My husband and I went on a lobster tour. They took us out to see the Bush compound and seals. They explained the lobster traps, brought some up for demonstrations and released them. The guys were very social and entertaining. Being on the water was beautiful. I would recommend this company for both, as we knew a couple theaters went out the same morning to see whales and did see them and had a great time. This is the company to book with for both excursions! read more

First Chance Whale Watch - Present Bush compound - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Captain Dave and his first mate Liam were amazing! They were funny, flexible and great with our large, loud family. read more

First Chance Whale Watch - Lobstering! - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

We went with a large group of people and we were easily accommodated. We got to see quite a few whales as well as some sunfish! There were several in our group that had never been whale watching before so that was really neat! It was a beautiful calm day. The temperature was perfect. Couldn't ask for more. There are drinks & snacks on board for purchase if you don't want to bring your own. I would suggest a sweatshirt or jacket as it did get cool on the water even though it was a 90°+ day! Would highly recommend! read more

Unfortunately not a whale day... beautiful/clean boat , saw pods of dolphins/ porpoises, a sea sunfish Called Moa ? , gorgeous weather, Knowledgeable friendly & crew, voucher to come for another cruise bonus!!! read more

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Sooooo boring! No whales! Did not give us the guarantee Saw one fish Saw one jelly fish! Don't go !!!!! read more

David and Liam were amazing! Very funny and knowledgeable about the area and lobster fishing. We even were able to see some seals swimming around. It was a cool experience, and I never thought I'd hold a lobster! read more

First Chance Whale Watch - Lobster - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

The family and I went went on Nick's Chance and it did not disappoint! Friendly staff, good food, clean boat, highly recommended.

1 star for the boat being extremely clean. 1 star for the staff being very friendly. Besides that, this experience was extremely disappointing. It was nothing more than an exercise in boredom, more than half of the people who were on board fell asleep, & no one clapped or looked happy when we left. We supposedly had a good day, ocean like glass & sunny, yet we saw only 1 small whale from a distance, no tail, no spout, just a small black body occasionally breaking the surface. We also saw 2 small blue sharks &, the most exciting thing, a medium sized sunfish. That was all, in what was close to a 5 hour cruise. The worst part was that their promise explicitly stated on the website was not kept. We did not receive a pass to "come back and try again." Overall, it seems we got very, very unlucky but the fact that we received absolutely nothing in the way of restitution made the whole experience a massive waste of time & money. When you leave an experience feeling scammed, you know something isn't right. read more

Of course, no whales are *promised* on this cruise, but we did happen to see a few mini-breaches when we were the farthest out we could really go. The drawbacks are that it's a hike to get to Kennebunkport. Its a tourist town and crowded AF in the summer... all the things I don't like. That comes with the territory. The vessel, while not overly crowded, does not have the best seating in the world. If you have a bad back, as I do, there is limited seating that has adequate back support. All the demanding hags will claim as many of the seats as they can for non-present family members. Advise you to get there as early as you can, get in the queue, and push all the Karens out of the way so you can get your claim to the best possible seat. Lots of little scamps running around (in the summer) too. That being said, the whales do not have scheduled showing on certain sides of the boat. We were lucky to see the first breach on our side... but in total the number and scale of the breaches was a little underwhelming. The commute for the vessel in/out of the harbour and to/from the farthest point was major sleepy time. I would not do it again. They do offer vouchers that are (supposedly) infinitely good to come back if there were no whale sightings. The price is not so bad though. If you want to experience a lengthy boat ride, then this is for you. read more

First Chance Whale Watch - WHALES! - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

What an exceptional experience! We saw 3 different types of Wales out during our adventure. Whether you're hesitant or passionate about this type of excursion, it is for everyone. The staff was very friendly, insightful and boat was nice. For someone who was worried about getting seasick, it was completely calm. read more

What a fantastic whale watching cruise. I thought the ship was very comfortable with ample room. Their snack shop was great and provided plenty of treats, including hot dogs for the kids, and beer for me. As for the whale watching, we got to see 4 whales and even got to see dolphins jumping through the wake of the boat. The crew was extremely friendly and interactive. I can't recommend this company enough and plan to do it again in the future. read more

We took a lobster boat tour. Our guide was knowledgeable and made the tour fun and informative! We enjoyed seeing the lobster catching process and even holding a lobster! read more

First Chance Whale Watch - Female lobster with eggs. - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

