Newburyport Whale Watch

03/14/2025

One of our naturalists, Kristin, had the amazing opportunity to spend a week in Grand Turk, observing humpback whales alongside fellow naturalists and whale enthusiasts from Cape Cod and Gloucester. The week was truly magical. Over five days on the water, Kristin witnessed numerous mother and calf pairs, singing males, bottlenose dolphins, curious calves, breaching whales, and much more! She even had the incredible experience of swimming with Zeppelin and her new calf—a GOM whale!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our naturalist and guide Katharine and Captain Kell at Deep Blue Charters and the TCI Whale Project for an unforgettable week. Their passion for protecting and conserving these magnificent creatures is truly inspiring. Their extensive knowledge and deep respect for the whales set a perfect example for all.

This was truly the trip of a lifetime, and with our own whale-watching season just around the corner, we’re counting down the days!

03/07/2025

Sedge sighting!!!! 🐋One of our naturalists Kristin is headed to Turks & Caicos tomorrow with other naturalists from various whale watching companies to experience whales down in their breeding grounds. Stay tuned for an update! The season is just around the corner 🙌🏻

Sedge! the return of Sedge (TCI-142) to the Turks Bank. We have now encountered him for the third consecutive year. Maybe we will find Sedge singing soon. 💙💙

📷: Katharine Hart with Deep Blue Charters

02/16/2025

We are JUMPING for joy, it’s world whale day!

Thinking of warmer weather and whales today and every day. Under 3 months until the season starts again.

01/19/2025

Our naturalists are always on the look out, even in the off season. Check out the snowy owl naturalist Kaylee saw today. 4 months until we’re back on the water!

12/31/2024

As 2024 ends, we have wonderful memories from our season to look back on. Check out our 2024 wrapped and we will see you on the water in May!

12/22/2024

Friends and family of the Harlors lets do what we can to help support our … gene a marshall jr needs your support for Help the Harlors: Our Neighbors in Need.

11/12/2024

Kristin, one of our naturalists, is currently attending the 25th Biennial Marine Mammal Conference in Perth, Australia, and had the incredible experience of watching humpback whales in the waters off Perth. She observed many mother-calf pairs, witnessing them in the final stretch of their long migration to Antarctica, where they’ll soon arrive to feed.

One highlight was noticing the unique features of these southern humpbacks, including the moms’ pectoral flippers, which are black on top—quite different from what we see here in the Northern Hemisphere. But the showstopper moment was seeing a calf with an all-white fluke, an unforgettable sight that stood out vividly against the blue ocean.

Kristin shared how impressed she was with the company Whale Watch Western Australia, which hosted the tour. Their approach was exceptionally respectful of the whales, prioritizing the animals’ comfort and natural behaviors while allowing passengers to enjoy an authentic experience. Watching these massive whales in Perth’s waters, especially with such a dedicated team, added a new layer to her appreciation for these animals and their epic journeys across the globe. Kristin is excited to bring back everything she has learned this week into our season 2025 whale watching season!

10/14/2024

And with that…our 2024 season is over! Our last trip of the year was a little drizzly, but, as we say, the whales are already wet! We were able to spend time with two pairs of humpback whales (Clamp and Owl, Dross and Quarternote), adding another new whale to our sightings list this year and seeing some old favorites. Dross wowed everyone by “waving” at us in the calm seas.

We had arguably one of our best seasons out here and we are sad to say goodbye, but May is right around the corner. We were able to see 4 species of baleen whales, 5 species of toothed whales, 1 turtle species, 4 shark species, and meet all sorts of amazing passengers on board.

To everyone who was able to join us this year, we hope you enjoyed your trip(s) and we can’t wait to see you again. Did you have a favorite moment or photo from this year? Feel free to share it below!

See you in the spring!
-Captain’s Lady III crew 🐳

**NOTE: All photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly apart 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.

