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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It was really hard to hear the guide so a lot of the time we just sat there and stared at the water. Needs louder, clearer microphone. We saw a nice pod of dolphins, but only one whale. They stuck with this one whale, who was being a little bashful, and just circled around it for about 1.5 hours. Why not go look for other ones? Boat was fine and comfortable for my 88 year old dad, however, and they did let him walk to the front of the line so he didn't have to stand for 45 minutes. Overall a little bit "meh." read more

On 7/23 took the 830a boat. If the sun isn't out bring warm clothes. That said, it was a great trip. The crew is truly customer friendly and they try hard to provide a fun and educational trip. The whales took the day off, except for one who kept everyone enthralled. The highlight was the largest pods of dolphins anyone has ever seen. That satisfied the need to see sea creatures. Overall, highly recommend. And, if you use Trip Advisor and find the company you may be in for a surprise. See ticket prices. Go there first. read more

We had the experience of a lifetime seeing about 20 different whales and 3 different species. The staff and crew were so knowledgeable and willing to share/answer any questions that we really got a lot out of this trip. read more

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Very informative interesting experience. The staff was very intelligent and pleasant they truly made the trip one of the best whale watching experiences I have been on. The Captain knew exactly where the best area was that day and had us seeing the whales in about 45 min. We couldn't ask for a better experience at a better price as we used a Groupon and everything went smooth. read more

Wife and I went on a whale watch tour with Cape Ann whale watch and it was a fantastic experience. The crew was very knowledgeable and displayed the appropriate respect for the whales and maintained a reasonable distance from them. Our first encounter with the creatures was no more than a half hour after we left Port. We saw numerous whales for the next hour and a half and left in time to get back to Port so that the whole experience was three hours long (10:00am-1:00pm) The boat we took was in good shape, well-maintained and the crew was well-versed in safety protocols. Highly recommend this! read more

The staff were knowledgeable and nice. We saw a great variety of whales and porpoises. It was a great experience! read more

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Wonderful trip! It was way to book, got a reminder email with directions and advice to bring warm clothes . The crew was very friendly and appeared to very enthusiastic about whales . We saw three whales some of them were very close by. I actually got so "busy" enjoying watching them that I didn't even take any pics of the giants! Some basic snacks and drinks ( including cocktails) are provided onboard. The trip is equally good for a romantic day on a sea for a couple , or time to spend with friends or for a family with kids . read more

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this was my second time here but my husbands first time and a great experience we will definitely be coming back ! crew was so friendly and knowledgeable!! thank you for all you do !! Lisa read more

They were running a few special whale watches and we were able to get tickets to the sunset whale watch. The return back to shore was beautiful! We were able to see a a few whales and it made for a relaxing beautiful trip. Be sure to bring a jacket/hoodie even on a warm day, it gets chili once you're out there. read more

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The experience is everything they talk about. The fun on the boat, seeing the whales and other sea life. Every crew member was friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend and can't wait to come back. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - The dolphin were such fun. - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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My family and I were part of the 8:30 tour on Wednesday, July 17 and had an absolutely incredible time. From the hospitality of the crew to the expertise of the captain and the entertaining and informative comments from the onboard naturalist, every bit of our time was an absolute pleasure and joy. Of course, spending a lengthy amount of time with three humpbacks (along with an appearance from a large basking shark and a fin whale has to be THE highlight. It's often hard to find an activity that our entire family is interested in doing, but this was an enthusiastic "Yes!" from everyone when we planned it, and our enthusiasm was richly rewarded! read more

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I have been to the Cape Ann whale watch many times and it never disappoints. You see the whale a lot and this time there were also dolphins. Staff is very knowledgeable and excited to answer questions. This time was the only time when the ocean was rough and I was nauseous the whole time. They did let us know and offered to purchase a pack of nausea pills for $1. I took one pill as they suggested but it didn't do anything. I was able to see a few whales and dolphins nevertheless but I was not a happy camper. Many kids were sick and some adults too. I have another ticket and planning to return in August. read more

In my 35 years in the area I have never been whale watching before this past Sunday when we joined the Cape Ann Whale Watch group for a sunset trip. WE HAD A WHALE OF A TIME! Saw a bunch of humpbacks, even caught a full breach! And aside from the whales, the boat ride itself was quite enjoyable. Only criticism is that the food (in our case cheeseburgers) were re-heated in a microwave and were kind of gross. I would recommend that these guys have food prepared properly on land and then put it under heat lights in the boat galley. Also the guy who operated it was very rude. read more

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The crew was fantastic! They were friendly and knowledgeable. We saw several whales. Highly recommended.

