What are the opening hours?

Monday 7am - 7pm Tuesday 7am - 7pm Wednesday 7am - 7pm Thursday 7am - 7pm Friday 7am - 7pm Saturday 7am - 7pm Sunday 7am - 7pm

7 Seas Whale Watch

Home
United States
Gloucester, MA
7 Seas Whale Watch

Daily narrated whale watching trips from Gloucester to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 🐋 We look forward to seeing you on the water.
(717)

For more than 30 years, 7 Seas Whale Watch has had the privilege of introducing thousands of passengers to the many species of whales and marine wildlife that inhabit the waters off our coast in and around the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Named Best Boston Area Whale Watch, we are a 45-minute drive north from downtown Boston in the historic New England seaport of Gloucester, MA

Our

whale watch trips run from mid-April to mid-October and are designed to educate, inspire and provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of our fragile marine environment. We are a family business – Three generations of career captains have worked from this very dock for more than 7 decades. We have a love and respect for the marine environment and a passion for providing the best possible customer experience for you and your family. Browse our website, reserve tickets on-line, call our sales office or use our contact form to ask a question or send a comment.

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! We hope your day is filled with quality time with loved ones, and plenty of delicious food.

Speaking of food, did you know that humpback whales eat about a ton of it every single day? To put that in perspective, the average Thanksgiving turkey weighs around 16 pounds, so it would take about 125 turkeys to satisfy a humpback whale at a Thanksgiving feast. However, they’d have to pass on a turkey. Despite their size, a humpback whale’s throat is only about the size of a grapefruit, making it impossible for them to swallow one, even if they tried.

11/17/2024

In our season recap, we highlighted that we encountered 12 species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) this past season. Here’s an illustration of each of those species! Which ones did you see with us? We'd love to hear your story…share it below!
•
•
•

11/01/2024

A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who joined us this season. As we bid farewell to another incredible year, I can’t help but smile and reminisce about all the unforgettable encounters we shared. Moments that truly felt once in a lifetime, made even more special because we experienced them with each of you.

This year, we had a groundbreaking season in cetacean sightings, spotting an impressive 12 SPECIES! Many of our long-time crew members saw new species for the first time, including a blue whale and long-finned pilot whales. Other highlights included massive swarms of krill, sightings of basking sharks, leatherback sea turtles, numerous fin whales, and dolphins spotted on more trips than in recent memory. Check the photo captions for more details!

A final thank you goes out to our unstoppable team, from the office staff to the crew, who worked tirelessly to ensure every trip was unforgettable, educational, and enjoyable for our passengers. You all are the crème de la crème.

Stay tuned for more posts throughout the winter. See you in the spring of 2025!

10/28/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ October 28, 2024

And just like that, our 2024 season has come to an end! This weekend’s trips were windy and seasonally brisk, but we were fortunate to spend time with over a dozen HUMPBACK WHALES. The whales remained associated in groups of two, three, or even five. While the last trips of the season always carry a bittersweet feeling, there was no better way to wrap up the year than surrounded by whales.

Humpback whales identified: Valley, Cacophony, Ditto, Pina, Jigsaw, Decimal, Bolide, Lichen, Rope, Sprinkles, Blackhole, and Jawa.

Stay tuned for a summary post celebrating our incredible season, featuring many of our best photographs and memories!

10/24/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ October 24, 2024

The last week of our season has been truly spectacular. We've spotted numerous individual humpback whales over the past few days, and it’s hard to believe the season is almost over! We're keeping our fingers crossed that the weather forecast for this weekend will allow us to head out on the water for our final two trips.

Humpback whales observed: Pinball, Jigsaw, Pluma, Dome, Handstand, Valley, Cacophony, Rope, Lichen, Quarternote, Owl, Chromosome, Boathook, Chablis, Decimal, Cirrus, Fan, and Patchwork.

10/21/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORT ~ October 20, 2024

As we enter the season's final week, we’re still spotting numerous HUMPBACK WHALES just a short distance from our dock. These whales have been forming pairs and trios that shift throughout the day. Many are individuals we haven't seen all season, while others are entirely new to us. Of course, some of our more frequently sighted whales are also in the mix.

Humpback whales observed: A-Plus, Decimal, Boat hook, Jigsaw, Pluma, Handstand, Chromosome, Cacophony, Valley, Quarternote, Lichen, Owl, Rope, Strikeout, Bungee’s ’23 calf, and more!