We went on the Scenic Lobster Tour, and had an amazing experience. If you have young kids, sit in the front for the best experience. Captain David was great with the kids and you can tell he just loves what he does. The sea was pretty rough and it wasn't the easiest day to haul a trap, but he made it happen. Gave our kiddos a hands on experience they won't forget. Couldn't recommend this company any more read more

Captain and fisherman on the lobster tour were great. It was fun to see the Bush home and get a little overview, as well as see the seals popping up and learn about/hold lobsters. For those complaining about being sea sick- if you can't handle boats don't go on one... For those that complain about not seeing whales on the whale tours- don't do an event which is reliant on wild creatures to show up read more

First Chance Whale Watch - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

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All went well! Fun trip, fun captain and first mate! Only 1.5 hours but the local tour and lobster handling was a blast!

Went out today for a whale watch and they had to turn around an hour into the trip because the swells were worse than predicted. They refunded everyone's money for the trip. Total class act and we will be going again next summer when we come back to Maine for our end of summer trip. Thank you First Chance whale Watching for being a class act!!! read more

The crew was very kind and gentle with elderly passengers. Funny and personable with all. The galley was better than advertised and actually reasonably priced! read more

We had a great time on this tour! David and Liam were fun, engaging, and very knowledgeable about the coast of Maine, lobsters, and Kennebunkport in general. They really interacted with our kids and let them handle the lobster and drive the boat. They volunteered to take fun pictures of the families on board. It was a really great time!! read more

We did the lobster tour and had the BEST time!!!!! 11/10 would recommend. They showed us all the sites and told us fun facts about the area as well as letting us hold a lobster. So fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

The guys were friendly and entertaining. We had a great time. They took their time to make sure that everyone had their turns holding the lobster, taking pictures, etc read more

We had a great experience on our lobster tour! Our guide did a great job sharing information about the lobsters and other things along the way. He was also great with all the kids on board. Would definitely recommend for any visitors in town! read more

Signed up for the whale tour only to be told at the last minute there was a fuel leak on the boat and for our safety they had to cancel. We walked almost a mile to the dock. We were really disappointed because we were leaving the area the next day. Later that day we signed up for the lobster tour and when we went back to the place we asked if the whale boat was fixed and the guy said yeah it was a 10 minute fix. What, that's not what we wanted to hear. Why did you cancel with probably 75 people wanting to leave and it was a 10 minute fix. Anyway, the lobster tour was good, seas were a little high with 4 foot swells and the boat rocked quite a bit. The captain was very funny and had a great sense of humor. Would definitely been a five star if not for the cancelation of the whale tour. Oh, the bathroom was a little rough. wouldn't recommend using it. read more

Dave and David were so fun and accommodating! Kylie's Chance is a great boat, and we had a wonderful trip.

Great tour of the water off of Kennebunkport. I think its more family friendly than some of the other tours with the boat being bigger. Other tours may have more lobster info but this one was just enough for us as he pulled up traps and explained how they were caught. read more

On June 30, 2025 I paid $65 for a Whale Watch Tour with First Chance Whale Watch in Kennebunk, ME. and saw no whales. All we saw were 3 dolphins and one shark. When we returned several people on the cruise asked for a refund and the company would not grant it. One of the dock workers told us that it was too early and First Chance had told him the waters were still too cold for the whales and knew we wouldn't see any. The young captain lied to us saying that the boat before us had seen whales in a certain spot and said we would stop there on our way back to shore, but we didn't. We were scammed by this company. Two years ago, a little later in the summer I went on the same tour, but not with the same company and only saw a whale's tail. The company gave me a free pass to use on their lobster cruise. Since I'm from Connecticut, they allowed me to go the following year. I would never go on another tour or cruise with First Chance. I don't trust them! read more

Great cruise! Kathy who sold us the tickets was delightful! Dave, the mate, went out of his way to welcome us and was very friendly and informative! The skipper gave a great narration. Loved seeing the adorable seals! read more

This was one of many highlights of our trip to Maine! Nick made sure to check with local fishermen if they had whale sightings around so he would know how far out to take us. The whales moved from here he saw them last, but he was willing to take us about 4 miles further out to ensure we would get to see whales! Indeed, we did! There were a lot of them around us and it was a blast seeing them blow water through their blow hole. What amazing creatures. On the way out I saw a sealion swim by us as well. So cute. I refer to them as sea dogs! Thank you for our 4 1/2 hour successful tour! I got to check this off my bucket list but was so enjoyable I want to do it again!!! First Chance Whale Watch is highly recommended!!! read more

despite not seeing whales, staff was very friendly. i had to call & cancel two members of our group's reservations 2 separate times & staff was super understanding & refunded our payment immediately both times. highly recommend. read more

