Cape Ann Whale Watch

Cape Ann Whale Watch 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.
(1593)

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 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, S***m 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.

08/08/2025

ROCKPORT FIREWORKS CRUISE CORRECTION!

BOARDING @ 6PM
LEAVING @ 6:30PM

Stop by our office at 415 Main Street to grab your tickets!

$35 per person
Full cash bar
DJ Tracey Sousa
First come first serve, no reservations
1800-877-5110

08/08/2025

It's been a great week out on Jeffreys Ledge with sightings of humpbacks feeding and lunging after the tiny baitfish. We've seen lots of flipper slapping as well. Yesterday morning however, was a very special treat. We had bottlenose dolphins!! We only see dolphins on 5-10% of our trips and this was my first time ever seeing bottlenose dolphins! There were so many mom/calf pairs in the pod, and lots of leaping and other "frisky behavior" going on. What a special day for all. NH

08/05/2025

The past few days we've had to travel some distance to find our whales but it was well worth the ride. Monday morning we were following 2 large female whales-Spoon and Fan-then all of a sudden Clamp was there! Whale multiplication!! We love it when that happens. Watch Spoon (the whale in the middle) show us her enormous pectoral flippers. Spoon is reported to be the largest whale in our Gulf of Main population and her flippers are the longest I have ever seen. Then Tuesday morning we were watching Pinball and Satula. I consider these 2 as solitary whales. I have rareley seen them in association with other whales. They did join up together for a short time which I found very interesting. The seas were rough and we got to observe Satula taking advantage of a six foot wave that he just surfed over. A third whale appeared in the area-it was Clamp again! She treated us all to a demonstration of what kickfeeding was all about. In the video you see her doing 2 kicks of her fluke to stun the baitfish she was feeding on. We waited and waited and waited to see the tell tale bubble cloud. Nothing happened so I turned off my video. All of a sudden she did a huge lunge right next to the right hand side of our boat! I quickly turned my video back on but only got a second of the lunge-but the passengers along the railing got a memory of a lifetime. A huge humpback whale emerging out of the water right in their faces! Whoo hoo! NH

Wednesday, 7/30: Whale watching is in full swing!!! The feeding grounds are teeming with life and the fascinating encoun...
07/31/2025

Wednesday, 7/30:
Whale watching is in full swing!!! The feeding grounds are teeming with life and the fascinating encounters we have had over the last few days have left me literally speechless! This photo set has been narrowed down from 900+ photos! (If you remembered, I recently posted frustration with my camera, so I invested in a new one. I'm still learning how I want to use it to capture the essence of the day, but one thing is for sure...I certainly do not need to take multiple shots! This thing is a powerhouse🤣) Please read the captions of the photos - I feel it was easier to explain the day. ~ Tina

If you haven't made your reservation yet, the number is: 1-800-877-5110. Give a call asap!

**All images were captured using a new mirrorless Canon with a telescopic lens in compliance with Whale Watching guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

07/30/2025

The seas were like a lake this morning allowing to see all kinds of wildlife. We spotted 3 Mola mola's, many minke whales, a basking shark, Atlantic white sided dolphins and Clamp the humpback. We spotted the humpback from afar, then the whale did her unique behavior of a tail "waggle" ( see yesterdays post), and we knew immediately it was Clamp! We watched her travel, feed on the abundant herring in the area and finally come by to give a closer look. When I say abundant baitfish I mean it-fish were jumping all over the place!! The dolphins were a special treat-we normally see them only on 10% of our trips. It was a large pod and delighted both passengers and crew.

I've been staring at these images for over an hour, replaying today's encounters over and over again! How am I to find t...
07/30/2025

I've been staring at these images for over an hour, replaying today's encounters over and over again! How am I to find that words that sum up such a unique day? I could focus on the countless wildlife encounters (a mola mola, a basking shark, lion mane jellies, Bonaparte's gulls, common terns and a northern gannet), but that wouldn't shed light on the silly and unique antics of the humpback whales we encountered. If I focus on Clamp's signature waggle and how the force of her peduncle actually temporarily alters the shape of her fluke, I would be ignoring the fact that the entire boat heard Satula's signature 'purr'. If I only focus on humpback whales, then I'm ignoring the fact that we had countless sightings of minke whales throughout the day and we had numerous Atlantic white sided dolphins frolicking in the sea. Any of these encounters by themselves, would have been out of this world! But the one encounter that actually left me speechless and a bit teary-eyed (thank goodness for sunglasses) was our close to boat time with a finback CALF and its mom! I am emotionally overwhelmed and grateful beyond words that I was given the opportunity to share this with our crew and passengers today. Being present, truly present in nature and sharing those fleeting moments with others reconnects us as a human race. In a time of global chaos, turmoil and uncertainty, nature reminds us of what is truly important. I encourage each of you to find time to reconnect with one another and nature.~Tina

**All images were captured using telescopic lenses in compliance with Whale Watching guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

What a wonderful day to be out on the water this morning! We started out with finding a Mola mola (ocean sunfish), one ...
07/29/2025

What a wonderful day to be out on the water this morning! We started out with finding a Mola mola (ocean sunfish), one of the strangest looking animals on the planet. Then it was off to find the whales-and find them we did! We saw Clamp, a yet to be named juvenile, Chromosome and Tripod-two humpbacks who have been sighted together for at least a month now, and to end our trip a pod of frisky Atlantic white sided dolphins. All of the humpbacks were keeping a very low profile. They were doing some slow traveling and rarely showed us their flukes. Luckily some of these whales have become such old friends that we can identify them by their dorsal fins.
The series of photos here show Clamp's signature behavior-we call it the "waggle". She arches her back as if she is going doing down on a deep dive, lifting her enormous tail into the air-but instead of diving down she keeps her tail in the air and wiggles and waggles her fluke forwards and backwards a few times. Why she does this...who knows? Is there some advantage to this behavior she has found? Again, who knows? She is the only whale I have observed doing this behavior. There are other whales in our Gulf of Main population that have signature behaviors. Tusk, a male does what is known as the "Tusk twist". Like Clamp, he lifts his tail in the air and begins to twist his tail left and right. Cats-Paw also has a unique style of feeding. The longer I am on the water, the more questions I have. NH