Had a great day Put on the Hurricane II Saw a very large pod of Atlantic dolphins which was great. Also after searching for a long time came across one Humpback whale, unfortunately she kept diving so we only quick glimpses but still awesome. Westerner was amazing and crew was fantastic read more

Love this a lot. I'd give it a better review, unfortunately one thing prevented it from being amazing. The entire crew was fantastic, all for one. I'll get to him in a moment. The woman making all the announcements knew a ton and answers any questions anyone had. The weather was great and was fun whale watching. The captain did his best to make sure anytime the whale popped back up, he'd switch sides so everyone had the opportunity to see the whale. The one reason it isn't getting better reviews is because of the person they have serving at their bar is horrible. Was very rude and inconsiderate of people. Not only to myself, but others, as well. You couldn't ask any questions without him being rude. If you'd ask him anything, he'd just stare you down for a few seconds, then say "what do you want?" without ever answering the question. The customers in front of me were clearly hard of speaking English and another customer had a mental disability. And he was just so rude to both. When I got up, I asked him if he had everything on the menu available. He just stared at me and said "yeah, it's on there, (the menu I assume) what do you think?" I then replied "okay I'll take a clam chowder" to which his response was "we don't have it." And that's exactly why I asked. Everything was great. Lots of fun. Unfortunately, one crew member not only made my time worse, but I'm sure for others, as well with his rude attitude. I'd really consider finding someone else next year to replace him. I'd love to do this trip again in the future, but unfortunately I won't if he was still apart of the crew, that's how bad he was. Everyone else, fantastic. read more

It was an amazing experience!!! Crew was super knowledgeable and helpful. We SAW whales Highly recommend! read more

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

Great company! We were fortunate to have perfect weather! We followed a humpback whale, and got spectacular views from the boat . The humpback surfaced more than a dozen times! We also saw a few minke whales, seals and lots of northern gannet birds. We loved it from start to finish, just over four hours. The crew is very friendly and knowledgeable. I took my family, varying ages from 22 to 88 years old. Everyone was very pleased and couldn't stop raving about the wonderful experience on the car ride back to Boston. In addition to all this, the ferry was very clean, spacious with plenty of viewing areas, clean bathrooms, and you can buy drinks and snacks on board. I highly recommend Cape Ann Whale Watch! read more

This was our second time on the Hurricane II. We went last summer and had beautiful weather and saw many whales. The weather wasn't as cooperative today so the water was a bit choppy but we still saw 2 whales, one which was breaching (a calf). Once they find the whales, they stop the boat and will rotate it so people on each side can see. The staff is very informative and able to give you the history on the whales you meet up with and they are all very friendly. It's a good size vessel with plenty of room but can fill up quickly depending on how many other guests are aboard. There are 4 bathrooms and they also serve food, however you can also bring food and drink aboard, just no glass containers or alcohol. You never know what you will see when you go out, our trip today was 4 hours. I'm sure we will be back. They do often have a Groupon so you can get a discount but there is a fuel surcharge that everyone pays. They only allow a certain amount of Groupon tickets for each trip but we were a group of 8 and were able to schedule us all. read more

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The fact that we actually not only saw whales, but lots of them, plus a couple of them breaching, made this an absolutely wonderful trip. What amazing creatures! The crew runs a very tight ship: timely, organized, clean, and safe. The staff was always very helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend a whale watching trip with Cape Ann Whale Watch. read more

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

I'm glad I read a review that said to get there early to get an outside seat because after getting there right at 8am (departing at 8:30am), we got one of the last ones outside for the ride out to the whales. I loved having a naturalist onboard. She was great and was very happy to answer questions. We saw a bunch of different whales, and I loved that the naturalist could even tell us their names! There were 4 bathrooms on the boat. Note that the food and drinks are cash only. read more

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Amazing experience! We decided to take a trip to visit family in Massachusetts. We planned to go Whale Watching and scored a good deal on Groupon. My family lives in Fall River, so this was about 1.5 hours away. Our scheduled time was for 8:30, so we made sure to leave the house pretty early. When we arrived, there was plenty of parking. There were porter pottys outside near the ticket/souvenir shop. Once we picked up our tickets, we lined up to wait for them to allow us to load. Prior to getting on the boat, they did a run down of all the rules. With covid, they do require that you wear a mask when boarding, if walking around and if you go to the food area. They do allow you to take off your mask when seated. They also mentioned that they were operating at a 35% capacity, to enforce social distancing. When we boarded, we decided to go upstairs. The seating had tape to ensure social distancing as well and they reviewed the rules again. The staff were amazing and very knowledgeable. They made the experience unforgettable. They knew the history and all about the whales. They did sell various snacks and drinks, including alcohol and not a bad variety. The prices were decent. We were very lucky to see so much action from the whales. They were beautiful! Afterwards, staff did offer sales of items such as stickers, straws, coozies, and the picture package. I paid $20 for the picture package, which was super worth it for my first whale watching experience. Overall, I would definitely recommend checking Cape Ann out if going whale watching. The experience was great and the staff were amazing as well! read more

