Cape Ann Whale Watch
Cape Ann Whale Watch
5
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Cape Ann Whale Watch in Gloucester, Massachusetts provides guaranteed whale sightings for every whale watching tour out to Stellwagen Bank, a national marine preserve about 12 miles off the coast of Gloucester deemed one of the "Top 5 Whale Watching Destinations in the World" by the World Wildlife Fund due to the wide variety of whale species whom migrate to the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts every year to feed on the abundant natural resources. We provide the best whale watching in New England as it's an awe-inspiring experience which every human being should have the opportunity to appreciate. We make it a very special event. For over 35 years, Cape Ann Whale Watch has been dazzling whale watching enthusiasts with sightseeing tours aboard the largest, fastest and most elegant whale watching vessel in Massachusetts, north of Boston, Massachusetts aptly named "The Hurricane II" due to its immense size and speed as it descends upon its destination. Cape Ann Whale Watch's patrons have the opportunity to spend a lot more time with the whales than with other whale watching companies in Gloucester MA since "The Hurricane II" gets to the whales' feeding grounds with much more expediency as well as traveling home faster, therefore more time is actually spent observing whales including but not limited to Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Northern Right Whales, Pilot Whales, Northern Right Whales, Sperm Whales, Sei Whales, Blue Whales (The Largest Whales in the Seven Seas yet seldom seen around Gloucester MA), Fin Whales, Atlantic White Sided Dolphins, Harbor Porpoises and whole host of other fascinating marine creatures as we deliver the best whale watching excursion in Massachusetts. "The Hurricane II" boasts 115 ft length with over 400 ft of whale watching room from the railings of the upper and lower observation decks for optimum whale watching conditions. There is a heated, furnished indoor cabin with a full service galley serving hot meals, snacks and cold beverages as well as a fully stocked bar with local brews, popular beer, wine and mixed drinks. Cape Ann Whale Watch is truly the finest whale watching tour in the Boston MA area offering the highest level of quality, comfort and service at the cheapest, most affordable price suitable for any family entertainment budget whether on vacation or a day trip. We offer AAA discounts on the adult tickets. We also offer reduced rates for seniors, children and military families. We go where the whales go. Our vessels communicate with each other as to the location of whales so we will go anywhere to see them on the North Shore or South Shore of Massachusetts including off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts: Salem MA, Newburyport, Cape Cod, Hampton NH, Rowley, Rockport MA, Danvers, Peabody, Swampscott, Revere, Winthrop or wherever else the whales may roam.
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Features animals

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022

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Tours and Tickets by Cape Ann Whale Watch
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$48.00
per adult
Travelers talk about
(55 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

5.0
3,980 reviews
Excellent
3,461
Very good
366
Average
88
Poor
37
Terrible
29

kmazuc
7 contributions
Oct 2022
Went on the tour in early October. We got to see some whales and dolphins. It was a rather long trip, but I think that had to do with the time of year and location of the whales. It was worth the cost, however, the boat is very crowded. Not to say there isn't room for everyone, it was just a chilly trip and, by the end, everyone was crowded inside. They did a good job making sure everyone got to see the whales. I'd recommend going in warmer weather so you can enjoy being outside more.
Personally, I'd rather spend more money and be on a less crowded excursion. The staff was great and friendly.
Written October 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Big'n
Nottingham, UK3 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Whilst visiting the Boston area, we decided that a whale watching trip would be nice and it was definitely the right thing to do.
The website is easy enough to use for booking and the email confirmation was received straight away.
All the staff were really friendly and helpful and encouraged questions about the whales.
On our trip we also saw a large pod of dolphins, which apparently, is unusual. We also saw about 5 or 6 different whales.
Whilst the website does recommend taking a fully charged camera/ phone, I would also suggest just being in the moment and taking some of the action in with without watching through a screen; it will be worth it for the memories.
The only negative was that the boat seemed to be quite Smokey when running at speed, but I guess it's an old boat. This did make me worry about the environment until I remembered that we'd flown all the way from the UK; I owe the planet a few trees for that.
Written August 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FrequentFlier797088
Pittsburgh, PA7 contributions
Oct 2022
We arrived around 30 minutes prior to whale watching cruise on a Friday but were unable to find a seat upstairs or outside and ended up inside due to crowds. As a result our exposure to whales was limited. Whenever whale was visible we tried to make our way outside but that was difficult but due to crowds. My advice is to come earlier to get a spot as boat is really crowded. Narration and crew were helpful.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Teri F
Westfield, MA17 contributions
Sep 2022
I had originally booked a trip with them in May and had bought the tickets on Groupon. They called the day before and canceled claiming the coast guard scheduled an inspection. I find it hard to believe they didn’t have more notice. I booked it the day before the friend I was taking was due to have brain surgery. She was going to be out of commission for 3-4 months. Groupon told me they wouldn’t refund my money, that I would have to be refunded by Cape Ann Whale watch. The woman that was answering the phone was incredibly rude and told me to rebook or lose the money. I ended up booking a trip last minute for the original date with 7 seas whale watch which was great. I didn’t want to lose the $111 I spent on Cape Ann and ended up going a few days ago with different people. Again the office staff was incredibly rude. I had 4 tickets but only 3 of us could go and I wanted to gift the spare ticket to anyone in line that didn’t already have a ticket. Rude staff said “I don’t have time for that so you’re forfeiting it”. I’ll never use this company again. Go to 7 Seas Whale watch down the street. Much more professional staff
Written September 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Teri F, Thanks for taking the time to leave a review of Cape Ann Whale Watch. A couple of things I would like to notate. First things first, I am sorry about your friend who was under going brain surgery. Secondly, the Coast Guard can in fact do what they please, when they please, including scheduling last minute inspections. Lastly, after reading most other reviews on our Trip Advisor Account, that it seems like one of our office staff may have been having an off day, which I'm sure you can imagine will happen from time to time... we are all human. However, I am glad you enjoyed your time with 7 Seas Whale Watch, everybody has different experiences with different companies!!! Regards, Capt. Jim Douglass Owner
Written September 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

