We didn't see anything but birds, but a day on the water is always good. And hey, for only $60 per person for a 4 hr boat ride, it isn't bad at all. A couple of times they announced seals and whale fins, but we didn't see them. It became a joke with everyone around us that they were making it up. I'm sure they weren't. Just humorous that none of us could see anything. Snacks and beverages on board. Same with a bathroom. Staff professional and friendly. Do better than I did and wear sunscreen read more

Odyssey Whale Watch - Portland Head Light - Portland's most iconic lighthouse - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Portland, Maine

$450 for five of us and didn't see a thing. Maybe possibly the head of a seal in the harbor. What a waste of money. $90 adults. $75 for children. No complimentary tickets offered due to lack of marine activity. This is the second attempt as seeing whales out of Portland. Same experience both times. I would never recommend doing a whale watch out of Portland. read more

Was in Portland on vacation and we wanted to go whale watching. Tour was a lot of fun. We even got to see some whales. Staff was friendly but could have used a little more info about the tour itself. Also the boat needs an upgraded sound system. read more

Odyssey Whale Watch - The mighty vessel - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Portland, Maine

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After an unnecessarily unpleasant interaction with the older gentleman with glasses behind Odyssey Whale Watch's walk up window, I'm so glad I *didn't* follow through with booking a tour with this company. My fiancé and I came to Portland for a week long getaway. As it was our first time, we wanted to hit the more touristy attractions so a boat tour was a must. We considered the 4hr whale watching tour offered through Odyssey but I was nervous about getting sea sick, so we opted for a shorter sunset lighthouse cruise through Portland Discovery Tours to test the waters (literally and figuratively) - the intention being, if I was able to tolerate the shorter cruise with PDT, we would then book the 4hr whale watching cruise through Odyssey for another day during our trip. On the day of our sunset tour with PDT, we arrived while it was raining so we sought refuge under the building's awning along with several other patrons. We chose an open spot behind a line of others waiting for the same tour. Little to my knowledge, Odyssey Whale Watch and Portland Discovery Tours share a building with walk up windows situated next to one another. I only learned this because after about 5 minutes of standing in line, an older gentleman with glasses behind the walk up window said "ma'am could you not stand in front of my window" and before I could fully turn around to look he followed up with "I'm trying to run a business." It was only then that I looked up and noticed this window did not belong to PDT. I moved of course, but was taken aback by how rude this gentleman was. And to be clear - having to move was not my issue, but there is a professional way to communicate that. For a company that relies on the tourist economy, being rude to tourists seems bad for business? The real kicker is that about 10 minutes later I look over and see the same gentleman closing up his window, walking out and locking up to leave. I did not see a single potential customer come up to the window after I moved which tells me that a tourist looking for refuge from the rain, lined up behind others doing the same thing didn't prevent this gentleman from "trying to run a business", but I imagine an honest review recounting an unnecessarily negative experience with a potential patron might. Once again, I'm so glad I did not book a tour with Odyssey. However, I do highly recommend booking a tour with PDT as they were professional, hospitable and courteous - qualities Odyssey Whale Watch seems to be lacking. A tip to the older gentleman with glasses at Odyssey "trying to run a business" - hospitality goes a long way. read more

Unfortunately didn't see a whale... The boat cruise was nice and they have a bar on the boat. We were given a pass to come back, but no future trips. Ack to Maine anytime soon. Check with them before booking to find out if it's a good time of year to catch a whale! read more

I went on a whale watch with a friend back in August 2020. We didn't have high expectations but bundled up and climbed aboard. The guides told us about some of the creatures we *may* happen upon but shared the disclaimer that many times you don't get to see anything fun or exciting. No biggie, since we were just excited for a few hours on the water. We were surprised to see harbor porpoises many times - both still in the harbor and when we got close to one of the lighthouses. We also came across a number of Minke whales, which look like dolphins on top but whales under the surface. Some came VERY close to the boat, which was super cool. Of course we had wanted the National Geographic moment and didn't get that, but we did get to see some of the more rare sightings. I would absolutely go on another whale watch with this group. read more

Never have I visited maine so when I saw this I figured what a cool way to experience the atmosphere and possibly get a chance to see some whales and dolphins. I must say, you def should be dressed for the temperature as it does go down 10-20° on the ocean. Personally I think the cost was pretty high for a person (65$) and especially if you do not get to see any whales it's kind of a busy. But you do get to see the lighthouses and a little history on the area which was cool. Pro tip: look for coupons prior to booking. read more

