What are the opening hours?

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

Newburyport Whale Watch

Home
United States
Newburyport, MA
Newburyport Whale Watch

The crew of our locally owned & operated vessel would love to see you on a trip to look for wildlife! Reservations are recommended.
(454)

We are located on Newburyport's beautiful and historic waterfront. Our daily trips take you down the scenic Merrimack River and into the ocean where we have the chance of seeing all sorts of amazing marine life in the wild! Common sightings include: Fin whales, Humpback whales, Minke whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, and more! We work with Whale and Dolphin Conservation to be a Whale SENSE company by following the NOAA whale watching guidelines and showing our passion for the marine environment. (www.whalesense.org)

Our season runs from mid-May (Memorial Day) to Columbus Day. Our full time whale watching schedule:
Tuesday&Thursday from 1:30pm-5:30pm

Monday, Wednesday,Friday,Saturday & Sunday from 8:30am - 12:30pm
and 1:30pm - 5:30pm. Note: All trips run between 3 1/2 -4 hours long depending on travel time and sightings. Check our website for a detailed schedule as it may vary in the spring and fall months. Please call 1-800-848-1111

Ticket Prices:
$60- Adult
$50- Senior Citizens
$40- Children (3 years and older)
$10- Children under 3

**Whale Sightings Guaranteed!!**

09/08/2026

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! 🐋

Although the seas kept us tied to the dock Saturday and Sunday, we were grateful to be back on the water for two beautiful trips today!

This morning, we made our way to southern Jeffreys Ledge, where we spent time with two humpback whales identified as Bungee and Orion.

One of our favorite things about wildlife is its unpredictability and that no two trips are ever the same! In fact, one of the questions we get asked most often is, “When is the best time to go whale watching?” The truth is…any time! Wildlife is constantly changing, and every trip brings something different. Even after all these years, that’s what keeps us excited to head back out!

That couldn’t have been more true today. We returned to the exact same area this afternoon and found four humpbacks identified as Alligator, Chromosome, Pinball, and Valley associated with Atlantic white-sided dolphins!

While the humpbacks appeared to be resting, the dolphins were moving quickly around them. Whenever the dolphins moved closer, we noticed Alligator trumpet blowing and flipper slapping, while Pinball slapped her fluke at the surface. It was such an interesting interaction to observe!

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us for a great Labor Day on the water. 💙

As we head into the final stretch of our season, our schedule is shifting to 11:00 AM trips on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There’s still time to get out on the water with us and you never know what the next trip will bring! 🐋🌊

-KD

*NOTE:All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whales were not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

09/04/2026

TRIP UPDATE: 9/4 🌊

Today’s trip was one for the books!! One point we like to emphasize throughout all of our trips is how productive the waters are here in the Gulf of Maine. It’s that level of productivity (which can be seen in the greenish hue of our water) that brings in a myriad of species to the area. Our time on the water today proved that to be true as we were treated to more variety than we could ever imagine!

The highlight of the day for many, including our crew, was a sighting of this smooth hammerhead shark (thanks for the specific hammerhead species ID MA Sharks). This was a first time sighting for ANY of our crew, which is so impressive when considering that Captain Chris and Captain Bradley have a combined experience of ONE HUNDRED years on the water! This shark spent an unbelievable amount of time at the surface, giving our passengers and crew an encounter they’ll surely never forget.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, we were also able to catch a quick glimpse of a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle! After these two incredibly rare sightings, we moved on to a pod of around 100 Atlantic white-sided dolphins. These dolphins were rather restful initially, giving us the opportunity to observe their iconic yellow stripe up close and hear every breath they took. Eventually they became much more energetic, leaping at the ocean’s surface around the entire boat. In the midst of this encounter we also spotted a very curious harbor seal! To end our trip we spent time with an association of two humpback whales identified as Victim and Grommet.

We always say that no two trips are alike and today was a perfect example of that. This trip is one that left our crew and passengers speechless, and it’s that awe that makes going out each and every day so exciting! We never know what the ocean has in store for us but how lucky are we to be able to experience the surprise?

Fall whale watching is here and we’d love to have you join in on the fun!

-BU

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whales were not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/31/2026

Trip Updates | 08/28–08/31 🐋

We kicked off the weekend with another special collaboration with the Seacoast Science Center’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team! On Saturday morning, Stranding Response Technician Amelia Taggart joined us onboard to talk with passengers about the important work the MMR team does responding to stranded and injured marine mammals throughout New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts.

A big part of helping marine mammals is knowing who to call. If you come across a stranded, injured, or deceased marine mammal in the area, report it to SSC’s 24/7 Marine Mammal Rescue Hotline: 603-997-9448. A huge thank you to Amelia and for joining us and helping spread awareness about this important work! (SSC Marine Mammal Rescue)

As for the whales, what a fun way to wrap up August! It’s been an interesting few days, with whales moving between the northern and southern portions of Jeffreys Ledge and keeping us on our toes. Throughout our trips, we encountered humpback whales, fin whales, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, mola molas, harbor porpoises, gray seals, harbor seals, a blue shark, and a variety of whale behaviors!

