The crew was very nice and I loved learning about whales and their behavior!! The weather was beautiful which made it feel even more special! read more

fantastic! we must have seen 8 whales including a mother and calf. Boat crew were terrific. worth every penny.

Highly recommend Cape Ann Whale Watch. The captain and crew were great! We saw a bunch of whales and got great photos!! Definitely will visit again read more

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What a great trip with Cape Anne Whale Watch. Everyone was so wonderful, from the moment we reached out via email and all throughout our trip. We had excellent encounters with humpback whales. There was a lot of activity. Tina shared so many interesting facts and the captain maneuvered the boat perfectly to allow for our best viewing while maintaining the safety of the whales. I can't wait for my next trip. read more

A fantastic experience in all ways educational and scenic. This is probably one of the best boat tours I have ever taken! We were in the water for at least 2.5 hours or more! You can tell they really wanted us to see as much as could so they chartered all over the waters and we saw 6 whales. They knew so much about all the whales and taught us a lot of facts. In addition, the cost is very reasonable. I cannot recommend this experience enough! read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - 6.27.2025 - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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Great time whale watching with the Cape Ann crew! They tracked down some beautiful whales and made sure to maneuver so everyone on board could get a good look. The crew was also very knowledgeable about which whales we were looking at and their habits which made for a wonderfully personalized experience. read more

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One of the best whale watch tours I've ever been on! Cape Ann Whale Watch was an incredible experience from start to finish. The staff were so knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about what they do -- they made the whole trip fun and informative. We saw at least ten whales and even a pod of dolphins! It was absolutely amazing to see these animals up close in their natural habitat. The crew made sure everyone had great views and shared lots of interesting facts along the way. Highly recommend Cape Ann Whale Watch -- unforgettable experience and a fantastic team! read more

What a great day on the water with Capt John and Tina and the crew.. we opted for the early morning cruise and it did not disappoint. We had a smooth ride out to Jeffreys Ledge and got a great show by a mother-daughter pair of humpback whales and another who 'purred".for us. We were also fortunate enough to spot a whole pod of dolphins frolicking . The Capt and crew provided a great whale watching experience with just enough information and respectful space for the wildlife. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a quality experience. It was simple from buying tickets to parking to boarding. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Whale tale - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Amazing Experience! Incredibly informative information provided throughout, and truly a blessing to be able to see this magnificent creatures up close. read more

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A fantastic whale watching experience with a world-class team and staff. I was particularly impressed with how the team went out of their way to answer questions for first-time whale watchers. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - My family with one 'never seen a whale'-er. - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Great trips. Many years ago now but enjoyed all the whales and naturalist input. If Gloucester were closer I'd go every year.

Great boat combined with an amazing crew led to a perfect day. They stayed out at least an hour and a half to make sure that we had a good look at a group of humpbacks. My sincere thanks for that. They made their day longer and harder for us. read more

We decided last minute to add a whale watching expedition to our vacation after coming across Groupons for Cape Ann Whale Watch. The groupings definitely helped us make the decision to go, for this party of four, because it considerably reduced our total costs. It was easy to redeem the Groupons for a weekday excursion. It was also nice that they had a dedicated parking lot so that you could park your car easily for the duration of the tour, which can easily stretch 4+ hours. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The boat was comfortable. We sat inside the main cabin for most of the ride while a lot of folks sat outside. Once the boat leaves the harbor and picks up speed, it can get pretty cool if you're outside on the deck. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the whale watching location and the boat spends am hour or so in their "playground". We saw many humpback whales and a mother-calf pair. It was so exciting to see them splash and dive. Thrilling! You can also buy snacks on the boat. We got a coffee and while the taste was ok, it did warm us up. There are restrooms on board but we never visited them. Definitely worth a visit if you've never been. Be patient, the ride to and fro can be long but worth the whale watching! read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Whale sighting - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Wonderful experience. Great and friendly staff both on the boat and on the phone when we called several times to change our reservation or ask questions. Saw many whales and got a lot of great info! Groupon deals for this place are the way to go read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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We had great time and we saw many whales and we even had little owl join us Very informative crew. We will do again in a heartbeat!