Right after we pull out of the harbor, the CAPT announces they don't use any sophisticated tools/gadgets/devices to find the whales. They rely on the eyes of the guests aboard to spot the whales. I would expect a business like this to use the money they make to buy said tools/gadgets so that way my family and other families don't spend over $300, all for 3+ hours of looking at water with zero hope (other than our untrained eyes) to spot whales. I'm super disappointed that this is their approach. I don't mind getting skunked by Mother Nature but the fact that there is zero effort put forth by the business to ensure client satisfaction is very disheartening. read more

Unconscionable tourist trap. Odyssey Whale Watch boat does not go out to sea far enough to have a decent experience. We were extremely disappointed to see one Minke Whale from afar, which we kept chasing for a while. It seems they are in partnership with the private parking next door, asking to arrive 30 minutes prior to boat departure, to stand outside of the boat. Parking fees drastically go up due to the extra time. I do not recommend the tour. It definitely ruined our vacation. read more

Great experience. Had many whale sightings and very knowledgeable and friendly staff.

I took the whale watching tour out of Portland and paid a little extra for the upper deck. The trip was really long and we only saw a few porpoises in 4 hours. The guide doesn't talk much once you get into the open ocean so it gets quite boring if you aren't seeing a lot of whales. After the first 2 hours I really just zoned out. They did give us vouchers for a future trip. But it's only for standby which isn't all that useful unless you'll be there several more days on the same trip. and I doubt many people have another 4 hours to block for it. I know they can't predict the whale action but it'd be cool if they offered an option for a discount instead since I can't and don't plan on using the voucher. read more

This place is a scam. When I spoke to the people at the booth they told me that we would definitely see whales since they had seen whales the whole week. We were pretty shocked by their confidence but it made us think it would be fairly certain we would see whales. The morning of the tour it was very foggy, I went to the booth again to ask if we would still see whales despite the fog. She seemed less confident this time but still assured me that we would see whales. The boat ride was foggy and extremely choppy. I didn't see any whales since we didn't stop for long enough when the tour guide apparently spotted one for us to actually see anything. When we went to the booth to request for a partial refund we were spoken to so rudely. The lady lied and said she never assured us that we would see whales. I went to Maine for my birthday to see whales and I left so disappointed and hurt by how I was treated by the people that worked there. Really can't recommend. read more

Odyssey Whale Watch - You can't see 1/4 mile in front of you - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Portland, Maine

We were lucky to see a minke coming up to the surface a couple times, but even if we didn't, I would've scored a 5 based on the experience. Not too crowded, reasonable price of snacks, and the BEST announcer/specialist ever. She kept us engaged and her timing was great-we didn't go too long without info & there always seemed to be another tidbit of info. read more

It was nice. Didn't see any whales. We did see a lot of birds and butterflies. I fell asleep for about an hour. The weather was perfect. I'll come back and try it again before I get any older. you should give it a try. You might be luckier than us. read more

The cruise is run very well. However, be advised the seats on the upper deck are backless benches. Inside on lower deck is benches along the walls so there is a back of sorts. We only saw one whale off in the distance 3/4 way through the cruise. Snacks and drinks available are very reasonably priced. Bottled water is $1.00 per bottle. There are chips and cookies as well. Staff is friendly. I might have liked a little more local information as we headed out. read more

This review is for both the seal watch and the whale watch. The seal watch was great - it was short 45 minutes and the tour guide was active and informative the whole time. We saw plenty of seals. The whale tour was not as great unfortunately. Firstly it's 4 hours long, which is a bit excessive. We saw some harbor porpoises and birds. I don't expect to see whales, but there's not much engagement either. The tour guide barely spoke after the first hour which makes the rest of the trip extremely boring. We wanted it to be over by the second hour. If there's no whales, I'd love for the tour guide to talk about the whales we could potentially see or give any information about marine life. It's also extremely cold and so mostly you just feel cold and bored. read more

Went on this tour yesterday around 2 PM. It was a fantastic tour. It was well narrated and lasted about an hour and 15 minutes which was just perfect. The boat was clean and the restrooms were very very nice. Indoor seating when it was cool or up on deck and outdoor standing and seating as well. Plenty of beverages and snacks to purchase and very well socially distanced and clean. I would recommend this any day of the week. It was perfect for us. Thanks captain and your crew. read more

