New England Aquarium Whale Watch

INCREDIBLE! The online reservation & pick up at their ticket center went flawless ~ boarding was welcoming & efficient ~ we took the 2:00pm voyage on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! The many crew members were professional & cheerful ~ the Serenity boat was clean & comfortable. The 60 minute boat ride to Stellwagen Bank was smooth & scenic.
After arriving at the Marine Sanctuary, the fun really began! The whales, named Hancock & Shuffelboard seemed to be doing a show for us, flippering, diving & spouting, sharing the Bank with dolphins & other types of Whales. The tour guide was so interesting, explaining the habits, markings, migration & ongoing research of Marine Mammals, during the 60 minute stop & how we humans can help from extinction. We especially enjoyed on the return trip, crew members talked personally with passengers & answered any questions we had. This was definitely an excursion we will always remember & want to thank everyone at New England Aquarium Whale Watch!

I was very disappointed by the experience. Went for the 9 am slot and did not see any whales in spite of looking around for 3 hours. We got our tickets back so that we could try some other day. I would recommend going for the late morning or afternoon slot, just cz by that time, they are notified (from the earlier slots) in which area the whales are.

Didn’t see any whales. They gave us a rain check to come back at anytime. A bit long and I thought it was very overcrowded. It gets cold so bring a sweatshirt. It was 95 yesterday and we froze out butts off. They ran out of food so I suggest you eat before you go unless you want to eat 8 dollar hotdogs and pretzels. Two hours of it is full throttle out and back in. (An hour each way). Many people were laying down on the floors on the way back in because there is nowhere to sit. I guess if we were to see some whales i would have given it 4 stars. Just remember to dress warm. You can bring backpacks with drinks and snacks.

Im so conflicted for the rating bc seeing whales is purely by luck. I did see 2 tails at the very end when I was very sea sick. But I got a free ticket from school so I shouldnt be complaining.
Bring your jacket, it gets crazy cold out there. If you stay inside and be warm, you can miss the whales easily. Being a tiny person also doesnt help. Whenever the announcer says there is a whale, everyone moved to one side of the boat. It happened the whole time and it makes me quite dizzy.
You dont come close, which is totally reasonable bc tbh we are quite annoying to the whales. So definitely bring your binoculars. Idk how people did it but I can only see the whales for a split second, never get to take a picture on time.

Incredible experience! So much better than I could have ever imagined. We lucked out with a gorgeous day to be on the water. Leaving the city behind there was an air of excitement, as well as many fabulous photo ops of the Boston skyline!
Before we arrived at our final destination we passed a lighthouse, listened to descriptions about the areas we were traveling by and interacted with the staff, who were very knowledgeable and friendly.
We happened by a pod of dolphins of them and had such a great time watching them play. They were very active and we all felt like we got an incredible bonus. Moving away from the dolphins we quickly got out to where the whales were swimming. Wow… what beautiful creatures. They are so big and majestic. We saw so many whales, in fact at one point there was one close enough to the boat that we got wet from its spray… picture below.
Wasn’t an incredible memory to take home? Go on a whale watching trip. Guaranteed you will love it!

Had a great time on this tour we saw 4 humpbacks several, some tiko, and dolphins on way in. The craft was smooth and the water was smooth today, I would suggest to check weather before purchasing and check ocean swells also if weak stomach

AMAZING! We were a bit hesitant to spend $ 49 and not see a whale! They guarantee sightings and if you don’t they give you a free ticket to come back. Well we were only in Boston for a day so we HAD to see a whale.
The boat is huge with three levels, a little spot to buy food and bathrooms. The trip was about 4 hours, an hour of travel there and back and then the rest spent looking for whales. The boat takes you to Stellawagen bank which is where the whales come to eat. Almost immediately we saw a humpback whale. We saw several blow holes in the distance and then we got looking and got an active whale called Sundown. She was tale slapping, pectoral slapping and she even breached out a few times. Amazing experience you need to go!!!

The time & money are worth it. We do really love animals and nature, so we liked entire trip. The only reason I am giving this organization 3* is that I was really hoping to see at least few back flips. Please be ready that all you you will see is whale tale waving on you and some splashes. I am not trying to scare you away, just being honest. No matter when you will go or what the weather conditions will be. You will experience whales, but only sections of it.
The crew did well and especially our guid, she is definitely doing this for a while, she is experienced/​educated, love what is she doing and trying to implement it all on her guests.
Yep, would recommend, just don’t have too high expectations.

The trip and money are worth it! Though in truth it’s three and half hours of travel time for 15 minutes with the actual whales, just see these amazing creatures in their natural habitats is inspiring. First of all no one actually was nauseated. The seas were not really all that rough. It is an enjoyable journey both ways, with an exciting climax. We saw at least five humpback whales, with three really close. My only disappointment is that I had been in Provincetown earlier that week and the watch took place off the coast of Provincetown. A bit ironic.

