Bought two tickets for the 8:30am whale watching tour. Was not able to make it and they graciously allowed my friend and I to join the 2pm tour. Getting there was easy and parking was not bad ($10 cash for the day). You walk to the pier and there's a man with a clipboard you check in with. We left the dock a bit before 2 and the whole trip took about 4 hours. We were lucky enough to see 5 different whales and group of dolphins. The workers were polite and knowledgeable. They do sell snacks, drinks, beer, and some hot food on board (and take cards). read more

Wonderful cruise and very informative. We saw several whales and a pod of around 20 dolphins. Melanie taught us a lot about whales and their habitat s. Would definitely do this again You will not regret taking this tour. read more

See all

We took the Uncle Oscar for an excursion to the Isle of Shoals, with a stop at Star Island. What a fun time. The 3 hour trip is just about right. Our captain was friendly and knowledgeable about the islands and provided plenty of local history as we circled about the islands. Once we docked at Star Island, passengers had the option for a guided tour, or were able to explore the island on their own. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions prevent day trippers from entering any of the buildings with the exception of the touch tank and marine exploration room, and gift shop. All in all, this was a very enjoyable trip and excursion read more

Granite State Whale Watch - White Island lighthouse - Whale Watching Tours Near Me

All but 1 time when we went out we saw whales, seals, dolphins, sunfish and even a shark on one of the trips. And the one time it was too foggy to see anything, we were given a voucher for a different day to go. I love going on these trips! read more

Used them to go whale watching back in August with my daughter on a mommy daughter trip. Apparently these warm months are the best to see these beautiful creatures since they feed on the algae in the waters. We ordered our tickets in advance and was told there was a $5 day parking (cash only) when arrive at the site. I paid a total of $71 for an adult ($42) and child ($29). No taxes. We arrived 30 mins early since that's what they told us and the boat began to board 15 mins before. We checked in when we arrived to the spot and had our vouchers on the phone. They left promptly when it was time to go. There was an upper and lower deck. There was a bathroom for emergency purposes and food and snacks were allowed on. The trip was about 4/5 hrs long. We sat on top and was lucky to see so many whales! Some even in groups (which we were told they normally eat solo). I could give you the background information to the whales but once on board there is a specialist who provides all sort of fascinating information about these beauties. Met a couple on board and they told me this was the best spot since they come every year and have been on on tour guides. Apparently this one never (very rarely) misses a whale Sighting when out on tour. Definitely a must do for a bucket list! Will come here again! read more

See all

We had a blast! We almost didn't see whales but at the last minute, they spotted one humpback which we followed for a while. A whale expert narrated the whale spottings and gave cues for where to look for breaches. Afterward on the ride in, we all got to touch whale baleen and see photos of other whales in the area. The boat is large and double tiered, but we stayed on the bottom, right side. There are concessions which offers some shelter from the wind and familiar options like ramen and chips. The water does splash up and the wind makes it colder so I'd suggest you bring a jacket! read more

This we the best whale watching trip myself or my family has ever experienced. We saw multiple species of wales, dolphins, a hammerhead shark, sunfish and seals. Having a marine bullish onboard added to the experience. The crew is friendly, attentive and made sure everyone was safe. We will take this tour again. read more

A fantastic adventure! Remember to bundle up and anticipate the refreshing sea breeze by wearing layers. It truly is an incredible experience. read more

See all

The trip was wonderful! The boat was clean and the crew members were fantastic. David was wonderful, he came around and explained what we might see, why we went to the area we did, and educated us throughout the entire experience. We got to see Fin whales, humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises and a variety of birds. The captain got us as close as he could to the wildlife, at one point we were maybe 20 feet away from a humpback! They have a crew member taking pictures and for a $25 donation, you get access to the pictures she takes! Overall it was an amazing experience! read more

This was absolutely the best trip I have ever been on. Saw 14 different whales of the Fin and Humpback species. A huge pod of over 100 Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin, two basking sharks, two sunfish, a couple of harbor seals and a ton of birds. The expert Marine Biologist working with the captain of the boat got us into close contact with these wonderful animals and there were two interns circulating the boat answering questions. Five Stars! read more