Odyssey Whale Watch - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Portland, Maine

We did a Friday afternoon harbor seal watch. I guess I just wish I knew what to expect before going (misaligned expectations). There's a rock (rookery) in the harbor, where seals "sometimes" hang out. 15 minute boat ride out to the rock, float around to maybe see seals. We saw about 4 seals (in total) that were swimming near the rookery. I get that the tour company doesn't have control over the wildlife, but this was a sad excuse for a tour... at least it didn't cost much. The captain wasn't the friendliest, didn't really tell stories or share local info, which I think at least pads-out any otherwise mediocre experience. read more

Went out to whale watch today. Didn't have any luck with finding whales but the crew was great and the front desk was very helpful. We were awarded a return trip as a result of no whale site sightings so plan on going back out tomorrow a few warnings When they say bring layers-listen. I wore shorts today (6-26) and will be wearing jeans tomorrow and a light jacket. It got very cold. If you've never been on the ocean away from shoreline bring something for seasickness just in case. You never know until you know. I momed two other families bc they didn't know they would get sick and did. I too learned the hard way long ago PARKING nearly everywhere we found was either full or would be a minimum of $40 to cover parking. We lucked out and found Hubs furniture store for only ten bucks until midnight! The walk was about five minutes and less than three blocks. Totally worth it. For the next trip 'free' you cannot make reservations and it's kinda a hopeful scenario you get on the boat. For once, luckily we are in a pandemic so the charter shouldn't be (half) full. EDIT: for our original rsvp we paid the extra for upper deck. This does not apply to your new rescheduled trip and they were sold out for upper deck so we couldn't additionally purchase. Hopeful for whale sightings tomorrow. Will update my review then. read more

This was an amazing tour. I get that each day is different and you cannot expect to see anything but today was amazing. After being rained out the day before we opted to give up our exclusive seats and sit/stand on the bottom at the stern. After awhile we came across a MInke whale and it was showing off and having a good time. That was the only one we saw, but I can now say I saw my first whale. read more

Odyssey Whale Watch - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Portland, Maine

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It was nice but I don't think I'll do t again. The whales were awesome but it was just basically the same species of whale over and over again. Got a bit sea sick. The boat moved a lot so make sure you don't over eat and buy medication for the motion sickness. Also they have some snacks and water for sale. Cash only!!!! The bathrooms lock 1 hour before the trip is over so make sure you go quick. read more

Even though we didn't see any whales, we give it 4 stars because of the crew. They couldn't be a nicer bunch of folks. It's a solid 4 hour experience. We had some mild chop and the boat was rocking quite a bit. Some poor family had a very sick 4 year old vomiting all over the stern. She threw up on both her parents and all over the back of the boat which made her mother get sick too. The crew did ALL they could to help them clean up and get their puke stained clothes into trash bags and get them more comfortable. Puking passengers aside, the tour was as nice as it could have been considering the thick fog and 2/3 foot waves. They have a marine biologist on board explaining about some of the other various wildlife that we were seeing (mainly birds) and talking about the depths and under water terrain. They serve alcohol and light snacks which was a MAJOR PLUS considering the lack of whale appearances and all the puking that was taking place at the back of the boat. We were impressed that someone from the crew checks the two heads every 30/40 mins or so and keeps them very clean. Nice touch guys! Your passengers noticed and appreciate it. (I tipped the girl when we disembarked and everyone else should too) Not seeing whales or dolphins is not their fault and they stamp your tickets to be used anytime over the next 3 years to come back and try again. We will certainly be taking them up on that offer. read more

BEYOND disappointed! Last year we came all the way from NY and decided to try out the odyssey whale watch - we did not see any sightings of whales. My fiancé and I got a free pass to come for free the next time we came down. Again this year we came down but unfortunately we forgot the pass, we still decided to give it another try and yet again, NO sightings. Do NOT waste your money. #Odysseyripoffs read more

Captain Fred is amazing, and the trip was fabulous! We saw finback whales using their blowholes several times when they surfaced! We also saw minke whales, harbor seals, porpoises, and mola mola! Also, there is a lot of great history in Casco Bay that Fred tells you about during the boat ride. Great trip, don't miss it!! read more