I had such a fun, exciting time! We had to go way out to finally see the whales, but once we saw one, we saw four! We saw Clamp do her signature "waggle" tail move! I love how the crew got as excited as we did! Unfortunately we didn't see any breaches...bummer. Maybe next time. This was my first time using CAWW, but it definitely won't be my last. Thanks so much for a whale of a time!! read more

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This is the 8th year I've gone on a trip with Cape Ann Whale Watch. I choose them again & again because they are a top notch operation ! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the area and all the marine life, sharing stories of how they identify the different individuals, how many years the various whales have been seen in this area and other educational snipits.....this really brings a new respect for Nature and our relationship to all life here on Earth. They are a SUPER way to connect with wonder ! read more

What an amazing trip. We were blessed with seeing many whales and a bunch of dolphine's which surprised me. I've been going on whale watches for many years and mostly with Cape Ann and I've never seen dolphin's in our waters. Thanks for such another amazing experience! read more

I rated 4 stars due to the trip was cut short of an hour. I've been going on these trips since the 1980's as I love whale watching. This was the first time out of all my trips we docked just before 11:30 am. It was a awesome trip otherwise. Saw lots of whale activity and dolphins. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Whale breach - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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This was so much fun! The staff were so knowledgeable and we saw sooo many whales! I was pleasantly surprised at how much whale action we got! The cash only food bar had so many options and I had a delish chili dog. I'll definitely come back next year for another whale watching trip! read more

Disclaimer: Although I did get very sea sick, I'm not going to take that into consideration in my review. My friend and I went on the 8:30 am trip on Columbus Day so there was a big turnout. Getting there was pretty easy and the parking situation was good since there were two kind gentleman directing traffic. There is a $3 additional charge because the price of fuel has gone up but that's fine. One thing I did regret is not buying motion sickness pills. They have them inside the shack/store where you get your ticket for only $1. The boat is very clean and has many layers and sitting areas. There's the top deck which I imagine is best for spotting the whales since it's smaller and higher up. There's the lower deck which has tables and benches so it's good for staying warm and for families with smaller kids. There's also outdoor seating all around the lower deck and at the front of the boat. The boat goes pretty quick and it's a straight shot so no twists and turns. For the first 10 minutes one of the crew members was giving facts about the things around us, the boat, and the city. It did take a while to get to the location where we'd be seeing the whales, ~1.5 hours. I did get sick about 30 min into the ride. I was originally sitting inside the lower deck, and on a bench facing in the backwards direction from the direction we were traveling. I did sit outside and I think that helped a bit. Someone was also offering ginger candies which is supposed to help with nausea. Then we started to spot whales and it was very cool. In total we saw about 4-8 whales and during our time there we did see them from different angles and locations. I believe they were all humpbacks. It's amazing how the crew can immediately tell who is who based on their tail/fluke (they have named them). I would say that we stayed out there for about 30-45 min watching whales. We were also given very cool facts about them such as their diet is a million calories a day (~2,000-3,000 pounds of fish a day!). On the way back I was able to lay on wooden benches around the lower deck to help with my sea sickness and I think it helped. Overall, I think it's a very neat experience for anyone who wants to see whales and potentially other sea creatures. Their sign says guaranteed sightings so you can't go wrong. Please take something if you even think or are unsure of whether you get sea sick. The boat was very clean and spacious. Their staff is very helpful and nice. If the weather permits, it would even be a good idea to walk or drive around the city of Gloucester. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Amazing. Great customer service. Knowledgeable staff. Weather was awful, but the staff made it all worth while. I highly recommend them. They know so much of what you are seeing and they have names for the whales. It was so wonderful and incredible. I'd do it again. read more

I took my wife for Mothers day trip. the weather had been wet and rainy leading up to the trip but was sunny on Mothers day. the crew was great and we enjoyed the trip. The whale watching wasn't great so they gave eve a ticket to return whenever we wanted. Ovrtall the entire trip was great. read more

Overall the experience was very good. My only disappointment was in that I thought we'd be closer to the whales. However, there was another whale watching vessel very close to us and it seemed like that boat was pushing the whales away. The naturalist onboard was Tina and she was fabulous. I'd go again read more

What an amazing experience! The entire crew was very experienced. We saw many whales swimming, jumping around. It was a memorable experience. read more

I 100% recommend this company!! They were top notch, experienced, kind, knowledgeable, friendly, and the overall trip was amazing!!

We literally saw 9 different whales several times, including a calf with its mom who was putting on quite the show! Very environment and aquatic life conscious company- didn't get in the way of the whales, logs their sightings in a monitoring system and know the whales well! We learned a lot- had a great time. Everything we wanted in a whale watch! I was weary when they said they guaranteed sightings that either it was a scam or they would throw some chum or Something off the boat but the people actually just understand whales well and know where the krill-rich areas are that they come to eat in every summer! No gimmicks! read more

