Catalina Island Glass Bottom Boat Tour: See Fish Safely

Fish stop to look back at you through the glass floor.

A 45-minute glass bottom boat tour of Lover's Cove Marine Preserve on Catalina Island where you watch schools of fish and orange garibaldi dart beneath your feet through the boat's transparent floor, with a live guide in English. Children from age 2 are welcome, and infants sit on an adult's lap. All fees and taxes are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Glass Bottom Boat Tour at Catalina Island

• Meet your captain at Float B
• Board the glass bottom boat
• View marine life through glass floor
• Enjoy narrated cruise through Lover's Cove

The experience

The boat's glass floor is the whole point: you stand or sit above it and watch the marine life below without entering the water. Schools of colorful fish often pause to look back at you, and the orange garibaldi, Catalina's signature fish, flash past in bursts of color. The narrated cruise takes you through Lover's Cove Marine Preserve, where the operator has been running these voyages for nearly a century. The first successful glass bottom boat launched in Catalina in 1896.

The 45-minute tour departs from Float B and suits families, first-timers, and anyone who wants a front-row seat to the ocean without the gear or the cold. You meet your captain at the dock, board, and spend the voyage watching the cove's marine life from below deck. All fees and taxes are built into the price.

What’s included

• The 45-minute narrated cruise through Lover's Cove Marine Preserve with a live English-speaking guide.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 Apr 2027

AgesAdult (12 to 54 years) · Senior (55 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years)

GroupUp to 36

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Santa Catalina Island Company

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to watch marine life from above water through the glass floor rather than snorkeling or diving, and prefer a shared boat where you're not responsible for steering or navigation.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

How do I see the fish on a glass bottom boat tour?

The boat has a glass floor built into its hull so you look straight down at the water and the marine life moving through it. You stay dry and above the surface the entire time while watching schools of fish and garibaldi swim past.

What kind of fish will I see in Lover's Cove?

Lover's Cove Marine Preserve is home to schools of colorful fish and the orange garibaldi, Catalina Island's most recognizable marine species. The fish often stop to look back at you as you pass overhead.

Where do I meet the boat for this tour?

You meet your captain at Float B on Catalina Island. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need to reach the dock.