We only have a handful of trips left this season. Join us before it ends!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

10/16/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORT ~ 10/16/24

We've had a few windy days here in Gloucester, but we still managed to get offshore on Sunday’s trips and Tuesday. As you can see from the photos, the trips were nothing short of spectacular. On two separate occasions, we witnessed a rare TRIPLE BREACH, three individual humpback whales launching out of the water. Seeing this once in a season is rare, but to experience it twice just days apart is incredible! On Sunday, the triple breachers were Brine, Downsweep, and Partition. Tuesday's breachers were Pitcher, Sprinkles, and Lutris.

We hope these great sightings continue through the remainder of the season. Join us to find out! We still have some spots available for tomorrow’s trip.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

10/11/2024

A tail breach from Clamp to end today’s trip! This afternoon, Clamp was traveling with Partition. As many of you who follow our posts know, we’ve spent a lot of time with Clamp and her 2024 calf this season. However, during our last two encounters, Clamp has been seen without her calf.

Calves typically spend about a year with their mothers, so as we near the end of our season, it’s not unusual for them to start venturing off on their own for extended periods. It’s also quite possible that her calf has officially "left the nest" and has gained full independence. We’ve noted in recent posts how much he has grown.

It’s a bittersweet moment for us, as we’ve truly enjoyed watching her little one mature over the course of the season. We hope to see him again in the future, just as we have with many of Clamp’s previous calves.

10/06/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ October 6, 2024

Yesterday, we enjoyed two beautiful fall trips on the water, encountering HUMPBACK WHALES engaging in various behaviors, from resting and subsurface traveling to flipper slapping and even breaching! In the morning, we also got a brief look at a singular RISSO'S DOLPHIN, a species rarely seen in the southern Gulf of Maine. There were likely more in the area, but these dolphins are known for being deep divers! In the afternoon, we conducted a plankton tow, which is engaging for passengers. They got close looks at some of the ocean’s tiniest creatures.

The individual humpbacks we identified included Clamp and her calf, Ravine, Partition, Satula, and Quarternote.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

10/04/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ October 4, 2024

Happy October! It's hard to believe we're already in the final month of the 2024 season. Recently, we've stayed close to home, spending time with HUMPBACK WHALES and ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS. Monday brought beautiful weather, followed by rough seas on Tuesday and Wednesday. The winds shifted for the better by Thursday, and we located multiple humpback whales.

On Monday, we had an incredible close-to-boat encounter with Dross and Ravine. This relaxed pair spent some time interacting with seaweed before turning their attention to our boat. With no other vessels in sight and perfect sea conditions, we turned off our engines and allowed the whales to approach. The passengers and crew were as excited as ever but remained quiet, simply listening to the sound of the whales breaths and watching as they lifted their heads toward the boat.

Other humpback whales we've spent time with include Satula, Pluma, and Clamp + calf. We were thrilled to welcome this mom and calf back to the Cape Ann area!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

09/29/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

We're finally back on the water after being docked for over a week due to a large storm. HUMPBACK WHALES continue to be seen in the area, along with FINBACK WHALES and several species of sharks, including a THRESHER SHARK and a BLUE SHARK! For bird enthusiasts, there’s been a nice variety of sightings, such as shearwaters, jaegers, northern fulmars, northern gannets, and even a few warblers that hopped aboard to catch a ride back to shore.

Fall is a fantastic time to be on the water, and with only a month left in the season, we’re savoring every moment!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

09/17/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ September 17, 2024

Our last three trips have perfectly illustrated the uniqueness of each trip! On Sunday morning, we spent time with not one, but FOUR different toothed whale species: LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALES, BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS, COMMON DOLPHINS, and ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS. By the afternoon, the toothed whales had moved on, and it was all about FIN WHALES, the second-largest animal on Earth, which we got up-close looks at. Monday’s trip offered a different experience, as we encountered five HUMPBACK WHALES not far from Gloucester. Three of them were individuals we had not yet seen this season, including Dusky, Cat Eyes, and Buckshot.