This is a must see if you haven’t seen whales before. A very fast ship — but beware. A fast ship means that you are going to have some sea sickness. Can’t be avoided. Take your dramamine. And stay in the wind. Us landlubbers were in the majority and the sea is never calm. So avoid the urge to stay in the cabin and let the sea air — at 20 knots– blow in your face. The naturalists are really into it and provide a lot of information. But the seeing of the whales is the thing. They cooperate with the other boats out there and so, although they only guess where the whales are gonna be, they will get you a whale to watch. A majestic beast worth seeing up close.

I’m so conflicted about this review, because if i judged this solely on our Naturalist named Annie, I would give this 5 stars. She seems genuinely happy to be guiding people out to see them. And we had a great watch, seeing a grouping of 5 humpback whales who were quite animated.
However, the boat smelled so heavily of odor neutralizer that I had a wicked headache before we even left the port. I contemplated getting off, but was assured it would dissipate once the boat got under way. It didn’t. I know this is to cover the smell of people getting sea sick, but omg, could you make it oranges instead of floral? It’s obnoxious.

We went on a Saturday morning in July. BHC (Boston Harbor Cruises) runs the ships and they run every hour, starting at 9am. We chose 10am, figuring it wouldn’t be too cold during the 4 hour round trip and we’d get back in plenty of time to still roam around. Another advantage is that the 9am boat has to search for the whales (which are always out somewhere in these waters). Subsequent BHC boats communicate with the previous cruise making a b-​line for the viewing very direct… 10am was a perfect call.
The ship we were on was a large catamaran-​style (twin hulled) speedboat and was powered by 4 water-​jets (each with their own 2000 horsepower engine and each burning 100 gallons/​hour!). At full speed, going to/​from the viewing area, the boat traveled at 33 – 34 knots… impressive for such a big boat loaded down with about 100 – 120 passengers. There is the main deck which is mostly «in doors» and has the modest food/​bar and ample plastic picnic tables for seating. A large bowl of (free) ginger chews is available to calm the nerves (they are very tangy and tasty). While neither of us ate on the boat (having had a hearty bfast before hand) one could easily pack a picnic or bring a Jimmy John’s for eating on the journey back.
There are 2 upper decks — the middle deck is half-​covered and the top deck is totally uncovered (do not forget sunscreen!). There is seating and/​or standing room all around the perimiter of each of the three decks and then (for the really prime spots) standing-​only room at the front/​tip of each of the pontoon hulls that jut out over the water. Note: because of the intense glare off of the water, polarized sun glasses are THE best. We didn’t bring binoculars, nor did we see anyone with them… I think, at most, you’ll look at one or two whales and then forever put the binoculars away (they aren’t that far away and they surface only for a few seconds at a time).
Bathrooms are modest and situated at the back of the ship. Bonus: from the back you also get an amazing view of the wake and feeling of the sheer power that these engines produce.
The whale watching comes after about 80 – 90 minutes of hauling-​ass and it was just as many here have described — well-​narrated, accurately identified sea life, and balanced viewing, regardless of what side you were standing on (and yes, everyone by this point is out on the permiters standing (typically as close towards the front of each deck as possible). With so many phones and cameras up in the air or pointed over the water, I was surprised there were no accidental drops… calm waters were to thank.
According to the naturalist/​narrator we saw three types of whales with a total of about a dozen different individual whales (each of which surfaced multiple times such that for the entire half-​hour of actual whale-​watching there was NEVER a moment where a whale wasn’t in view). My companion had gone whale watching in San Diego and she said this excursion was 10x better (calmer waters with far, far more whales to see). Without a doubt, an extraordinary outing and worth the expense and half-​day commitment.

I’m so happy from my whale watch trip. We saw 27 different whales and a Leatherback Sea Turtle over the course of one hour at the feeding grounds It was a full on feeding frenzy around the boats. They said we had to actually stay longer than usual because it wasn’t safe to leave with the whales surrounding.
I am a marine biologist and the naturalists were spot on with their comments and were fun to listen to. They know all the whales names by heart by looking at their flukes. Captain Deb was great. She was also super knowledgable and kept going around talking to guests and making announcements. She also did a great job spinning the boat around so everyone could see all the whales around us. We were back by 4:30 from our noon tour.
The boats are jet boats, have a bar and an assortment of snacks. They also offer ginger chews and saltine crackers for free to prevent or relieve seasickness. They have motion sickness bands and bars for sale.

Amazing and knowledgeable tour.
The tour is conducted on a very decent and comfortable power boat. It has a good amount of indoor sitting on both upper and lower levels. The sitting on the lower levels is more extensive and it also has small area where u can buy coffee and snacks. There are two restrooms too.
Now to the actual whale watching. During the tour which we took on a Sat morning 9am one we were Able to to spot two humpback whales. Also spotted a shark which according to the naturalist and the narrator is rare to see. The naturalist seemed pretty knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They also seem to have some fossils and they rotate around and one can ask questions if into marine life whales.

