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

Newburyport Whale Watch

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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.
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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!!**

06/05/2026

What a beautiful day to spend on the water! With glass-calm seas and sunshine, we had the pleasure of welcoming the third-grade class from New Boston for an unforgettable whale watch experience.

Recently, the students had a visit from The Whalemobile, where they learned all about the Gulf of Maine and the incredible whales that call these waters home. They came aboard prepared with questions, excitement, and plenty of whale knowledge!

As with any wildlife adventure, you never know what you’ll find. After some searching, we were rewarded with sightings of a minke whale, followed by humpback whales Fan and Quote! This was only our second trip of the season due to weather cancellations, so it was especially exciting to get back out on the water. We were thrilled to see Fan again and equally excited to reunite with Quote, who we hadn’t seen since last season.

It was an amazing day filled with learning, wildlife, and unforgettable memories. Thank you to the students, teachers, and parents for joining us, and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s whale watch has in store!

*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.

05/24/2026

What a way to kick off our 2026 season!

Yesterday, Saturday, May 23rd, we headed out for our first trip of the season not knowing what to expect. After some traveling toward Jeffrey’s Ledge, we spotted two blows in the distance. By the time we arrived, we were surprised with another blow, and then another PLUS Atlantic white-sided dolphins traveling in association with four humpback whales!

These were some sleepy whales, spending much of the trip logging, or “sleeping,” at the surface. Even so, we were treated to a few spy hops and some exciting interactions between the whales and dolphins. Although we did not see any flukes, we made some guesses based on dorsal fins and were later able to confirm that Owl, Fan, Spoon, and Downsweep were all associated!

What an incredible way to start the season! We are sad to be docked for the next two days due to weather and seas, but we are already itching to get back out next Saturday.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

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.

05/18/2026

What’s better than a whale watch for your 2026 summer bucket list?

05/17/2026

Mark your calendars… we are less than one week away from the start of our 2026 whale watching season! 🐋

Join us on May 23rd at 11:00 AM for our first trip of the season as we head back out on the water in search of whales and other marine wildlife in the Gulf of Maine. We look forward to seeing familiar faces again and meeting new ones onboard this season!

You can buy your tickets here: https://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com

05/02/2026

Captains Lady IV!
Lots of finishing touches happening at the ship yard. She went in the water this week! Things are really coming along.
Up next over the next couple weeks
stability test
Engine Start ups
Sea trials
Stay tuned for more updates and complete reveal!!!

04/28/2026

Less than a month until opening day!!!🐋 Which species or individual are you hoping to see this season?

04/18/2026

Some more pictures of the Captains lady IV!!
Lots going on at the shipyard, things move fast at this point of the build
Granite countertops , flooring, seating exterior lighting all installed
Finalizing electrical plumbing electronics
Going in the water next week!!

03/15/2026

I hope everyone has had a great winter and is counting down the days until our whale watch season begins…I know I am!

I wanted to share a quick update from my recent trip to Grand Turk, where I traveled with fellow naturalists from Massachusetts. This was my second year “migrating” with the whales to their breeding and calving grounds, and what an incredible experience it was.

At first, Mother Nature kept us guessing. The weather was rough and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to get out on the water at all. Luckily the seas eventually calmed down. Although a few trips were cancelled due to the conditions, it gave us the opportunity to spend some time scuba diving and free diving to explore the beautiful waters there.

By the end of the trip we were rewarded with whales! We encountered numerous mother–calf pairs and curious yearlings, which is always an incredible sight on the breeding grounds. One especially exciting behavior we observed was “kelping.” This is when whales interact with floating seaweed by rolling in it, draping it across their bodies, or playfully pushing it around. This behavior is much more commonly seen on feeding grounds like the Gulf of Maine, so witnessing it in the Caribbean was a rare and fascinating surprise.

Even more special was recognizing some whales that make seasonal visits to our Gulf of Maine feeding grounds, reminding us just how connected these ocean habitats truly are.

I am also incredibly grateful to have experienced this trip with Deep Blue Charters, whose team shows tremendous respect for the whales and their environment. Their approach prioritizes the whales’ space and natural behaviors, ensuring that these encounters remain ethical and centered on the well-being of the animals.

A huge thank you to Katharine, Kell, and Roger for making this amazing experience possible.

Now the countdown begins until we’re back out on the water with all of you this season!

-Kristin🐋🩵

03/14/2026

Sneak peek of the New Captains Lady IV!

Painting is done and the boat is being outfitted!
Looking forward to the season!!!!

02/24/2026

Winter update from Naturalist Kaylee!
If you talked to me this summer, it is likely that I told you I was going to the Galapagos with my grandma. Our naturalists are nature lovers at heart and often plan vacations around seeing wildlife and learning. My trip to the Galapagos did not involve whales (even though I looked every day!), since the whales are migratory. Traveling to new areas, seeing wildlife that we would never see here, and bonding with fellow educators in another part of the world is just another wonderful part of our jobs. Please enjoy the collection of photos and videos from my trip.
-Naturalist Kaylee 🐋

Stay tuned for another naturalist update coming soon that does involve seeing whales!

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/

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