7 Seas Whale Watch

7 Seas Whale Watch Daily narrated whale watching trips from Gloucester to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 🐋 We look forward to seeing you on the water.
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For more than 30 years, 7 Seas Whale Watch has had the privilege of introducing thousands of passengers to the many species of whales and marine wildlife that inhabit the waters off our coast in and around the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Named Best Boston Area Whale Watch, we are a 45-minute drive north from downtown Boston in the historic New England seaport of Gloucester, MA

Our

whale watch trips run from mid-April to mid-October and are designed to educate, inspire and provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of our fragile marine environment. We are a family business – Three generations of career captains have worked from this very dock for more than 7 decades. We have a love and respect for the marine environment and a passion for providing the best possible customer experience for you and your family. Browse our website, reserve tickets on-line, call our sales office or use our contact form to ask a question or send a comment.

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/30/26The whales we observe are inherently wild, and wild animals use their feeding grounds ho...
05/30/2026

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/30/26

The whales we observe are inherently wild, and wild animals use their feeding grounds however they see fit. These past few days have been a great reminder of that. While we’re still enjoying excellent whale sightings, we’ve had to travel a bit farther to find them, with many of the whales now concentrated on the southern end of Stellwagen Bank.

Interestingly, many of the same individual whales we were watching on the northern end last week have simply shifted south. I have no doubt that at some point they’ll head north again. After all, for a humpback whale, 15 miles is about the equivalent of us walking to the fridge.

One of the most fascinating parts of long-term observation is watching how these whales move across the feeding grounds. The more years we spend with them, the more it seems that many individuals travel as a loose herd. While we certainly encounter solitary whales, it often feels like where there is one whale, there are more nearby, and frequently the same familiar individuals that have been loosely associating for weeks.

Today we are docked as 11-foot seas and howling winds sweep across coastal Massachusetts 🌊

Humpback Whales Identified:
Jabiru and calf
Lavalier and calf
Pleats and calf
A-Plus and calf
Glo and calf
Pele
Sprinkles
Spell
Tear
Schism
Crinkle
Boutonniere

05/26/2026

MAY 26, 2026

We had to travel a few extra miles today (not super far, but further than we have previously this Spring) but it was well worth the extra effort.

The highlight of the trip for sure was when the calf of a whale called “A+” be came interested in our boat. In such calm conditions it made for some of the clearest views of a curious whale I have ever seen (only the pollen on the water obscured the view). Another whale - “Crinkle” - also joined in at times.

This “Close-to-boat” behavior is rare and I think best captured in video as this is one case where still photos just don’t capture the way these animals move through their ocean environment so effortlessly and with such grace.

We can’t wait to see what surprises tomorrow’s trip will bring.

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/24/26The festival of activity continues on Stellwagen Bank for the humpback whales! Over the ...
05/24/2026

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/24/26

The festival of activity continues on Stellwagen Bank for the humpback whales! Over the past few days, we’ve seen 8 mother-and-calf pairs. Some are familiar flukes we’ve spent a lot of time with this season, such as Jabiru and Venom with their calves, while others are new moms to us, including Nile and her calf.

These calves have been an absolute joy to watch as they play with each other, the adults, and even us! While the adults are at the surface, the calves stay close to their mothers and the group. But once the adults head down on feeding dives, the calves quickly find ways to entertain themselves. Often, they’ll swim right up to the boat to spy on us, or find one another to roll, splash, and play together until the adults resurface. Jabiru’s calf seemed to prefer breaching while the adults were down, while Faceoff’s calf wasted no time swimming up to us and bouncing back and forth between the sides of the boat.

All in all, my face hurt from smiling so much yesterday and throughout these past few days. Come experience these wild whales with us! We can’t promise they’ll all stick around, but that’s part of the unpredictability and the magic of wildlife.

Photos from 5/21-5/23

Humpback whales identified: Venom and calf • Jabiru and calf • Faceoff and calf • Startrail and calf • Bolide and calf • A-Plus and calf • Nile and calf • Milkweed and calf • Eruption • Hashtag • Aphotic’s 2022 calf • Pele • 3.14 • Boutonniere

05/24/2026

MAY 23, 2026

It was a extraordinary day on the water with some of the best sightings of the Spring so far... and it has been an exceptional Spring!

After not seeing a single mother-and-calf pair of Humpback Whales all last season we saw SIX just today.

Today's mother/calves included:
Jabiru and calf
Face-Off and calf
Venom and calf
Bolide and calf
A+ and calf
Startrail and calf

Many other whales were in the area as well, but it was watching these calves frolic and PLAY together that was, well, just a privilege to experience.