Humpback whales identified:
Alligator • Bungee • Chablis • Chromosome • Clamp • Crook • Decimal • Downsweep • Dross • Fan • Jawa • Orion • Partition • Pina • Quill • Quote • Satula • Spika • Thistle — and more!

As always, our sightings and identification photos are submitted to the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), who curate the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog. We’re incredibly thankful for their continued work studying and monitoring the whales we’re fortunate enough to encounter.

What a fun way to close out the month of August! 🌊🐋

-KD

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whales were not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/30/2026

Happy Sunday everyone!

It’s been busy & eventful weekend full of wildlife sightings! I promise a full update with photos will be posted tomorrow night. In the meantime, enjoy these harbor seals that were hauled out yesterday evening on our way back in from our trip 🦭🥰

-KD

08/28/2026

Happy Thursday!

Our trip today brought us back to Jeffrey's Ledge where we spent time with 5 individual humpbacks, with many more in the general area. These whales were busy subsurface feeding and we saw numerous whales coming to the surface with their bubble cloud behind them. As we made our way back to Newburyport, we happened to cross paths with a small pod of Atlantic White Sided Dolphins who were quickly traveling through the waves.

The whales have been plentiful and the vibes on board have been awesome! Whales spotted today were: Alligator, Gunslinger, Pinball, Satula, and Valley. We have trips Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday-we hope so see you on the water!

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/27/2026

TRIP UPDATE: 8/26 🐋

Today was another absolutely beautiful day on Jeffrey's Ledge thanks to perfect sea conditions. Once again, we were lucky to witness spouts in every direction. Individuals identified today include..

Dross
Satula
Pinball
Alligator
Jawa
Downsweep

With August nearing an end, we will move to following our fall trip schedule starting next week. There’s still plenty of opportunity to join us out at sea and see the variety of life in the Gulf of Maine for yourself! Trip availability can be found on our website.

-BU

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale SENSE and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whales were not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/26/2026

Another wonderful day out in the Gulf of Maine !

We were lucky enough to identify 7 humpback whales, but there were approximately 15 in the area. Late August is always a wonderful time for us and this year proves to be no different. Whales spotted today: Valley, Crinkle, Jawa, Dross, Satula, Pinball, Alligator AND MORE!!!

This is our last week of running full time, but we will continue our schedule part time until mid October.

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/24/2026

TRIP UPDATE 08/24🐋

This afternoon’s trip started with a little adventure as we caught some spray on the way offshore, making for plenty of laughs along the way! Luckily, the seas calmed down by the time we reached the whales…and then it seemed like everywhere we looked, there was another whale. We had at least 12 humpback whales in the area!

Individuals identified included Alligator, Cacophony, Chromosome, Cygnus, Dross, Pinpoint, Quill, Satula, and more!

Just when we thought the trip was coming to an end, Alligator surprised us with a breach as we were beginning our journey home! An incredible way to wrap up the afternoon.

As always, our sightings and identification photos are submitted to the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), curators of the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog.

We’re thankful for another great day on the water and will be back out tomorrow at 1:30 PM!

-KD

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/23/2026

TRIP UPDATES 08/23🐋

After rough seas kept us tied to the dock yesterday, we were grateful to be back on the water today!

This morning’s trip was extra special as we welcomed Amelia Taggart, Marine Mammal Stranding Response Technician with SSC Marine Mammal Rescue team, aboard! Amelia shared what her role entails and the important work the team does responding to stranded marine mammals throughout New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts, from Beverly, MA to the Maine border. Their team operates a 24/7 hotline and relies on reports from the public to locate animals in need. From assessing and triaging stranded animals to coordinating rescues and transporting animals to rehabilitation facilities when necessary, public reports play an important role in making these responses possible. Thank you, Amelia, for joining us and sharing this important work with everyone on board! Marine Mammal Rescue will be joining us again on our Friday, August 28 morning trip!

We had plenty of wildlife to enjoy today as well! On both trips, we spotted harbor seals in the Merrimack River as we made our way to and from the ocean. This morning, we encountered four humpback whales identified as Chromosome, Crinkle, Owl, and Pitcher along with an ocean sunfish!

This afternoon, we spent time with humpback whales Clamp and Reaper, with Clamp displaying some exciting kick feeding! Reaper, who had a calf this year, was seen without her calf today. Humpback calves typically spend about their first year with their mothers before becoming independent, and we have seen mother-calf pairs begin separating before the end of our whale watch season in previous years! Good luck to Reaper’s 2026 calf !

We’re thankful for another great day on the water filled with wildlife, education, and conservation. A special thank you again to Amelia and the Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue team for joining us!

-KD🐋🦭

*NOTE: All photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly a member of Whale Sense and vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whales were not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/21/2026

While we were lucky enough to witness another 30 breaches from this individual on this morning’s trip, building seas and worsening winds are unfortunately keeping us tied up at the dock this afternoon and tomorrow. Fingers crossed that sea conditions calm down soon and that we’ll be back to exploring in no time!

-BU

Address

54 Merrimac Street
Newburyport, MA
01950

Opening Hours

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

Website

http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/

Alerts

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

Contact The Business

Send a message to Newburyport Whale Watch:

Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency in Newburyport?