Redondo Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour
See Redondo Beach harbor life from above and below deck
Duration
45 minutes
Includes
Harbor tour, underwater viewing
Highlights
Cruise King Harbor with local narration, then view marine life from the top deck and an underwater viewing chamber. Stay dry as you explore the harbor from two perspectives.
- Explore King Harbor from the boat's top deck
- Look for sea lions and seabirds along the harbor
- Discover fish through large underwater viewing windows
- Learn local history from a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain
- Capture photos and videos during your ride
Important details
- Arrive 15 minutes before departure to check in and board
- Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult and wear a supplied life jacket
- Children under 90 lbs must wear a life jacket throughout the trip
- The underwater viewing area requires descending a steep staircase with handrails
- Wheelchair and stroller access is not available on the boat
Cancellation Policy
Full refund with at least 48 hours' notice. Reschedule up to 4 hours before the trip. Full refund if the operator cancels due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Product ID: CH6S5R
FAQs
Sea lions, seabirds, and a variety of fish in the underwater viewing room.
The vessel is U.S. Coast Guard inspected and operated by licensed captains; life jackets are provided for all guests.
Sharks and dolphins are rare inside the harbor; you may spot rays or octopus, but mermaids remain elusive.
Meeting details
Public Parking, 181 N Harbor Dr, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
The Redondo Beach Pier has stood at the edge of the South Bay since 1889, when the first wharf was built to move timber from ships to trains. Over the decades, the pier has been destroyed by storms, rebuilt, used as a backdrop for television and film, and reconstructed in its current reinforced-concrete form in 1995. Today the pier and the International Boardwalk next to it hold more than 50 restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues, and King Harbor at the pier's base is home to roughly 1,400 boat slips, kayak and paddleboard rentals, sport fishing operations, and this glass bottom boat tour. It is the only glass bottom boat ride in the South Bay, and it departs directly from the boardwalk at the Redondo Beach Pier.
What makes this tour distinctive is its combination of topside wildlife viewing and the underwater chamber built into the hull. On the top deck, you get close enough to California sea lions to hear them bark and watch them dive off the dock platforms. Below deck, 7-foot-wide windows put you inches from garibaldi, calico bass, stingrays, and other species that live among the pilings and rocky structures of King Harbor. The captain, a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed local with decades of experience in the South Bay, narrates both portions with a mix of marine biology, Redondo Beach Pier history, and local stories that keeps the tour engaging for adults and children alike. Younger guests are often invited to wear the captain's hat and take a supervised turn at the helm, a detail that families consistently mention as a highlight.
This tour works well for families with children of any age, couples looking for a short and easy activity near the Redondo Beach Pier, visitors to the South Bay who want to see marine wildlife without venturing into open ocean, and locals who have walked the pier many times but never seen it from the water. At 45 minutes, the tour fits easily into a half-day at the pier and leaves time to explore the boardwalk, grab a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants, or rent a bike and ride the coastal strand afterward.