Great great great experience. I have been on this tour twice and another whale watching tour in Portland Maine. This tour is so superior. Miranda was our Naturalist, she was fantastic she really knew her stuff. To give this adventure anything other than 5 stars is a shame. First off they guarantee that you will see whales, second and most importantly YOU GET TO SEE WHALES PEOPLE WHALES!!!

Did the aquarium whale watch with family, went out on the 9 am tour. Weather called for overcast skies, some light rain. That is probably why we were not too crowded on this tour– later tours under sunny skies were full! Anyway, we got to see a humpback whale and her baby frolic in the ocean waters for about 15 minutes or so, and that made the trip worthwhile. I recommend bringing your own snacks, though– large pretzels were too dry for any amount of mustard to make a difference.

Guaranteed whale sighting or your money back. Seating all along outside of boat and seating inside as week. If you are prone to sea sickness do not recommend. The trip out to sea is about 1 hour and 30 minutes (just going out). Worth the trip once you see these beautiful animals.

My co-​workers and I went on a whale watch together in early May and while we got to see a few whales, I guess we went on the wrong day because we didn’t get to see as many as we would have hoped. My co-​worker also unfortunately threw up on the very rocky boat (to be fair, we were warned!)
The guide for the tour was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a lot of great information about the whales. They were quick to point out on what side of the boat we could view them and steered the boat into opportune places so we could get a better look.
Overall, it was a great experience but I do wish we could have seen more whales!

Once in a lifetime bucketlist event. Feel so fortunate to have been able to experience this. I was worried we were not going to be able to see any because we had cruised for over 1 hour without any spotting but it turned out we got to see plenty. A mom and her baby as well as some other hump backed whales. Kind of sad to see one that had been injured by a boating accident. The tour did warn us to bring a sweatshirt or jacket since it can get cold but it waz freezing by the end of the night. I’m from Minnesota and even I had to go inside for the last hour. The cruise was advertised for up to 3 hours but we ended up spending around 4 hours out there. Well worth our time.

Of all the things to do in Boston when we visited in May 2013, this was at the top of the Administrator’s list. I wasn’t so keen at the price, but the idea of seeing a whale close up was certainly appealing, so we booked on the trip. This particular tour also goes towards supporting the conservation work of the New England Aquarium, so although not cheap, you feel that you are in part contributing to a good cause.
Having made our way into town especially for the trip, it was a bit of a let-​down to be told at the last minute (after we’d been queuing for half an hour) that they were going to have to cancel the tour due to problems with the boat. We would have to come back again in 2 days time. Luckily we were still in the area and could do this rather than go for a refund, but it was a disappointment at the time.
Take 2 — we arrived in plenty of time, and having watched the chaotic queuing system the first time round, we knew exactly where to go so we were fairly well placed in the queue. The boat wasn’t completely full, so we were able to get a seat on the middle deck and there was still enough room to get on the top deck when things got exciting. They insist on taking your picture as you board, in the vain hope that you’ll buy a print on your return (we didn’t).
Actually, things got exciting pretty quickly with a brief sighting of two fin whales before we’d even gotten out of the inner harbour; this was highly unusual, we were told.
The excitement continued as a man started having a loud conversation on his mobile phone inside the cabin, shouting to be heard over the boat noise. We could all hear what he was saying, and it was clear that he was a lawyer discussing a case with his client — hardly the best environment to be doing so! When a lady stood up and politely asked him if he would mind taking his phone elsewhere as he was being a bit loud, he became intensely aggressive and rude, cursing and swearing and threatening violence towards the poor woman, who was practically reduced to tears before one of the boat staff finally intervened and dragged the man out of the cabin.
There is a small bar on the lower deck selling drinks and snacks, but if you’re at all prone to seasickness it might be wise to avoid this. Sitting opposite us in the cabin was a Chinese family who as we left the pier were tucking into some takeaway noodles that they had brought with them, but by the time we were out of the inner harbour they were looking decidedly unwell and a couple of them didn’t even see the whales as they were too ill.
Anyway, when we finally got out to the Stellwagen Bank where the whales were, of course everyone piled onto the outside decks as we slowly sailed up and down looking for action. After spotting a couple of distant minke whales, a right whale and more fin whales, we hit the jackpot with a close encounter with a humpback. We were close enough that the Aquarium spotter could identify and name this particular lady, and she was clearly performing for us, rolling on her side and flipping her tail in the air as she dived right beside the boat. It’s impossible to describe the buzz you get from seeing this close up — no amount of video footage can do it justice. It was humbling and uplifting at the same time.
The boat wastes no time in heading back to harbour at top speed, so if you want to do your Kate Winslet ‘Titanic’ impression I’d advise doing it on the way out, as you’ll be blown off the rail by the wind on the return journey!
Not sure about the star rating on this — I’m giving it four stars for the whales, but in terms of organisation it’s really only worth two,