See all

This was my first time whale watching and it was great. We saw several whales within 45 minutes of starting the trip. We were closer to the whales than I expected we were going to be. I liked that this boat was small and it wasn't packed with too many people. It made it easy to be able to get to the side of the boat where the whales were at. We also saw an interesting fish floating around sun bathing. The staff was great and gave us good information regarding the marine animals we saw. You are allowed to take snacks and drinks (non alcoholic) on board. They also sell snacks and drinks inside the cabin. They have bathrooms available. Take a sweater because it can get cool out there. Most people wore jeans and T-shirt's and that worked well. Btw, I didn't get motion sickness, but it you have a tendency to do so, take something before your trip. There's no smoking on board and you will be out there at least 4 hours. Parking is available on site. If you want a hardier meal before or after your trip, there's two small restaurants next to the ticket office selling seafood. read more

See all

great time. knowledgeable. got us to the whales. nice little snack bar on boat. well worth the money. read more

See all

AMAZING! We saw so many whales...and it was as if they were putting on a show. We did the 2:00 trip. I've been on several whale watches and this trip exceeded any one ever gone in before! read more

Oh yeah! This place is the bomb! Reasonable prices, plenty of room on the comfortable boat, decent galley, and they found tons (literally) of whales and dolphins. We were the boat getting to the whales first, radioing the other companies, then they were lining up to bring their passengers by a few nautical miles behind us. I'd recommend the first tour of the morning in the summer because there's a brief shoals route by a really neat lighthouse on the way back, so it's a lot of time in the sun. The huge fin whales to the baby dolphin calves really made this a standout part of the New England vacation for the family. read more

See all

my husband and i were in Portsmouth for the weekend, and he suggested we do a whale watch on Sunday afternoon. the boat left at 11, and is advertised as a 4 - 5 hour excursion. checking in was a great experience- we found that all the staff were very friendly and helpful. the boat is a bit smaller than what i'm used to for a whale watch. i'd say it could accommodate about 50 people or so. we were fortunate enough to get seats on the upper deck. much of the length of the cruise is the trip out to Jeffrey's Landing, an area with a wealth of food that whales enjoy, but we saw some marine life along the way. they suggest bringing some layers, as the temperature will definitely be cooler on the water, and i can attest to that- definitely bring something warm, as well as a hat. it can get very windy and cool, and you want to be prepared. our captain did a great job of making sure both sides of the boat were able to see whatever marine life was around, and also emphasized the need for safety, and not to disturb the whales or sharks we did see. this was a great experience, and a good value for the money. the parking situation was plentiful and cheap, and there are a few shacks right in the parking area where you can get a bite before or after the boat ride. if you're in Portsmouth and looking for a great whale watch experience, i would definitely recommend Granite State Whale Watch. read more

We just returned from the 2:00 whale watch on a picture perfect summer day. Everyone we crossed paths with, from the parking lot attendants to the boat staff, was warm and welcoming. Thanks for giving us a great afternoon! read more

Perfect first whale watching experience with this company! The naturalist on board who narrates the trip was very knowledgeable and gave lots of interesting facts about the area and the marine life. We saw so many whales- 5 humpbacks and several minke. Two of them got very close to the boat for a while. We also saw a couple of schools of dolphins. The captain made sure to position the boat so that people on both sides could take turns with the best views. Super fun experience. Definitely bring layers. It's colder on the sea with the wind. I wore pants and a sweatshirt and probably could have used another layer and a hat or gloves. read more

Granite State Whale Watch - Whale Watching Tours Near Me

See all

This was a great tour! Dress for the cold weather and get good seats it's a pretty long tour at 4 hours but the boat was clean and the staff was good read more

Amazing sunset cruise for my family and I. We were celebrating the life of a family member. It was a beautiful night on the ocean. Cash bar and the "Uncle Oscar" was enough room for the group we had. Captain Pete was awesome! We recommend Granite State Whale Watch!! read more

The price was great, We did the first tour in the morning to beat the rain, so glad we did, the boat was a perfect size, not over crowded. The crew was very helpful, we seen 3 different types of whales, one decided that it was a good idea to come up close and personal, then under the boat after we seen his full size and fin. An experience I will never forget. I highly recommend this trip. read more

