UnderWater morro bay excursions
Kevin Winfield's Ventures Into Oceanic Tourism Led To Sub Sea Tours, Offering Whale Watching & Sealife Tours, Kayak Rentals Plus More Adventures
As the morning fog rolls off the bay, a distinctive landmark that has stood for millions of years becomes visible. Formed through volcanic activity, Morro Rock, sometimes called the Gibraltar of the Pacific, marks the entrance to Morro Bay Harbor, home of Sub Sea Tours and Whale Watching. Kevin Winfield was raised around the ocean, and has spent his life in enjoying all that the ocean has to offer.
“My dad was in the army, and we traveled around. We ended up in Panama when I was 8, 9, and 10 years old and that was just awesome. There was clear water, we were fishing, we had a boat, I was off to the races, I kind of got imprinted on the ocean. From then we kind of moved around, but ended in San Diego. I learned to surf, dive, spear fish, and kite board, I just loved the ocean. I ended up being a fisherman in San Diego and did that for years; we traveled around to Alaska and fished San Diego up to Morro Bay. At some point, I had the opportunity to buy the submarine from Lloyd Reaves, he had built the submarine and he was running it. It looked like a good business and it was a good location, so we rallied and we bought it”, recalled Kevin.
Kevin’s venture into oceanic tourism began with the sea view submarine, but quickly expanded into other ventures as well. “The next year after purchasing the submarine, we bought the catamaran, which is our whale watching boat. Since then we’ve been doing the Sub Sea tours and the whale watching trips. We’ve also got all these kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards for rent, it’s a mad house in the summer time here, but everything kind of slows down in the fall and winter”, claimed Kevin.
When asked about the most interesting thing he has seen on their tours, Kevin stated that it had to be the whales. “We’ve had some phenomenal things happen. We’ve had them breach right next to the boat and get us wet. Sometimes there are friendly ones and they come right to the boat and they are swimming underneath and next to the boat, so that’s pretty awesome.”
Whale watching in Morro Bay peaks in July and August, but there are trips year-round. The main attraction for whale watchers is the humpback whales who visit Morro Bay as their summer feeding grounds. “With the humpback whales, we often see the same whales year after year. The underside of their tail has unique patterns and sometimes markings on their fins. There are a couple dozen of them that we have named and we see on a regular basis, it’s a little more personal when you know the whale”, observed Kevin.
In addition to the humpback whales, they have spotted blue whales in the past, and occasionally have killer whales come through the area. In the winter, grey whales migrate through the area and provide for spectacular whale watching as well. “In the winter, we have the grey whales, they are south bound and they start in the middle of December. In their southerly migration, there are approximately 23,000 grey whales and they swim from the Bering sea down to Baja. They are out on the drop off, which is about five miles out. We will usually head out about 4 or 5 miles and pick up a group and follow them until it is time to go home”, explained Kevin.
In addition to the whale watching, Sub Sea Tours provides cruises around Morro Bay in their specially built 21 passenger tour boat named the Sea View. “It’s got like a downstairs, like a basement, and there’s underwater windows on each side they’re 2x6 and you climb down there and there’s a little bench to sit on”, stated Kevin. The tours on the Sea View begin with a tour around the bay giving passengers the opportunity to view sea otters, sea lions and harbor seals as well as learn about the history of the area. The climax of the tour is when they pull around to the north side of Morro Rock. “We have a spot where we feed fish all the time. We pull in there, do a circle and throw the fish food out so from down below you can see the fish swarming around the windows”, said Kevin.
When asked about the type of fish visitors can expect to see Kevin joked, “Well I tell everyone they are piranhas, but they’re really smelt. Usually jack smelt and top smelt. Occasionally we will see a perch or lingcod, but for the most part the smelt are the biggest part of it.”
For visitors that want a more intimate experience in the bay, Sub Sea Tours offers kayak, canoe, and stand up paddle board rentals. Those who want to experience the bay without a tour guide are welcome to rent one of these smaller craft and paddle around the bay. “Right here in Morro Bay, there are 40 sea otters that live in the bay. You see the otters every trip, and the sea lion dock is right across from us and there’s usually 30 or so sea lions sitting on that. The harbor seals are over in the eel grass beds, and you can see pelicans, cormorants, and all kinds of sea birds”, Kevin noted.
In addition to their wildlife and fish tours, Sub Sea Tours does offer evening cocktail cruises. The Dos Osos has a full bar and a disco light providing dancing entertainment on the bay. “We’re here to have a good time. We have a nice friendly crew and it’s great working down here on the water every day. Some days it’s hectic, but for the most part, it’s better than working for me. I love it”, exclaimed Kevin.
Jared Langenegger
A graduate of New Mexico State University with B.S. in wildlife and fisheries science, Jared spent 15 years working in fisheries and parks management. He enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, painting, and wood working.
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