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Fabulous experience out in the open waters - about 9 miles off Gloucester - for 4 hours. We saw dolphins (even the apparently rare white beak dolphins) and tracked two humpback whales who frequent the feeding grounds (Dross and Pinball). Super sightings of blow holes and dives... and the captain made an effort to rotate the boat often so everyone got good views. Just expected the boat to be smaller - it does feel "touristy" with all the crowds and cameras. read more

A completely amazing experience! I highly recommend Cape Ann Whale Watch in Gloucester, MA. This was our second time out with them and both times were memorable, but this time we really lucked out! We came upon a couple of humpback whales flipper slapping (which the crew informed us is only seen about 10% of the trips they go on), then later encountered two other humpbacks who ended up hanging out around our ship for a really long time, coming very close and "mugging," aka people-watching. The crew was great about sharing knowledge of the whales, their habits and behaviors, etc. Per governor's orders, they could be running at 50% capacity, but have chosen to run at 35% for the comfort of all passengers. That was great because there really was a comfortable spacing between groups of passengers. The crew of Cape Ann Whale Watch was extremely diligent about wiping down touch surfaces every half hour during the cruise, and the boats are electrostatically cleaned by a professional cleaning company when docked. Face masks were required at all times when walking around on the boat. (People could remove them when they were in their 6' socially distanced seating area, if they chose, but just about everyone kept theirs on the entire time, except when eating or drinking.) There is a bar and snack area to purchase beverages, both alcoholic and non, and snacks, like microwave popcorn. (The coffee was good!) We would absolutely go again!!! read more

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It is a great venture. Sadly we didn't see any Whales despite numerous tries by the Captain; however, they did give us a raincheck to use next year. So, I would say it is a great company. We also had a wonderful lunch before the sail read more

Found this spot while searching for activities of fun things to do while traveling. Highly !!! Recommend!!! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They walked around with props giving you fun facts about whales ! We found multiple whales. The ship was big enough to where it was not packed which is nice during a time of pandemic. They also have a snack and drink bar where you are able to purchase items. They have a top deck and an inside area depending on your preference. The price was very good and I would go again! read more

Not fun didn't see whales but a tail waste of time and the drive was mislead no fun drinks was watered down and food wasn't the best

My family and I had a great time on the 1:30 sailing on 08/01/23! The boat was full, but when we got to the whale viewing area, the boat was large enough to where everyone can get a great view! We saw 3 whales and 3 calves on this trip! The boat ride there and back was very pleasant, and our narrator did a great job of telling us facts about the area, and great facts about the whales we saw. I would highly recommend it! read more

What an amazing tour, the staff was extremely knowledgeable and patient that we saw what we came out to see. Be prepared to stay out until you see a whe, we were not, but plenty of snacks on board. Beautiful weather and tour. This photo wS shared with a few if us from another passenger as the breach happened so fast and unexpected, we were not ready to photograph it, so thanks Shelly for sharing. read more

Cape Ann Whale Watch - Niles calf suddenly breached unexpectedly! - Boat Charters Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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We had an amazing trip! This was our first whale watch and we would book the trip again next year! read more

This was an awesome tour! I highly recommend it. The employees were great. They were very knowledgeable. Got to see Fin Whales and Humpback Whales. They were great on making sure we got to really see them. I would do this tour again if we come back. read more

Saw from 4 to 6 whales about 20 to 30 times. Owners very concerned for whales. You are in their feeding grounds and there are other tour boats in the same area all hours of the day. Idea to to not disturb the whales so that they can peacefully eat and FREELY RETURN to the same area. You can bring your own lunches, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Nothing in glass though. Educators very informative. read more

It was pretty amazing. And the crew made all the difference. We enjoyed every minute of the experience. read more

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By far the best! Been on many different watches, with other companies, NOTHING comes close to Cape Ann!

This trip was so much fun! Our family would definitely do this again!! We saw 12-15 whales plus North Atlantic dolphins! Thanks for a great time! read more

My husband and grandson went yesterday, didn't see anything. They were given 2 orange slips to go again. Not sure how to use them, but it was a nice touch for going out and not seeing any fish at all. I have been on so many whale watches and never once has that happened to me. Just a bad day I guess. read more

We choose cape ann whale watch by reading its review and I would give 3.5/5.They educated us in whole trip about diff types of whales but I was expecting (of course I should nt) whales in the air, I did not find so. After long waiting time, we got to see that 8-10 whales and lo of dolphins. Captain was well aware of all the areas so he took us to all possible spots where we can get the glimpse of whales and so are their crew members. read more

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Amazing experience with polite and kind staff. They were extremely knowledgeable on the whales in the area.

We had a great time! Captain and crew very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw whales and captain was excellent at getting us close to them,