We’re often asked when the best time is to see the whales, and when they are most active. While various whale species can be seen off our coastline throughout the year, the best answer for our season is, anytime between April and October. In many ways, what makes a trip special isn’t just what the whales are doing, but also what we can learn from them. For example, this season, we’ve had two sightings of long-finned pilot whales, and during both encounters, they were traveling with bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, and Atlantic white-sided dolphins. In recent years, Atlantic white-sided dolphins have been the only frequently seen toothed whale species, which raises an interesting question… what brings these species together in such interspecies associations?

Another moment was yesterday’s trip, where we added Cat Eyes to the sightings list and observed that Dusky, listed as a 2024 mother, was no longer with her calf. Every observation, no matter how big or small, contributes valuable information to this population and is shared with the Center for Coastal Studies.

Here are some highlight photos captured by our naturalists, research volunteer, and our whale-enthusiast friend, Julie!

09/15/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ September 15, 2024

It's hard to believe that fall is already in full swing! We're grateful that this September's beautiful weather has allowed us to spend so much time on the water. Since our last update, sightings have included HUMPBACK WHALES, FIN WHALES, MINKE WHALES, ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, and COMMON DOLPHINS. Clamp and her calf have returned to the area after some time away, and it was great to see familiar flukes like Fan and Chromosome!

Check back soon for another special update from today. In the meantime, here are some photos from the past few days.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

09/11/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ September 11, 2024

Over the past few days, we’ve spent time with HUMPBACK WHALES and encountered COMMON DOLPHINS mixed in with hundreds of ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS! We’ve had some stellar dolphin encounters this season. They’ve truly been the highlight of many of our trips. If you’ve been following our updates, you’ve likely seen multiple posts about common dolphins. This year alone, we’ve observed more common dolphins than in the entire 40+ years of being in business combined. We learn something new each time we see them, like the wide variation in pigmentation between individuals. I’m planning a longer post dedicated to this species, so check back for that.

While we continue to see whales on every trip and dolphins on nearly all of them, finding the whales has required a bit more patience, as this has been the case a lot this season. Whales have been moving around a lot, and we've been seeing different individuals. Some we’ve seen recently, some we observed for the first time, and some we haven’t seen in months! The weather forecast for the rest of the week looks perfect for exploring offshore. September is my favorite month to be on the water. We hope to see you on board!

Individual humpback whales we have seen: Limpet, Arcus, Wonderland and calf, and Mudskipper and calf.

MPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

09/06/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORT ~ 9/6/24

Fall whale watching is here, and wildlife sightings remain consistently wonderful! We've observed a great variety of species over the past few days. HUMPBACK WHALES continue to be seen, with individuals such as Pleats, Tongs, Ase, Divide, Crossbeam, Spell, Scylla, Snap, Nile, Crown, Milkweed, and others being spotted.

Other marine mammals seen include MINKE WHALES and ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS. We’ve also had incredible encounters with BLUE SHARKS and a BASKING SHARK. Additionally, seabirds have been abundant!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

09/03/2024

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE: September 3, 2024

Labor day weekend has now passed and I hope everyone enjoyed their last days of “meteorological” Summer!

This weekend brought us some great sightings including HUMPBACK WHALES, MINKE WHSLES, FINBACK WHALES, ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, COMMON DOLPHINS, and even a few pods of HARBOR PORPOISE!

While we did manage to find whales - and sometimes quite a few of them - on each trip we definitely had to work hard for them. We are determined to get the best possible trip for our passengers each day and sometimes that means going the extra mile (or 10, or 20) to do so.

I want to thank all of our passengers who spent a part of their Labor Day weekend with us for your patience and enthusiasm. Thankfully you were rewarded with some of the most exciting trips of the year to date. Thank you.

Individual humpback whales seen this weekend included many long time favorites. Here’s a few that many of you veteran whale watchers will likely recognize: Nile, Ventisca, Are, Jabiru, Infinity, Mostaza, Asrael, Putter, 3.14, Hammock, Tear, Crown, Smara, Spell, Snap and Scylla. Not a bad start to the Fall season!

Here are few photos taken over Labor Day weekend. Enjoy and check back soon for more sightings updates lots more photos!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: photos in this post were taken by our naturalists and represent highlights from our recent whale-watching trips. While we are committed to always doing our best to show you the best possible sightings on your given day on the water, it is important to remember that each trip is a unique experience.

