City Cruises Boston Whale Watching Cruise by High-Speed Boat
Boston, USA
City Cruises Boston Whale Watching Cruise by High-Speed Boat
Boston, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Experience the best of New England’s marine wildlife on this guided whale-watching cruise around the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Hop on a high-speed boat in Boston that gets to and from the whales in the least amount of time possible. Look out for humpback and fin whales, plus Atlantic white-sided dolphins, with the help of a naturalist guide. The on-board galley offers food and beverages for purchase during the trip.
- Maximize your sightseeing time aboard a high-speed vessel
- Have the best chance of spotting whales, dolphins, and more
- Discover a side of the region that many other Boston visitors miss
- Learn insider facts and stories from your on-board naturalist guide
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 3,437 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
217 reviews
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Travelers highlight this whale-watching tour for frequent close encounters with humpback whales and calves, enhanced by knowledgeable, enthusiastic guides who provide clear, engaging explanations. The spacious, clean boat offers comfortable seating, air conditioning, and well-stocked amenities, contributing to a smooth and enjoyable transit. The captain’s skilled positioning maximizes viewing opportunities while maintaining safety. Families appreciate the interactive, inclusive atmosphere that engages all ages, making the experience both educational and memorable.
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Wow wow wow! An unbelievable experience. Everyone onboard was very knowledgeable and passionate about seeing the whales and other wildlife in a natural way. It doesn’t say on the listing but the money you pay for this trip funds whale research. This is not a tourist trip everyone is marine biologists which is very cool!! Couldn’t recommend this more
Honestly the most incredible experience with Whales coming up to the boat, many of them - we saw over 30 whales. The naturalist that was talking us through everything from NEA was so knowledgeable and lovely and it really showed she loved her job!
So much fun!! Saw so many whales. Tour guides were amazing; very informative and knowledgeable and genuinely as excited as we were to see the different whales.
We had a fantastic trip with lots of whale sightings. The crew were extremely helpful, knowledgeable and passionate, especially Thomas!
We had an amazing time. The crew was so nice and knowledgeable on the ocean and surroundings.
We saw a group of dolphins right out of the harbor that we stopped and looked at for a bit, got to learn a little about them. There was a mola mola fish hanging out at the surface, getting some sunshine too. There was also facts about this crazy weird fish too.
Then we came across our first group of whales, AMAZING EXPERIENCE! They came right up to the boat! A calf did a little tale spin next to us. Then after hanging out with them we moved out further and were surrounded! Whales were on every side of us. There was 4 breaching events and such amazing views. The guides were so excited, they saw some whales they recognized, and introduced them to us. They observe them, they don't track them so they don't know when they will see which ones.
This was literally one of the best tours I have ever been on. I will book with them again when I come back up this way.
There are snacks, food, drinks and a bathroom on board. It was spacious, with lots of seating options. Even places to stand and watch. I was on the front deck. Definitely remember your sunscreen for your face, no matter what time of year it is! Worth every moment. We booked this last minute to "blown time" waiting for a flight at the airport before coming home. Best last minute idea, next time I will book early and this may even be a reason to go back sooner. Please book with them, they are accepting and certified to maintain the safety of the ocean and the animals in it. Wonderful trip!
The captain of our whale watching tour stayed out a little longer than anticipated because of all of the great whale activity we were seeing. She took special care as to not disrupt the whales', especially when we were in the "whale soup!" The naturalists were knowledgeable and about as amazed as we all were when we saw 2 whales breech!
This was amazing!! The naturalists brought us right into the humpback whale breeding ground. It was so awesome to see how much they knew and recognized many of the whales based on their markings. It was an unusually active day, and they said we had 20-25 whales all around us. 5-6 calves as well. They were very vocal, and there were also several breaches. Highly recommend!! Bring warm clothing, lots of layers, hats, and gloves!!
It was canceled, and they won’t respond to numerous so that I can get a refund. I’m questioning their ethics.
Such a great excursion! Very informative and we saw so many whales and the boat crew was wonderful!!! Highly recommend!
Thomas is very passionate and enthusiastic about what he does. His enthusiasm makes the trip. As well of course of being able to see so many whales.
It was fantastic. We got to see so many whales breach. They were really active and putting on a show. Your were able to sit inside or out. There was drinks and snacks on board. Tour guides were active and answering questions. Love it!
Easy booking, good communication. Boarding was slightly late due to a fuelling issue but we were advised beforehand.