Granite State Whale Watch - Whale Watching Tours Near Me

See all

This was my first whale watch, so although I have nothing to compare it to, I think it was excellent. We decided Friday night that we wanted to do the Saturday morning 8:30 am trip. Thinking it might be pretty busy being a weekend, we booked our tickets in advance online. We were even able to use our AAA discount this way which saved us $3 per ticket. Checking in with our virtual ticket was no problem at all the following morning. As it turns out, the boat was not crowded at all. They can take up to 100 people but I would guess we sailed with 30 or so. We secured our seats on the upper deck and as we headed out to sea I was happy to be wearing many layers. It was a sunny day, 58 degrees at 8:30, but it does get much cooler when you're 20 miles offshore. Within an hour and a half we had our first sighting: a minke whale. The crew and interns always let us know where to look when there was a sighting, but didn't go on and on the whole time like I was afraid they might. They were knowledgeable, supplying ample information, and I learned quite a bit about whales on our excursion. We also spent some time with a humpback whale which was VERY impressive. On our way back to shore we had a brief encounter with a sunfish (I'd never even heard of this). It was also interesting to overhear the interns taking notes in their logs, not only of the marine life, but also potential hazards such as a Mylar ballon floating in the ocean. We docked around 1:45, so the trip does take a bit of time. I advise you to dress in layers, bring a few snacks and WEAR SUNBLOCK. You don't realize you're getting a burn when it is so cool out there (experience speaking). read more

See all

I recently went on a Granite State Whale Watch cruise, and it was a great experience. The whole tour took several hours, and we saw quite a number of whales of various species, while the knowledgeable guide explained quite a bit about them. read more

We took a whale watch with Granite State a few weeks ago and had a great time. We went on a Friday morning and there were about 50 other people on the boat. We spotted a minke whale not very far out, maybe just past the Isles of Shoals, and stayed with it for about ten minutes. We then had to drive out another 20 or so miles (we were 32 miles from shore) before we came across three humpback whales. It was amazing to get such an up-close and personal view of the whales! The staff, including the marine biologists and students on board, were very knowledgeable. They kept up a narrative when we were with the whales and from time to time during the trip, but nothing overwhelming. On the trip back, we spent some time talking with the different students and professionals on board and it was very interesting. I would definitely recommend the trip. read more

Disappointing. The price was good; crew was good, friendly and helpful. But, watch was disppointing. Early on reaching Jeffries Ledge the crew identified two humpback whales. We continued watching these two whales for the majore part of our time at the ledge. We cruised back towards land and saw a couple more whales, a Finn and a Minke. We didn't stay with them long. A friend who has been fishing Jeffries Ledge around the time we went out said there were a lot of whales. It felt like the crew decided to just focus on two rather than cruising around to find more. read more

Was Great . Saw many whales, a calf and mom breavhing. Narrator was excellent and informative. Saw porpoise pods also. Never thought we would see this many whales. read more

We went out yesterday afternoon and had a great time. The crew went above and beyond to help me board with a wheelchair. Boy did they find the whales, at one point we were in the middle of 20 + animals. My daughters first whale watch at it was the bomb. Perfect weather, perfect crew, could ask for no more. read more

this was a great company to deal with. i was able to book my reservations online, and when i got the confirmation email it gave me all the information that i would need. stuff like if there was to be a cancellation when i would know by, and also gave me the heads up that there would be a large group of kid campers and if i wanted to make different reservations i could. i found this quite helpful and a nice courtesy...on the ship the captain was very informative and kept us out as long as she possibly could. Had a good experience read more

What An amazing day! The crew were great and very informative. We saw 3 different type of whales, the minke, humpback, and fin whale. We had our 5 month old and he even enjoyed it! We also saw some seals, and a bunch of different birds. These guys know what they are doing! read more

July 2016: Granite State Whale Watch is awesome. The staff make a great effort to make sure you get what you pay for - they even give you a voucher to come back within a year if your outing is not successful. We went in the morning which I recommend over the afternoon as our group was smaller than the one that followed us, giving us more room to walk around the boat. We saw several different species of whales and we were educated on things like their weights/lengths, how long they can hold their breath, how the company tracks the whales that live in the area, etc. We spent a nice amount of time near a mother and her calf who showed off with several breaches and waving/hitting his fin on the water - we were close enough to get really great pictures with our phones. The boat felt safe and was clean, restrooms in board, they allowed outside food. Great price, captivates all ages, worth it. read more

enjoyed the day on the water. the weather was perfect for viewing. we saw several whales. a pair of fin backs swam side by side to start our day . saw some minke whales, some porpoises, and harbor seals. the guides were very good and informative and the group we traveled with were very friendly. read more

The captain spoke so fast no one could understand what he was saying. The young lady who was a marine biologist was very well spoken and did a good job on explaining the difference of the whales and what their characteristics were. Only got to see a Minke whale, no others. read more

My husband and I went on an afternoon whale watch excursion last weekend and had the best time! We saw several different species of whales, a few harbor seals, and lots of sea birds. The staff was so friendly and knowledgeable and just wanted everyone to have a great trip. The website is also really helpful to read beforehand with lots of tips about the trip and what to bring on the boat (windbreaker jacket highly recommended). Overall we had a great time and would definitely go again! read more