Address

63 Rogers Street
Gloucester, MA
01930

Opening Hours

Monday	7am - 7pm
Tuesday	7am - 7pm
Wednesday	7am - 7pm
Thursday	7am - 7pm
Friday	7am - 7pm
Saturday	7am - 7pm
Sunday	7am - 7pm

Website

https://www.7seaswhalewatch.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when 7 Seas Whale Watch posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to 7 Seas Whale Watch:

Videos

Vocalizations from a mixed pod of short-beaked common dolphins and Atlantic white-sided dolphins, captured using our hydrophone. We sometimes use this underwater microphone during dolphin encounters to better understand their underwater communication. This season, we've come across several mixed pods of these two species. There’s so much to learn! This recording, from August 22nd, provides a glimpse into their vocal world! A storm has kept us docked for a few days now. We hope to get out again soon. #7seaswhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #whalewatch #dolphins #commondolphins #cetaceans #whale #atlanticwhitesideddolphins #lags #dolphinpod #dolphincalls #sealife #gloucester #boston #capeann #stellwagenbank #stellwagen #massachusetts #ma #newengland #ocean #wildlife #nature #earth #travel #marinelife

High seas are keeping us docked today, but even our dock often offers fun wildlife sightings. Here's our local gray seal, whom we call “Chuck,” enjoying his lunch while we enjoyed watching him eat!#7seaswhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #whalewatch #grayseal #seal #pinniped#seals #gloucesterharbor #whalewatching #gloucester #capeann #boston #capecod #ma #mass #newengland #september #ocean #nature #7seas #flounder

Whale Sighting Update: August 26, 2024 An afternoon with HUMPBACK WHALES "Samara" and "Snap"! Lots (and lots) more photos and a complete update to follow soon....

It was a beautiful Sunday morning on the ocean with perfect sea conditions and lots of wildlife! We spent time with 3 HUMPBACK WHALES (Scylla, Milkweed and Pleats), a MINKE WHALE, approximately 100 ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, 100 COMMON DOLPHINS and a BASKING SHARK! Here’s a quick video of “Pleats” kick-feeding next to our boat! More photos and video to come very soon!

What a spectacular day! We encountered the blue whale (B408) again, along with humpback whales, fin whales, and hundreds of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. . . #7seaswhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #whalewatch #humpbackwhale #humpback #whale #dolphins #whales #sharks #whalewatching #gloucester #capeann #boston #capecod #ma #mass #newengland #summer #ocean #nature #7seas #jeffreysledge #humpbacks #stellwagen @whale @discovergloucester @7seaswhalewatch

WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/14/24 In addition to good number and variety of whales, we have also be fortunate to sight many pods of ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS on many recent trips. Special thanks to Oktay Kaya for sharing! Here's a great video of one of those pods swimming alongside our boat. Dolphins make a great addition to any whale watch! B. Han

Two adult humpback whales on February 15th, Grand Turk, TC. The pair spent their time resting subsurface, but one individual approaches for a closer look. I swim back to ensure they had proper space. While we haven't confirmed the identities of the pair, the scuffing on their lower jaw suggests they might be Gulf of Maine feeders. In the Gulf of Maine, humpback whales often scuff their jaws on the ocean floor, stirring up schooling fish, particularly sand eels, which are especially favored by whales in Massachusetts! ~Amanda • • Deep Blue Charters Turks and Caicos Islands Whale Project #whales #whalesong #humpbackwhale #turksandcaicos #whale #grandturk #7seaswhalewatch #carribean #swimwithwhales

In-water encounter with a male humpback whale singing his heart out, just in time for World Whale Day! Over the past week in Grand Turk, I've been immersing myself in the world of humpback whales, visiting some familiar flukes on the other half of their migration. I have lots of encounters to share, but this male, who allowed us front-row seats to his concert for over an hour, was the highlight! Listen to the variations of his song! Many thanks to Deep Blue Charters for making this respectful encounter possible. These wonderful folks prioritize the well-being of the whales, carefully assessing their behavior before allowing such in-water experiences. I can’t recommend them enough. They LOVE what they do. ~ Amanda Turks and Caicos Islands Whale Project #humpbackwhale #whalesong #whale #grandturk #turksandcaicos

Massachusetts is covered with a fresh blanket of snow, and amidst winter, our thoughts drift to these days on the water… #whalewatching #winterblues #humpbackwhale #whales #Massachusetts #boston #northshorema #capecod #dolphins #gloucesterma #capeann #summervibes #oceanlife #whale