Boat is comfortable and there are plenty of seats.
Narration on board is good with lots of interesting facts.
We were lucky enough to see Hump Back Whales and a couple of pods of dolphins.
Really great experience.
This was our first time whale watching. We saw a school of dolphins and several whales!! It was a great experience!! The crew was great as well! Highly recommend!!
The crew, narrator, and roaming educators were informative, approachable and incredibly helpful… and WOW we saw so many humpback whales and dolphins in their natural environment. Truly amazing experience.
Absolutely incredible experience. Definitely will do this again when I visit. Saw whales breaching and so many calf’s coming up!
Make sure you find the line to board and get there early. That way you can choose your location on the cruise. We were lucky to have multiple sightings during our cruise. It was difficult to view everything with the large crowd. Be aware that the winds and water are rough. One of my family members fell during the return trip. It’s very difficult to stand. They need to refit with better rails and be more informative about the hazards.
It is close to 4 hours. If seas are calmer it would s a smooth ride. Crew is very knowledgeable about the whales and very helpful in helping you know where and what to look for. Was an awesome experience
The experience was remarkable and highly recommended. Staff and crew members were both welcoming and well informed.
Crew was great
Weather was wonderful
Saw whales coming up out of water and pods of dolphins
Highly recommend
An amazing experience! 10/10 no notes. We saw numerous whales breeching and lots of dolphins. Truly fantastic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We saw so many whales, and some dolphins too. The naturalists on board did a great job helping us understand what we were seeing. It was such a fun day!
Sadly, they cancelled our tour so I can't give a raving review. We were really looking forward to it and weren't in town long enough to reschedule.
The tour was espectacular! The staff was wonderful and we truly enjoyed it!
We were lucky enough to see 17 whales!
We had a fantastic day and saw 7 whales! Our tour guides were wonderful and very knowledgable. The captain worked hard to make sure all passengers had a good visual on the whales. A well stocked snack bar and perfect weather made for an amazing trip.
absolutely loved the staff, and the experience overall. Only thing i wish was a bit better, would be the food options on board.
The boat was comfortable, the crew was great, and the sightings were incredible! Knowledgeable, informative, and conscientious staff. We spotted about 20 whales. 2 were calves that kept playing! It was a wonderful high speed ride out with fantastic views on the way out and back. Highly recommended this trip!
It was a good cruise-saw a lot of whales. They were smaller than the whales we saw in Alaska-different breeds, but several of them together
Fantastic trip! Seas were rough going out but we saw a TON of whales including mothers & babies. Several full breaches! Wonderful day!
I've got nothing but good things to say about this tour. Hands down, it's one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of - and that is factoring in a fairly abnormal voyage that we were on. Our tour had to swap out boats so we had a bit of a delayed start, but the crew of the boat were so nice about it and got us underway as quickly as possible. Then the swells we encountered were much higher than the readings indicated and we were forced to turn around before getting out to our intended destination. The crew handled the unexpected problem with ease and decisiveness, promising that everyone would be getting a refund, no questions asked, since we didn't make it to our intended whale-watching site. Then our trip took a turn. Nearly as soon as we changed our heading, a minke whale showed up and swam around us for quite a while, coming right up to the side of the ship and even performing a few barrel rolls to show off. The "shooting star of the sea" is a fitting nickname for this creature. It was so much fun to watch! A few minutes later, a pair of humpback whales turned up as well and we got to witness them do some incredible fluking dives. I was literally choked up watching such mighty and majestic animals in their natural habitat. The company still insisted on issuing everyone on board a refund for the trip being cut short even though we ended up getting quite the show. I donated it right back to the New England Aquarium as the experience more than lived up to expectation for us. Most importantly, through it all, the naturalist on board, Briana, was simply perfect. She was so sweet and friendly as she walked around the ship, stopping to talk to every single group aboard multiple times. She was a wealth of knowledge as she narrated our voyage and helped us all to see and appreciate the whales that we encountered. She is clearly so passionate about the animals and she was a joy to listen to. All in all, my family adored this tour, despite the chaos. The ship was clean and well cared-for. The crew was wonderful and courteous, Briana was an angel, and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone in the area. Our trip to Boston would not have been complete without this whale tour. Thank you so much for a great time.
Went in mid September which is slightly outside of peak season and were so lucky to get to see 27 whales and a ton of dolphins. The whales and dolphins were really showing off and rolling around and doing flipper slaps. Super fun trip and would highly recommend it.
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