a deep ocean trench just outside the harbor.

The trench churns up nutrients, which attract fish—and the fish attract seabirds, sea lions, harbor seals, dolphins and whales. The trench also encourages whales to come quite close to land, sometimes just outside the harbor. But to get a good look at the whales and the rest of the sea life, it’s best to board Voyager, a two-level, 144-passenger vessel that goes out to sea twice a day during the winter whale migration and hourly on summer weekends.

Whether you take the Coastal Tour summer/fall cruise, an approximately 45-minute sea voyage that heads south toward the Palos Verdes Peninsula ($5-$10), or the three-hour Whale Watching excursion ($15-$22), you won’t find a more affordable way to see the sea, making Voyager a hit with families.

Even on the short Coastal Tour, big waves rock the boat outside the harbor, so hold off on that calamari until afterward. You’re sure to see hundreds of pelicans, sea lions and harbor seals on the buoys and breakwater, and on late afternoon and evening cruises, you’ll probably spot dolphins cavorting at the mouth of the harbor. Further out to sea, you may spot a shark, and more than two-thirds of the time on Whale Watching trips, at least one whale. They often come close to the boat, too—once even nudging it. Only major storms and signups of fewer than 12 passengers prompt cancellations.

There are many more boating options, too, at the Redondo Beach boardwalk’s small marina across from where Voyager boards. Families can enjoy renting a pedal boat ($10/hour, $5/kids) or climbing aboard the 19-passenger Looking Glass ($15, $10/kids), a semi-submersible that takes you around the harbor to look for fish in the viewing windows. Fitness fanatics can rent a kayak ($15/single, $25 double) or stand-up paddleboard ($15/hour).

For more details on these options, click here. Also, sportfishing enthusiasts can head out on half-day to full-day excursions ($40-$60: www.redondosportfishing.com) or rent a motorboat for harbor fishing from Rocky Point Kayak & Skiff Rental at Portofino Marina ($35/two hours: www.rockypointfun.com). For lovers there’s the Gondola Amore (www.gondolaamore.com), available by reservation for a romantic, gondolier-powered cruise around King Harbor. Sailing, yacht rentals, jet-ski rentals and diving charters can also be found.

HelloLosAngeles tip: Even if it’s warm in Redondo, bring a windbreaker or jacket on boat rides because the ocean has its own climate. Pack binoculars and a camera, too. And on Voyager, wear rubber-soled shoes for walking around on the deck.

- by Bob Cooper, Los Angeles Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)