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Absolutely wonderful time aboard the Hurricane ll. The staff and crew were so friendly and knowledgeable. We had the best time on the most beautiful 70 degree October day.. Thank you again for the wonderful memories.. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Humpback whales - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Quite honestly the best boat ride I've ever had to see the most majestic sea creatures on earth. They have ample parking on site and parking attendants to guide you to parking spots. Check in was easy and is done in the gift shop. the staff were all friendly and very knowledgeable and prompt. The boat itself is a bit older but it runs like a beauty. the trip lasts exactly 4 hours almost to the minute. Definitely pack a bag of essentials and probably don't eat a heavy meal before the trip. they have concessions on the boat but they don't accept cards during the ride so bring cash. I wasn't sure how this would go amidst a pandemic but it went very smoothly and I felt safe the entire ride. as an essential worker I feel very blessed to get to do things again, a little normalcy goes a long way. Thank you to the staff for making this such a memorable experience. I hope to partake in this excursion again someday. read more

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aside from the boat snagging a lobs trap and spending 20 minutes or so detangling (these things happen), it was a wonderful whale watching experience. the naturalist Tina was fantastic, as was the entire crew. we also enjoyed one of the interns coming around with information about the whales, including a replica of a tooth and an actual piece of baleen. We were lucky enough to see two male humpback whales, Grommet, and Cromosome. We also saw another humpback, but I forget the name. And a harbor seal. Beautiful weather day and lovely to see such magnificent animals up close! read more

Overbooked. Lots of people had to stand including senior citizens. If you don't mind standing for four hours go for it. Excursion was fine. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Overbooked ... not enough seats for everyone, lots of people had to stand including senior citizens. - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Excellent experience. Saw a lot of whales, staff is very knowledgeable and boat was kept very clean. read more

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This was our second trip with Cape Ann whale watch and it was just as great as the first time! The announcer was so informative and the woman who came around privately to show the tooth and baleen of whales was so helpful with questions. She very obviously was knowledgeable with Whale's. Each person we came into contact with had a smile and were both helpful and kind. Today we had the 4 hr cruise and although it partly rained it didn't take away from the experience at all. And made for some great pictures of the Light houses we passed by. Well done to the crew right down to the ladies in the ticket office. We would come back a third time read more

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Excellent! Highly recommend! Great for all ages! We were aboard the Hurricane II and were treated to sightings of Clamp. Wow! She put on quite a show for us. Excellent staff and young educators. Tina kept us alert for any sightings of whales and shared her awesome knowledge. Thank you for a wonderful experienc! read more

Loved every minute of the trip to the friendly crew and knowledgeable naturalist. We learned a lot of fun facts ,saw two Humpback whale along with pods of dolphins. I would recommend it to my friends and family. read more

This was my first whale watch , so I have really nothing to compare it to . The crew was very nice and informative . The seas were choppy that day (not the companies fault ) so the ride wasn't as smooth as I would have liked . We did see more whales than anticipated , one even breached ! Snacks and beverages available inside . Look for the Groupon deal -$28 for a whale watch , it is too good to pass up ! Easy to locate and well organized . I would do it again (maybe in warmer weather lol) read more

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We had a wonderful time! We went on a Monday in the fall. There is free parking right by the boat. We saw tons of whales. The crew was very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

My husband and I went to the 8:30 tour to see the whales on July 26. It was a beautiful day to see the whales. We saw several whales with different behaviors! We had a great time! The crew was very friendly, knowledgeable and informative. It was a great experience! read more

Awesome! Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Once the boat was moving we were able to get to a good location. Boat does get full so if you want the best seats make sure you get there early. read more

We got groupon vouchers and it was easy to use. On the website, pick the number of people and you will be instructed where to enter the voucher numbers. I did read and called the business to confirm that certain trips have voucher limits. We arrived 1/2 hr early as instructed. They are very organized in directing cars to park in their lot. Next, check-in; $5 pp fuel surcharge was charged. Cash only, also for the giftshop. If you want a spot on the lower deck, come earlier than 8am but we ended up walking back between the front and the sides anyway. We were given a warning to cover our ears when they sounded the loud horn. Food available but we skipped and just brought our own. 4 Small restrooms. It was a 65 degree morning for the 8:30am trip. A sweater/sweatshirt was enough (easy to put on and off bec it did warm up). This was our first whale watching trip in this area and we were very happy. Calm waters that day. We got to see 4 whales (Doric, Freckles; Valley and Tripod who were sleeping at first but then woke up). Saw a sunfish and dolphins (seen only 10% of the time); and watched a snot drone catch some for research. They told us where to look and turned the boat around so that both sides can see. The boat didn't get too close to the whales so was glad I zoomed in my video camera. Will surely return here because much better here than in Cape May, NJ which had no guarantee and we only saw dolphins. Jaime (naturalist) was giving information - about the Hurricane boat, the whales, what not to expect (I had to hear this bec we know of whales breaching but she said only on about 10% of trips). She said go to both decks for different vantage points but we didn't on this trip; to try another day/another time bec no 2 trips are the same. The captain also gave a little bit of tour info about the buildings/businesses by the harbor, the ten pound lighthouse, etc. read more

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