Overview
4 hours
Mobile ticket
You are guaranteed whale sightings on this whale watching tour out to Stellwagen Bank, a national marine preserve about 12 miles off the coast of Gloucester deemed one of the "Top 5 Whale Watching Destinations in the World" by the World Wildlife Fund due to the wide variety of whale species whom migrate to the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts every year to feed on the abundant natural resources. This is one of the best whale watching in New England as it's an awe-inspiring experience which every human being should have the opportunity to appreciate.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Please dress appropriately to current weather conditions
Please arrive at least 45 minutes prior to your reservation in order to park, check in & board the vessel
What To Expect
For over 35 years, this whale watching tour has been dazzling whale watching enthusiasts with sightseeing tours aboard the largest, fastest and most elegant whale watching vessel in Massachusetts, north of Boston, Massachusetts aptly named "The Hurricane II" due to its immense size and speed as it descends upon its destination. You will have the opportunity to spend a lot more time with the whales than with other whale watching tour in Gloucester, MA since "The Hurricane II" gets to the whales' feeding grounds with much more expediency as well as traveling home faster, therefore more time is actually spent observing whales including but not limited to Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Northern Right Whales, Pilot Whales, Northern Right Whales, Sperm Whales, Sei Whales, Blue Whales (The Largest Whales in the Seven Seas yet seldom seen around Gloucester, MA), Fin Whales, Atlantic White Sided Dolphins, Harbor Porpoises and whole host of other fascinating marine creatures. "The Hurricane II" boasts 115 ft length with over 400 ft of whale watching room from the railings of the upper and lower observation decks for optimum whale watching conditions. There is a heated, furnished indoor cabin with a full service galley serving hot meals, snacks and cold beverages as well as a fully stocked bar with local brews, popular beer, wine and mixed drinks (at your own expense). You'll be taken to where the whales go. The vessels communicate with each other as to the location of whales so the boat will go anywhere to see them on the North Shore or South Shore of Massachusetts including off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts: Salem MA, Newburyport, Cape Cod, Hampton NH, Rowley, Rockport MA, Danvers, Peabody, Swampscott, Revere, Winthrop or wherever else the whales may roam.
Options
Departure
What‘s Included
Professional guide
Naturalist onboard
Full galley
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
4,498 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing Whale Watching
10joycea,Jun 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful! Saw 13-14 Humpback whales, three with calfs. Staff seemed genuinely excited as well. Whales put on quite a show, jumping out of water and one calf was very active, slapping tail on water. Proffesional staff provided interesting facts and education along the journey. Appreciate their work to assist conservation and research.
Great 4 hours on tour with experienced environmentalists
dann0w,Jun 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Terrific 4 hours on the water with experienced environmentalists...highly recommend thus whale watching tour
Great Day on the Ocean
lisavG7902AD,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I’ve been going out of Gloucester Whale watching for many years. This trip was another wonderful experience. The staff was all courteous, professional, and attended to their various tasks with apparent ease. The boat was clean, it seemed in very good working order. D docent was interesting and knowledgeable. Lisa and the galley was a ray of sunshine. The hot pretzels are fabulous! And simply buy a quirk, wehad a gorgeous day. 24 miles out we found six whales, including a mother and calf and one fella who was inclined to spend about 45 seconds tail slapping so that was pretty fabulous.
A new meaning for the commercial whaling!
John A,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We have done a lot hot whale watching over the years. My wife, 2 of our kids, and I really think this was the best. I’ll try to upload videos, we have a ton of them. The humpback whales were very playful and not scared of us.
Great time seeing whales!
P9122LSmikek,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful, everyone was nice and helpful. The ride out was pleasant, Tina the wildlife person did a fantastic job at explaining things.
Picture perfect excursion!
kmg1219,Jun 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful day on the water with knowledgeable crew and majestic whales.
Fantastic! We took longer than expected to get out to the reef but well worth is! Guides brought us right to the whales!
Mary P,Jun 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The ride took longer than expected to find the whales but when we got to the reef we had whales dancing and adult whales swimming by young ones dancing it was a dream come true!!!!
Best whale watch experience
Cappysmama,Jun 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I have been whale watching with Cape Ann Whale Watch for at least 30 years. My daughters adopted Cats Paw and Salt. This is the only cruise I would ever book.We have been on 2 cruises this spring and had breathtaking encounters each time. Tina's enthusiasm is contagious. She is passionate and well educated about "everything whales"
Whale associates and seals to see
katherinepower6,Jun 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was awesome! Saw 2 calves and a few mothers and a male. Was great! Very knowledgable about the animals and who they were
AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE
24471971,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I am writing this review because even though my family didn't get to go out on the whale watching tour that we were scheduled and paid to go out on because of the weather. I am writing to tell you about the AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE I received from the staff when they had to make the tough decision not to go out. I was notified 24+ hours in advance by a text message from them and followed up by a phone call to see if they could reschedule us for another time or give us a full refund. Unfortunately we were only in town for the weekend and they didn't have another sailing set until they were sure it was going to be safe to take the boat out and we would already be traveling home. As soon as they knew it wouldn't be safe to go out they made the tough decision to cancel and that is why I am waiting this, not to complain, but to tell you they took safety over money and profit and I will gladly book with them in the future, because they are a great business with AWSOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!
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Operated by Cape Ann Whale Watch