We are hopeful that the weather allows us to get tomorrow as there is no better place to be right now than Stellwagen Bank and with these whales.

ALL of these videos were taken today... MAY 23, 2026!!! Congrats and thank you to all those who were there! Without you we couldn't be either.

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/20/26We’ve spent the past few days on Stellwagen Bank with shifting associations of humpback ...
05/21/2026

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/20/26

We’ve spent the past few days on Stellwagen Bank with shifting associations of humpback whales, each group including at least one mom-and-calf pair. While these groups have been constantly changing and moving around, one association has remained consistent: Pele, Jabiru and calf, and Venom and calf.

It has been such a joy watching the personalities of these young calves begin to shine through. Venom’s calf has been recognizable with their unique trumpet blows, while Jabiru’s calf has been keeping us entertained with adventurous excursions away from the group, visiting other whales and even nearby boats before eventually rejoining mom and the others.

We’re looking forward to watching these calves continue to grow over the coming months!

Humpback Whales Identified:
Jabiru and calf
Venom and calf
Faceoff and calf
Abrasion and calf
Boutonniere
Crinkle
Hashtag
Pele

05/20/2026

May 20, 2026

It was a perfect weather on the water today: Calm seas and not nearly as hot as on land.

Our head naturalist, Amanda, will be posting a detailed account of the individual whales and behaviors we saw today (and over the past few days) later tonight but I wanted to first share a video that I have made for a presentation I will be giving at Maritime Gloucester next month.

It's bit long but it showcases some of the best shots I've managed so far and how lucky we are to have such a wonderful diversity of marine life living just off our coast.

One more thing: Many people have been asking how long these great sightings will last. Truth be told, it's impossible to say. What I CAN say is that whale watching is a nature trip and thus is very different from visiting a zoo or an aquarium where the animals are captive and perhaps trained to perform on command. The whales we see are wild and endangered animals in their natural habitat. Where they are, what they do, how many we see varies each day. In other words, whale watching - like all nature watching - is inherently unpredictable you never know exactly what you will encounter each time you leave the dock. But it's that inherent unpredictability that makes whale watching so exiting and we are looking forward to seeing what tomorrow's trip will bring.

Like I said... a full update is coming later but for now enjoy this video of some recent highlights.

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/17/26Last year, we did not have a single sighting of a mother and calf humpback whale pair, b...
05/18/2026

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/17/26

Last year, we did not have a single sighting of a mother and calf humpback whale pair, but here we are on May 17th, and the wait was entirely worth it. We’ve already documented numerous mother and calf pairs in the area, and over the last few days alone we’ve spent time with Jabiru and calf, Venom and calf, A-Plus and calf, Bolide and calf, Milkweed and calf, and Firefly and calf. Many of these pairs have been associating with other well-known humpback whales including Pele, Spell, Eruption, and Crinkle, to name just a few.

Alongside the humpback whales, we’ve also had wonderful encounters with FIN WHALES, MINKE WHALES, ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, and GRAY SEALS.

05/17/2026

May 16, 2026

Thank you to everyone who came out with us on this evening's trip! It was a bit more windy than expected... but the whales did not disappoint. We will be posting more photos and video from today soon...

WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORT ~ 5/13/26The feeding grounds continue to teem with life. Over the past few days, we’ve had wonder...
05/13/2026

WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORT ~ 5/13/26

The feeding grounds continue to teem with life. Over the past few days, we’ve had wonderful encounters with HUMPBACK WHALES, FIN WHALES, MINKE WHALES, and GRAY SEALS.

We’ve had two incredible close-to-boat encounters with humpback whales, including “Abyss”, a whale we also shared multiple close encounters with back in 2020. She’s truly an extraordinary whale, with an equally extraordinary curiosity for boats. The day before, we spent time with two other humpbacks, one identified as “Hashtag”, who shifted from surface activity into pure curiosity. At one point, two whales were spyhopping beside the boat while other whales breached in the distance. It genuinely didn’t feel real.

Another major highlight was a sighting of a humpback whale named “SOCKEYE,” an individual with a unique jaw deformity where the lower jaw extends far beyond the upper jaw. I’ve personally waited 10 years to meet him, and it was such a joy to watch him traveling alongside another humpback named Crisscross.

To top it all off, Bristle’s 2020 calf ended our trip today by breaching over and over again until I lost count. At least three other whales were active in the distance. Maybe the whales could sense the incoming weather and rain…

Our next trip is Friday. Join us!

May 13, 2026Bristle’s 2020 calf a few hours ago...More photos and a full sightings update to follow...
05/13/2026

May 13, 2026

Bristle’s 2020 calf a few hours ago...

More photos and a full sightings update to follow...

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01930

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