10/08/2024

TRIP UPDATE: 10/05-10/06:

This season has been full of exploration, especially on Jeffreys Ledge, where we’ve covered a lot of ground. We spent a significant amount of time on the southern part of the ledge, and this past weekend marked our first return in over a month! When we arrived, many humpback whales had returned to the area that we hadn’t seen in quite some time, and Saturday was thrilling as we spent time surrounded by numerous humpbacks. We even got to witness surface activity! But by Sunday, the scene had changed dramatically, and all but one whale had dispersed. We spent time with a different individual that we hadn’t seen on Saturday! That unpredictability is what makes wildlife so exciting—each day is different, and you never know what nature will present. Overall it was a fantastic weekend and one of the best parts were all of the amazing and enthusiastic passengers! 🐋

Thanks to the Center for Coastal Studies who curate the GOM humpback whale catalog, some humpbacks we were able to identify this weekend include:
Brine
Clamp & her 2024 calf
Pluma
Satula
Quarternote

If you still haven’t made it out on a whale watch with us our LAST three trips of the season are coming up this weekend. We will be running 10:00 AM trips this 12th, 13th, & 14th. Please join us as we finish up our 2024 whale watching season!

*NOTE: All photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly apart 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.

09/29/2024

TRIP UPDATE 09/28-09/29🐋

This weekend, we were thrilled to finally get back out on the water after being tied up for over 12 days due to high seas. With our schedule now limited to weekends, we weren’t sure what to expect on Saturday, but luck was on our side as we spent time with three different humpback whales! We were even lucky enough to observe some surface active behavior such as flipper slapping. Sunday brought more excitement as we encountered two humpbacks we hadn’t seen yet this season, a fin whale in the distance, a small pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and even a blue shark! It felt great to be back among such incredible marine life after the long break.

Thanks to the Center for Coastal Studies who curate the GOM humpback whale catalog, we were able to identify:
Satula
Spoon
Victim
Solo
Pluma

It is imporant to remember that we post HIGHLIGHTS from our recent trips! No two trips are ever the same and we never know what we are going to see each and every time we leave the dock. Any wildlife sighting is a great trip!

We only have two weekends left before our 2024 season ends, we’d love for you to join us!

*NOTE: all photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly apart 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.

09/24/2024

Our captain and crew were disappointed to be docked due to the high seas this past weekend, especially as the season is winding down. We're eager to get out on the water for the last few trips and make the most of what's left of this year's whale-watching adventures. The silver lining has been the kindness of our passengers, who have shared their incredible photos from past trips, capturing the magic of those moments with whales. Thank you to passenger Steve Renner for sharing these awesome photos from our trip on 09/14! These memories keep the excitement alive, and we can't wait to create a few more before the season closes! We only have a couple weekends left before our 2024 season comes to an end, please join us! 🐋

Note: *Vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

09/16/2024

The summer of fun (and dolphins) continues! The water was beautiful, the temperature was delightful, and the whales were amazing as always. We spent Saturday with 2 adult humpback whales, Fan and Limpet. These whales wowed us with multiple different surface behaviors-breaches, tail breach, chin breach, pectoral fin slapping etc. We aren’t sure why these behaviors occur, but it is truly exciting. Sundays whale watch was full of toothed whales. We had a very quick look at a humpback, but moved on to where we heard reports of some more rare whales. We had pilot whales again!! We were surrounded by pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic white sided dolphins, and common dolphins. We also got treated to a surprise fin whale! It is crazy that the second largest animal in the world can truly sneak up on you.

This weekend was amazing and we were so happy to share these sightings with those who could join us. We will be running weekend trips until October 14, hope to see you there!

*NOTE: all photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalist. Newburyport Whale Watch is apart 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.

09/12/2024

The high seas kept us tied up to the dock on Saturday, but we were lucky enough to get back out on Sunday morning. With our season dwindling down, the crew is very eager to get out as much as possible before the whales begin their seasonal migration! Our passengers and crew were fortunate enough to spend time watching two humpback whales over the weekend! It turned out to be a beautiful day and we cannot wait for our next trip on Saturday🐋

Individual humpbacks we’ve identified recently include Spoon and Scratch (thanks to the Center for Coastal Studies for curating the GOM humpback whale catalog).

We will be running trips on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 AM through mid-October. Come join us!

*NOTE: all photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalist. Newburyport Whale Watch is apart 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.

09/04/2024

And just like that the Labor Day Weekend has come to an end and we are heading into our Fall Season !🐋🍂🍁 We couldn’t have asked for a better Labor Day weekend spending time with a variety of species such as Humpbacks, Finbacks, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and many more!

The ocean was alive with activity—witnessing behaviors like kick feeding, bubble cloud feeding, and two finback whales displaying unique interactions, rolling on their sides and charging around, was truly a sight to behold. As we transition into the fall season, these experiences remind us of the ever-changing and awe-inspiring marine world.