lafamiliadawson
1 contribution
Sep 2022 • Family
Horrible experience. This was our third whale watch, because we had previously enjoyed it so much with ANOTHER company (Hyannis Whale Watch). The boat was run down, the bathrooms deplorable- floors soaking wet/dangerous. Only 2 stalls for all passengers, compared to 4 restrooms on the Hyannis boat that was beautiful and the whole ship in top condition. Aside from the aesthetics, the crew on Cape Ann were horribly mean and made me cry within 30 minutes of departing the marina. We were celebrating my sons birthday and I was shocked at the way I was treated by the man working the concession stand. I wrote an email while on board and never heard anything back. It was a sad experience on my son’s birthday, I do NOT recommend this ship or its team. We did see whales, that part was enjoyable. You are pretty much guaranteed to see whales on any ship, don’t waste your money on this one when there is far superior ships and staff elsewhere.
Written October 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

142dutch1977
1 contribution
Sep 2022
Amazing. Definitely recommend. From the time you board the boat, crew was welcoming you.
As we went out towards the feeding grounds in search of whales, the crew announcer was explaining different houses and islands within the inlet.
Once out at feeding grounds multiple whale sightings.
Captain was quick to maneuver the boat as close to the whales as possible.
After what seemed like an eternity we moved to the dolphin sighting area where hundreds of dolphins were spotted.
Captain even did a giant donut with the boat to capture dolphins body surging it's in Wake.
If you get a chance you must experience it for yourself
Check out there website, what sold me was the whale guarantee, if you don't see whales on first trip you are guaranteed to be able to come back anytime for free.
What business guarantees like that.
Honestly they could charge way more but they don't making it cost effective even for families.
Written October 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mfernau
Boston, MA2 contributions
Oct 2021
Excellent trip. Easy parking, all staff were very nice. The boat is clean and perfect for whale watching, with outdoor seating, an indoor seating area and "galley" with reasonably priced food and drinks, and good stability when everybody runs to one side to see the whales. We were given plenty of time and encouragement to purchase sea-sickness meds for $2 if needed (my wife and I both passed and were fine on a day that the company described as "choppy"). The trip out was fast, we saw 2 humpbacks within a short time of leaving dock, and had plenty of time to observe and photograph them as they surfaced repeatedly. They were feeding, which our knowledgeable naturalist guide said was relatively rare to see. She knew lots of facts, answered all questions, and had photos of our whales quickly available online for $20 if we wanted them. We had glimpses of two other humpbacks as well. There is a no-fee guarantee to go out again on another day if your particular trip does not encounter any whales.
Written October 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mariya P
Gurnee, IL25 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
I was skeptical about booking a whale watch tour as I know they can be hit-or-miss for seeing whales. We had an excellent day and saw about a dozen humpbacks! The tour guide was so knowledgeable about the whales and could even identify the whales by name. She didn't talk too much but let us enjoy watching the whales do their thing. The captain did a good job of turning the boat so each side was able to see the whales. We sat on the top deck and it was great so we could get up and see the whales if they were on the opposite side of where we were sitting. The length of the tour was perfect. We went out at 8:30 and were back around 11:30 I think. I would definitely do this tour again when I want to go whale watching.
Written August 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura H
Perrysburg, OH2 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Our whale watching trip was amazing. We were lucky enough to see large groups of humpback whales feeding. 5-7 whales would surface at a time and feed. The crew was excellent and the educational narrator knew her stuff and was very informative. They weee just as excited about the feeding because they don’t get to see that everyday. The trip was worth every penny.
Written June 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pilgrim2005
Nashua, NH8 contributions
Aug 2022
Even if you can't get a coupon for price reduction on Groupon this trip is well worth the cost of admission. On site parking is free and even if your car is buried in the middle of all the cars just a little patience puts you back on the road in a short time. The ship is in great condition and is not loud when going to and from the feeding areas. Crew is helpful and attentive. Has on board refreshments and two rest rooms for personal use. They do their best to get you there safely and to return you after you what watching - during our encounter we saw 2 groups of whales with 4 in each group. Can't go wrong with Cape Ann Whale Watch.
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Cape Ann Whale Watch (Gloucester) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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