My husband and I reserved spots to go on the whale tour for full price, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. We were able to see 4 Minkie, Minky (sp) whales, a Mola Mola fish (a wacky behaving big, big fish) and a school of tuna. The boat has an upper deck, a lower deck, a cabin area if you want to be out of the sun, and 2 unisex bathrooms with running water. We stayed mostly on the upper deck--and I got sunburned and a little too much sun and had to take a nap LOL Tips: wear sunscreen, bring tons of sunscreen to reapply, wear a hat, dress in layers, bring your own water, snacks and food (the crew really don't care) I don't know if they'd care if you brought your own alcohol--they didn't say anything about it, nor did they check your bags etc. This is not a fancy boat with padded seats or AC, I expected a boat with a glass floor--I don't know why. The boat is loud and after awhile I had to get away from the engine. The trip is long, but worth it. I wouldn't have gone on it with young children though, seemed a little dangerous for the little ones on the trip. Also if you're afraid of getting motion sickness I'd skip this--the boat is smaller than the bigger tourist trip boats so its more likely to experience a bumpy trip especially once you're out a sea. Overall: the crew was nice, the boat was clean, the trip was informative. read more

4 hours on a cruise... And no whales. Very disappointing. They did give us a stamp for a free tour within the next year, but what's the chances of that happening. So 4 people x $50 = $200 for a very expensive boat ride with no whales. They should at least offer $10-20 back instead. read more

We had a good time we were able to see some harbor seals and some dolphins but no whales crew was great.

This is 4-5 hours on a ferry. We did not see a whale on the day we went. Not enough outdoor seating for everyone, had to sit indoors in the beginning. I usually love boat tours, but this one wasn't as enjoyable as I hoped. read more

My wife and our friend bought tickets. My wife is a military veteran with a service dog. The captain rejected the service dog and dismissed the reason for the dog. He was very rude and didn't care at all about my wife's condition. I would not recommend anyone go on this whale watch. read more

We came to Portland to see whales and that is what we did. The crew was great and very knowledgeable. The whales were right off the stern of the boat. It was a great time! We saw birds, seals and porpoises. I would highly recommend Odyssey Whale Watch. read more

I compare my experience at Odyssey Whale Watch with a whale watch I went to in 1994 on a visit to Cape Cod, MA. It took about 45 mins for the boat to travel to the area where we watched for whales. The boat was a bit smaller than the one in 1994 but adequate with an upstairs sitting area & pretty good seating in the bow (front) of the boat. On deck was a cabin with windows & snack bar area. It looked like the crew consisted of about 4 people: the captain, snack bar attendant, deck hand & naturalist. Very pleasant people. I appreciated the onboard naturalist who had a university degree in marine sciences and experience as a field researcher. She was very informative & knowledgeable. There was apparently sonar on board so that the captain & naturalist could determine sea floor terrain, detect schools of fish that would be a likely place to spot whales. The naturalist spotted a minke whale & by timing the duration of the whale's dive, the whale's behavior & changes in directions, the boat followed this one whale for quite a while, maybe close to an hour. I was impressed with the knowledge & skill of the crew. There were moments where I felt like I was with Marlin Perkins' Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom tv show. More than once, the naturalist commented that what we were able to see was a special treat because not all trips yielded whale sightings. The naturalist also identified the birds & other sea animals we spotted. She was able to answer the question "why didn't we see the whale flip it's tail out of the water? (Answer: Unlike some of its more portly whale cousins, the minke's more streamlined shaped body cuts through the water more efficiently so that it does not have to flip its tail out of the water in order to propel itself to the water's surface.) On the way back to port, the naturalist visited the passengers to show us a whale baleen & pictures of different whale species. the The captain was knowledgeable and gave narration about the historic aspects of the islands & lighthouses we travelled by. Contrast this to the 1994 Cape Cod whale watching trip where a boat 1.5 times larger went out to a whale watching area, parked for a while, and then back to the port. I highly recommend this tour. read more

This was an expensive day to see birds n porpoises. The person narrating info should get her facts correct because my husband checked some facts on his phone n they were incorrect. As far a seeing whales, it was a joke. Yes there was a glimpse of a Minka whale but if u blinked u missed it. They were so far away it was hard to see. Not a good investment for a day. read more