Had a great time on our lobster tour. Weather was foggy but the captain was able to swing us back around when it cleared. The captain and Andrew were very engaged with all the people on board. Great way to see how lobsters are caught and learn about them. Would highly recommend. read more

This was our first trip to Maine and we were super excited to do a whale watching tour. How disappointed we were in our experience! majority of the people were sick on the boat and vomiting. Then we didn't see any whales!!! I heard so many people on board saying they always have seen whales in the past. Well we saw none. I hope this company will do something for us so we can have the full experience. read more

What an outstanding place! We took the lobster tour and had a great time with my 8 year old daughter. The captain and... uh... I don't know, first mate, were great. They were both kind, knowledgeable and patient. We were very happy that they actually pulled up a lobster trap, educated us about lobstering, the lobsters themselves and allowed the kids to hold the lobster and let them go back into the water. My daughter was given the opportunity to drive the boat and had a blast. Having the shaded area was great and the ability to walk up to the bow was a real treat. We also saw a few seals, many birds, the Bush compound and a few really cool sailboats. I would certainly recommend this tour. read more

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Everyone was so friendly from the ticket attendants, Captain Jerry and first mate! Had some great conversations with all of them. It was a beautiful day, a little choppy but not bad at all. Got to see some big and small lovsters and even held some!Saw some great coastal aights, birds and even seals! Definitely check these guys out!! Great for little kids instrad of a 4+ hour whale watch!! read more

Wonderful ship, outstanding crew. Beautiful day at sea, but did not see whales. Nevertheless, we were issued "forever" vouchers to return at no charge. Impressive! read more

Captain and crew were great, however, we did not see any whales. Would strongly recommend that you do NOT go on the whale watch tour if you're prone to sea sickness. Almost half of the people on the boat were getting sick because the ride was so rocky. It's not anybody's fault that we didn't see whales (and they gave us a non-sighting voucher that never expired to come back, which was great), but it was disappointing to spend an entire day on the water for nothing. I'm sure if you're lucky enough to see the whales (and if you take some dramamine beforehand), then this is a great experience. read more

We enjoyed a good lobster boat tour with First Chance. The cruise is on a pretty large boat that has both covered and open seating. They pack about 40 people on each run, but we had plenty of room to walk around and view everything. Our guide was very funny and kept us all engaged during the tour. The captain did a good job of keeping us on track. You get to see a whole lot of Kennebunkport on this tour. The boat passes the Bush compound for some cool shots along with many other huge estates. The pace is comfortable and you have plenty of time to take pictures or ask questions. Two lobster traps are picked up and we got like 7 lobsters on our tour. They are rubber banded and we are allowed to play with / photograph them. It is a very cool experience and you learn a lot about the laws and rules in place to sustain the lobster population. Very good tour at a good value. Check it out! read more

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We really enjoyed the First Chance Whale Watch tour, which made our overall vacation the best. The crew was awesome. We seen many whales, dolphins and a seal! The captain was very knowledgeable and funny too. We spent extra time on the watch since there was so much action out on the ocean waters. The entire experience will definitely be on our unforgettable list and will make sure to go out again if in the area. Just awesome. read more

Tried the lobster tour in 2020 and the captain and crew took more time pointing out famous/rich peoples yachts and the Bush's Compound than the one lobster trap they pulled. I have been on other tours that will pull multiple AND teach you about the critters in the trap. We been on the whale watch twice now, both times we haven't seen a whale. I do NOT recommend First Chance. read more

We had the best time ever! What a lovely experience! And the staff was so friendly and attentive! Definitely go on their lobster cruise- what a wonderful experience read more

This company is amazing, I had made a reservation and got stuck in traffic with no where to park. They had called to make sure I was going to make it for the tour time. Also stayed in touch letting me know I had a few extra minutes to make it! I didn't catch her name but her and her husband run the tours and she was so generous. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. We went out and pulled up some lobster traps, saw some seals lounging on rocks and learned about the Bush Estate. read more

We took our 4 and 1 year olds on this trip and it was the perfect length of time for them! Our 4 year old had the opportunity to hold a lobster, help put the band on the claw, and drive the boat. It was the most wonderful way to spend a beautiful morning in Maine out on the water! We had done the whale watch cruise two years prior but knew our 1 year old wouldn't be able to last that long on a boat so this was perfect for us. read more