**All images were captured using telescopic lens and in compliance with Whale Watching Guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

Rain and stormy seas couldn't keep us from spending time with these amazing humpbacks! Once again, we witnessed differen...
07/28/2025

Rain and stormy seas couldn't keep us from spending time with these amazing humpbacks! Once again, we witnessed different associations with one juvenile humpback flanked between two older female whales. This little juvenile has already had a difficult experience; a large entanglement scar is easily spotted on its fluke. I too, would hang out with the largest humpback in the population!
Some humpbacks that were identified today are: Vallley, Milkyway, Pinball, Satula, Spoon, Biscuit and Ravine. ~Tina

**All images were captured using telescopic lenses in compliance with Whale Watching guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

What.A.Day!!!! Song lyrics keep playing in my head... "Reunited", "The Girls are Back in Town", "Summertime" and more! J...
07/27/2025

What.A.Day!!!! Song lyrics keep playing in my head... "Reunited", "The Girls are Back in Town", "Summertime" and more! Jeffreys' Ledge was teaming with wildlife...Basking sharks, Atlantic white sided dolphins, seals, lion mane's jellies, finbacks and humpbacks. Some of the whales we encountered today were: Tripod, Chromosome, Satula, Valley, Ravine, Pinball, and Spoon.

**All images were captured using telescopic lenses in compliance with Whale Watching guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

07/25/2025

Cape Ann Whale Watch
Just now
For the past few days we have been sighting many juvenile humpback whales. It's always fun to watch these youngsters because they are so unpredictable in their behaviors. Today we found 2 "juvies", neither of who have been named yet. The first was a whale I have never seen before, the second was a whale I saw for the first time on Wednesday-who delighted us all today with a close to boat visit! As you watch the video notice that this young one has already had an encounter with with a threat that many of our whales face-it has scars along the left flank showing the slicing from a boat propeller. A fun day for all! NH **All images were captured using telescopic lens and in compliance with Whale Watching Guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

Today we were in 'juvie' heaven! My goodness, these younger whales keep us guessing! Please don't misunderstand, we are ...
07/24/2025

Today we were in 'juvie' heaven! My goodness, these younger whales keep us guessing! Please don't misunderstand, we are always trying to interpret the whales' behaviors and what to expect but with younger whales, they are as fickle as New England weather. Towards the end of our afternoon trip, we were waiting to see where one of these whales were going to surface, when it exploded directly off the right side of the boat. Few people actually captured the moment, but those that did shared it with others. Sharing a moment in nature brings out the best in people. It's a great way to connect to each other; give us a call and find out for yourself. 1-800-877-5110 Tina

**All images were captured using telescopic lenses in compliance with Whale Watching guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

Sea conditions the past 2 days have been just awesome! This morning we found 2 humpbacks and 2 Mola molas-ocean sunfish...
07/23/2025

Sea conditions the past 2 days have been just awesome! This morning we found 2 humpbacks and 2 Mola molas-ocean sunfish. Both humpbacks were new to us this season-Seadog and a youngster that is a known whale but hasn't been named yet.
This young whale has already had a tough life! The left side of the flank shows the evidence of being hit by a boat propeller-OUCH! Sadly we have many whales with similar injuries. We were patiently waiting for this young one to surface (boat not moving) when all of a sudden we saw the sea bubble and fish jumping right next to the boat! Yep the whale came to the surface , mouth wide open, fish jumping everywhere. Such an awesome sight!! You can see how close it surfaced to our boat. Great views, passengers and crew excited-great day> NH

**All images were captured using telescopic lens and in compliance with Whale Watching Guidelines. In addition, Cape Ann Whale Watch contributes its data to the Center for Coastal Studies, who curates the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale catalog.**

Address

415 Main Street
Gloucester, MA
01930

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 7pm
Tuesday 7am - 7pm
Wednesday 7am - 7pm
Thursday 7am - 7pm
Friday 7am - 7pm
Saturday 7am - 7pm
Sunday 7am - 7pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cape Ann Whale Watch posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Our Story

Welcome to Cape Ann Whale Watch in Gloucester, Massachusetts! As we enter our 42nd year of whale watching, we can guarantee that we will provide you with the best whale watching experience in New England! From the second we leave our dock, you are provided with a full harbor tour, full of Gloucester's maritime history. Once we get to Stellwagen Bank, a national marine preserve, about 12 miles off the coast of Gloucester, you will be amazed by the variety of marine life we encounter. Stellwagen Bank is deemed one of the “Top 5 Whale Watching Destinations in the World” by World Wildlife Fund, due to the wide variety of whale species whom migrate to the coast of Gloucester each year to feed on the abundant of natural resources.

“The Hurricane II”, the largest and fastest whale watching vessel north of Boston, gives patrons the opportunity to spend a lot more time with the whales than other whale watching companies in Gloucester since The Hurricane II gets to the whales' feeding grounds faster therefore, more time is actually spent observing! These whales include, but not limited to Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Northern Right Whales, Pilot Whales, Northern Right Whales, S***m 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 many other fascinating marine creatures!

"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 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.

Remember, we go where the whales go, and we guarantee it to be an aw-inspiring experience for you and your family!