Catalina Ocean Rafting

We did the 4 hr ultimate excursion. It was a great way to see the island as we chased dolphins and saw different kinds of wild life. We saw sea lions & flying fish too. The raft was fun to take around the coast of Catalina. The best thing was boating with the dolphins as they swam with you or came right at you around the raft. Our kids loved it as it was different to do. There was snorkeling where they came to a kelp area. Equipment was all provided and you could buy fish food and/​or underwater camera. It was a good experience, but the water was still cold. Randy was our driver and he made it a point to try to find wildlife for us. This was a good way to spend 4 hrs seeing the island.

I absolutely love dolphins. Like I wish I was a mermaid so I can live with them. Keeping that in mind paying $ 78 to have a boat ride next to dolphins for 2 hours was an awesome deal. But if you aren’t that into them then I think it may be slightly overpriced. You be the judge.
Pro:
The raft boat that you ride on is bumpy and fun. The captain let’s you sit in the middle or the side of the boat just as long as you promise to hold on tightly.
The group was small and intimate only 4 people so the captain let us rule the trip. Instead of going around the coves and giving us a tour we decided that following the pods of dolphins was all we wanted to do.
They were pretty relaxed on the rules of conduct. We were allowed to hang over the boat to try to touch dolphins as long as we promised not to fall in.
Saw cute sea lions and seals too.
There were hundreds of dolphins. Even babies swimming close to their mamas and alot of them jumped around the boat giving us a show. Some even swam right next to us and bumped into the boat to play.
The company provides you with windbreakers because it can get chilly and it’s also water proof so when you’re hanging off the boat your clothes won’t get wet.
Cons: there’s no option to snorkel with the dolphins. Understandable for safety reasons I guess.
There is no guarantee that you will see dolphins. Again understandable.
Bottomeline
I had a blast. Compared to seaworld it was Much more satisfying to see these creatures in their own home playing and enjoying life.

Scott from Ocean Rafting took my bf and I out for snorkeling and it was awesome! He was very knowledgeable about the sea life and area. He was also very helpful when we had problems (he even reloaded our underwater camera’s film for us). The kelp forest was beautiful and we were totally thrilled to see a 6ft leopard shark and a sea lion. We had to stop snorkeling early because I got cut on the rocks, but Scott took us on an extra boat ride to look for dolphins. Everything was very much appreciated!

$ 40 for a lovers cove snorkel gear package for 2.
Included 2 snorkels, 2 masks, 4 fins, 2 spring wet suit and 2 sets of fish food. For 4 hours.
Decent price, 4 hours is more than enough. Lover’s cove is small enough without needing a guide. The wet suit was slightly ripped by the shoulder, and I wish it was full length as there are a lot of rocks in Lover’s Cove.
Lady who helped us was really nice, told us where the lockers were (there are lockers by the cove) and how to get there. However, she did not warn us enough about feeding the fish! While there were 2 types of fish to watch out for, the fish are fiesty and starved and could and will bite off your finger! So make sure your hand is not in the water while feeding the fish.
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Tip: Wear your swimsuit and you can just change at the cove. 2 hours is enough! 4 hours is more than enough. Definitely get a wet suit, feel protected and there are rough rocks around Lover’s Cove.
Favourites: Lots of fish, decent gear
Do not want: Fish bit my bf’s finger even though it was the other hand holding onto the fish food! we tossed the fish food away, too many and too crazy!
Last words: Nice service.

We recently took our children, 10 and 13 for snorkeling on Catalina. From the beginning C.O.R. seemed to have a friendly, helpful side that distinguished them from most of the other outfits that offer snorkel tours. Their website is nicely done and easy to get around in. They were truly nice, friendly and helpful on the phone. When we got to the Island, they know who we were, had everything out and ready to go. The owner even stopped us from buying too much fish food. The forms and waivers weren’t overly long and onerous and she didn’t mind having a few jokes about them. She was helpful with sizing up the wetsuits which were clean, dry and in good repair. In fact all the snorkeling gear was of a decent quality. The skipper started out a little ho-​hum and by the numbers but soon warmed up when she found out we were interested in hearing what she knew about the ecosystem. Or maybe she realized that my kids weren’t going to be obnoxious brats and would listen to her directions. She always seemed to care about finding us good spots and that we had a good time. She was always nice to the kids and never failed to be helpful with getting us in and out of the gear. To sum up:
Good packages at good prices
Helpful friendly yet not too slick
Did what they said they would and when they said they would.
5 out of 5 stars and would definitely use them again and would definitely recommend them to a friend.
KZ in CC