This review will cover not just the deep sea fishing service offered by Odyssey but the customer service as well. First off, the fishing experience was horrible. Not because no one on the boat even got a bite, but because the lack of knowledge it seemed by those in charge. This was a deep sea ground fishing trip. To do this, you need to drop your line to the ocean ground, reel it up a few feet and jig the rod. It is a pretty simple concept, but still no guarantee to catch anything. However, on this trip, the crew brought us to a fishing ground that was 300 feet, yet only gave us rods with 100 feet of line. How do you ground fish if you can't get your line to the ground? Needless to say, no one got even a nibble. Crew decides to move to the next spot, same issue. Again, the line does not reach ground and again not a nibble. 3 to 4 hours of fishing and not one bite points more toward a lack of knowledge than a "bad" fishing day. I have been on these trips and if done right, there is always some activity, never a shutout. For the cost of this trip, you would think they would understand the concept. Now for the customer service portion. I went to the company's website and emailed them directly my concern. I took the time to find out the best way to contact them to let them know of my complaint directly. Weeks went by with no response so I filed a complaint with the BBB on 9/1/16. I outlined the same concerns I tried to work directly with them on to no avail. Their response came back over 3 weeks later and did not address my issue, but tried to explain that they ignored my direct email because they say social media sites complaints have become a "thorny" issue. So their choice is to ignore customer complaints? Great customer service. They also assumed that I was unable to have a reasonable discussion so thank you for telling me what my temperament is. They continued on that they "explicitly" do not recommend these trips to pre-teen children (my son is 8). Funny how that wasn't mentioned when they asked for my credit card payment. I have also reviewed their website and the only note I can find is one that says "great fun for entire family". They finished with explaining about all the variables in these trips, which I already mentioned and understood. However, there was not one mention about my biggest concern of ground fishing in 300 feet of water with 100 feet of line. They went out of their way to avoid any pertinent discussion regarding my experience and made excuses unrelated to the trip or my concerns. At this point the BBB has closed the complaint because they have stopped responding to them as well. Is it a wonder they are not BBB Accredited? Deep sea fishing is a great adventure and one you should share with family and friends who enjoy fishing. If you do choose to use Odyssey, I hope that your trip and service is better than mine. I will however never use any of their services again. read more

I am glad I did it. I would never do it again. All the children under 5 I saw were crying and vomiting the entire trip. I saw 5 people fall. One was me! I have a huge bruise across my back and hurt my knee. One lady stayed down after she fell for half the cruise. She really hurt her arm. The boat is extremely uncomfortable. Bring warm clothes and expect to get wet. The day we went out was a hot day. I wore shorts and a hoodie on the boat. I was warm enough. I would have brought a towel to sit on. After 4 hours we saw very little. We did see a small Minke Whale. The crew is very helpful and professional. I loved when we would spot a whale and then chase after it to see it again. Really made the trip. It is a long 4 hour trip. You really have to go out that far to see the whales though. This is not a trip for those looking for a calm day on the water sipping drinks and eating snacks. read more

A disappointing experience. Saw a few birds flying overhead and that's it. I understand nature is unpredictable but for the extreme pricing, I would have expected a bit more- a stop at an island, activities, at the very least free seasickness medicine! It was so windy and the waves were pretty intense- so bad that there were several who had to visit the "back of the boat". Four hours of torture. read more

The great crew made the trip very interesting. Unfortunately our 4 hr trip yielded no whale sightings. We did see a big school of dolphins that swam around the boat quite a bit. The captain even raced after them when they started to swim was which was pretty cool. The boat seats were not very comfortable for such a long time out on the bouncy open waters. I think we would prefer to take a ride that spends less time traveling and more time out where the whales are. read more

Had a fun time although I was expecting to see humpbacks like I did 16 years ago out of boothbay harbor. Apparently the humpbacks are seen much less frequently around here now because they prefer cooler temps. Did see some minke whales but they aren't that exciting. Our tour guide was excellent. She is a marine biologist I think. She was really into her job and very knowledgeable. We learned a lot. read more

Not bad for my first whale watch. We didn't get to see any whales but we did see a basking shark and some porpoises off in the distance. The captain was cool and constantly kept us up to date via the loudspeaker. Ship was clean, staff was helpful and friendly. I really love the fact that they gave us a stamp to come back and try to catch some whales on another day. That's a really great business strategy! read more

Found this on groupon and glad I did. The folks were nice. I was sick so I missed the one whale that was spotted. The score was by my wife. It is over four hours. For those who want to go out on a boat there is a lobster catch ride that is much shorter, cheaper, and you walk away with a lobster read more

Great trip; the crew went out of the way to make sure we saw as many whales as possible. And we saw several; awesome animal; thanks for a great memory read more