I would like to give the captain and crew (who has been short staffed) a special shoutout who have worked VERY hard in order to get these sightings. Whales have been far and scarce lately, sometimes taking us over TWO hours to find. This is why it is important to remember that these are wild animals and they travel about as they please! And therefore, we’d like to give another shoutout to our passengers for being patient, enthusiastic, and understanding! We couldn’t do this without you!

We will be running trips on Saturday and Sundays through mid-October. We hope you’ll join us!

-Kristin🐋

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

08/26/2024

TRIP UPDATE 08/23-08/26: The past couple of weeks have been challenging, with whales being scarce, often requiring us to travel over 30 miles to find them. Despite the distance, we've been fortunate to have success on nearly every trip! The incredible finback whales have been our main sightings, showcasing their grandeur. On Sunday afternoon, we were particularly lucky to encounter humpback whales which we haven’t seen in quite some time, witnessing the breathtaking sight of TWO breaches! We even encountered humpbacks again on Monday morning. Along the way, we've also spotted ocean sunfish (Mola Mola) and Atlantic white-sided dolphins, adding to the diversity of our sightings.

Thanks to the Center for Coastal Studies for curating the Gulf of Maine humpback whale catalog we were able to identify the individuals recently seen:

Banyan
New Jersey
Limpet

*These photos are trip HIGHLIGHTS from this past week. Every trip is different each and every time we leave from Newburyport. It is important to remember that these are wild animals and they travel about as they please. Any wildlife sighting is a great day!

-Kristin 🐋

**NOTE: all photos are taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by our naturalists. Newburyport Whale Watch is apart of Whale Sense and follows all responsible whale watching guidelines according to NOAA. Vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/20/2024

TRIP UPDATE 08/15-08/18🐋

We had our last kids' whale watch before they head back to school on Thursday, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience. We were thrilled when a humpback whale suddenly put on an incredible show, tail breaching and flipper slapping right before our eyes. It was a perfect finale to their summer of whale watching!

The excitement continued from Friday through Sunday, although we had to travel very far, we were fortunate enough to encounter finback whales, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and minke whales. Adding to the adventure, we even spotted a very young porbeagle shark!

It is importsnt to remember that these trips are wildlife tours. We never know what we will see each and every time we leave the dock. Sometimes we see animals right outside the harbor, other times it takes us over 30 miles to find something! We are fortunate when we encounter any wildlife, no matter what the species is! Unfortunately we have been tied up to the dock the last couple days due to weather, but we are excited to get back out tomorrow!

-Kristin 🐋

**NOTE: all photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are cropped by the naturalist. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly apart of Whale Sense and follows all responsible whale watching guidelines. Vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.

08/15/2024

Wednesdays whale watches sent us far off shore, whales have been quite spread out over the last couple of weeks. We took on the challenge and never took our eyes off the water looking in every direction for any sign of marine life. Whales are here for about 6 months to feed as much as possible, bait moves so the whales move, it's just that simple. As in all nature trips some days are better than others. We did encounter some cool sightings from a Mola mola (Ocean Sunfish), Harbor Porpoise, a unnamed humpback whale and Common Dolphins that stole the hearts of everyone on board. They are extremely active, fast moving and engage in spectacular aerial behavior with colorful hour glass patterns on either sides.
They are such amazing mammals to watch, they just take your breath away.
Cheers
Patty

08/14/2024

Trip update 8/11-8/13‼️

This season continues to bring change and diversity into our waters. Whales are regularly entering and leaving our waters and we truly never know what will be out there. Highlights from the past three days include a distanced look at a breaching humpback whale, fin whales, minke whales, harbor porpoises, and FOUR dolphin species (Atlantic white sided dolphins, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and pilot whales). We have not seen Pilot Whales for many years, so the crew was over the moon having seen them Monday AND Tuesday. Who knows what the ocean will bring us this week, but the weather is looking great!

Individual humpbacks seen this week:
Satula
Ravine
Scylla
Unknown juvenile

Huge thank you to captain Rick from Yellow Bird Fishing Charter, LLC for calling us on Monday about the pilot whales!

NOTE: all photos were taken with a telephoto lens and were cropped by our naturalist. Newburyport Whale Watch is proudly apart of Whale Sense and follows all responsible whale watching guidelines. Vessel operations were in adherence with the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic whale watching guidelines and the whale was not intentionally approached within 100 feet.