Newburyport Whale Watch

Absolutely fantastic. 6 whales in one trip when I went, as well as some porpoises and a big school of fish. The ride wasn't that turbulent, the food was surprisingly good for it being cooked on a literal boat. Beer and spirits were also great, surprisingly selection of those as well. For a tourist boat, wouldn't say the food is overpriced. For the ticket price itself, 60 dollars is not overpriced at all in my opinion. That is an insane amount of value to see 6 whales in person (at least for me) for that price. Narration is great, the information is amazing and the staff truly know what they're doing. They even try to solve the problem of lot of people crowding to one side by turning the ship around so the other side also has an opportunity to see the whales. Great value, great staff, amd great whales sightseeing.

Had the most beautiful day out with Newburyport Whale Watch yesterday. We got to see humpbacks, a shark, seals, porpoises, rainbows…..what a trip! Our naturalist Kristin was incredibly knowledgeable, had so many wonderful stories to share, and I just loved how personable she was. Honestly, the whole entire crew was so welcoming and friendly. We were also lucky enough to get the opportunity to learn about the snotbot and all of the awesome work ocean alliance is doing out there. And as someone traveling early in the morning - I loved that they served breakfast. Had such a fun trip out and can’t wait to visit again!!!

Such a fun trip for me and my family!!! Saw many whales of different varieties, tho I know this can vary. Having a galley on board was huge! A nice little perk. Such a great tour, would absolutely do it again!

I took my 19 month old son and a friend. We had a blast. Thank you all so much! It is informative, they told us what they are looking for in the distance so everyone on the boat was looking for the whales. They can tell you the name of the whales you see. All in all it was a great trip. My son slept the first half and then enjoyed the second half and he and I shared a burger from the café. I am absolutely going to go again.

I’ve been coming here for over 40 years. I made many memories with my late father & now it’s my turn to carry on his legacy! It’s always a wonderful time. We rise real early, get breakfast at Charlie’s Diner getting to the boat 1/2hr prior to boarding for a good seat. If we don’t see much, the staff still provides that warm family feel making for an escape from all the lands noise. If I could afford to come every year, I would. This place has grown in so many positive ways keeping me on my toes waiting to make another memory with the ocean. Thank you friends! 🐋

We had a great time! The staff were very friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. We saw 4 humpback whales, 2 small pods of dolphins, a tuna that jumped out of the water, as well as several other fish. We also saw seals on the rocks and a small shark fin by some lobster traps. It was definitely memorable and we will be back next season!

Had a great time watching all the whales. We got lucky that multiple whales came in pairs and had beautiful dives that looked amazingly beautiful. The staffs were very friendly and knowledgeable, we even had small group Q&A on the way back. Highly recommended experience.

I had family who came to visit Massachusetts for the first time (they're from Toronto) and had expressed interest in going whale watching, which is something I haven't done since I was a kid. I was worried there wouldn't be enough tickets for all of us (esp on Labor Day weekend) but lo and behold!! THERE WAS and I'm so glad we got to go with Newburyport Whale Watch. Major shout out to Kaylee who was so hospitable, hilarious, and makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. We were so fortunate to be able to see 3 humpback whales, which felt incredibly magical. Thank you so much!! My family had a blast!!

5 Star cruise on Saturday September 2, 2023. Can not say enough about the professionalism and friendly crew on our adventures to find and hang out with whales. whales can be And swim anywhere, yet it wasn't 18 miles out that captain located our first whale. keen eyes and skill as we were the only whale watch that found her, so we got to spend sometime watching the magnificent creature swim and dive near us. All the while the captain made careful adjustments to the vessel to best views of her, as our naturalist identified the whale ( Clamp) and offered us insights into whale behaviors, naming and a sundry of whale facts, all while keeping us in the know of when the whales were surfacing and where to position ourselves for prime viewing. Thankfully this boat was not crammed packed like others I have noticed, allowing us the abilty and freedom to move about as the whales were on one side or the other. It says a lot when owners make sure we all have a good time over selling to max capacity. Even managed to get a perfectly cooked and satisfying breakfast sandwich! Galley staff was so professional . Btw Yum. This is my 3rd whale watch this season and I will be back as soon as my schedule allows. Thank you all for a perfect sea adventure. Highly Recomend

I was impressed. We, unexpectedly, saw many, many dolphins. The ship was big enough that you feel safe on rough water. It can be difficult to find as there is no sign. The address is correct, but turn into any lot in that direction towards the water and find a parking spot on the lot with pavement. The area is under renovation. You pay for parking at a kiosk. It's a minimal fee of $1/hour. If you go on a Sunday and your watch is in the morning, you don't start to pay for parking until noon. So, we only had to pay $1 to get us to 1pm. The lot has a lot of parking in the morning. Not so much in the afternoon as there are many businesses in the area. Mornings are best. You will be sitting in the sun almost the whole way out and then in the shade the whole way back, if you go in the morning. Bring hats, sunscreen and wear layers. You would find yourself taking them on and off many times. They have multiple bathrooms and beverages. If you get motion sickness, don't forget to take your dramamine an hour before you set sail. Start with one pill so you don't get too tired. If you don't see whales, they give you a ticket to go back out, again, some other day for free. We were able to humpback whales and minke whales. Be sure to grab a seat as soon as you get on the boat and don't leave it. You will be sitting for awhile. If you want some shade at times, do not sit on the upper deck. Sit Starboard or Port side. You can sit inside, but then you could miss some sights or find yourself fighting just to get to the side of the boat to see.

We had a wonderful time on the whale watch this weekend. The crew on board were kind and respectful. My daughter got a little sick and the gentleman crew member didn't make us feel embarrassed about her vomiting. He was kind and made sure my daughter was ok. The naturalist on board was fantastic, so informative and kind to the kids . She too ensured my daughter was okay. We got to see some great whales and loved hearing the science of marine animals You have great crew!

We were so lucky to get a spot on Captain Chris' boat. He runs a tight crew of pleasant, helpful, knowledgeable team mates that we could not tip enough! They don t guarantee you'll see a whale, but you will have fun! Even in choppy water the captain has control and rest assured our confidence is not misplaced. If you have not tried an ocean trip be sure to ask for a ticket on Lady III before it is booked full! Wee go every year and have always seen whales on our trip. The naturalist on board makes sure everyone can truly appreciate what we are witnessing. Do it.

What a great day on the water aboard the Captain Lady III. We saw a half dozen whales up and close, with the highlight of course being Spoon waving to us with her massive pecrtoral fin. Both Captain and Crew were awesome. Smooth ride, fun day, and we learned a lot as well. We will definitely be back!

Fun trip! Wonder crew! Appreciated the information given about the creatures as we watched their activities from a non threatening distance.

Awesome whale watch! Friendly and knowledgeable crew. Clean and comfortable boat. Thank you!

The boat was large, with ample seating and snacks for sale. Whale sightings are guaranteed, and we saw several. The naturalist was informative and had a twinkle in her eye. A Very worthwhile, fun and informative trip. Arrive early, the nearest adjacent parking was full, and metered parking was a couple of blocks away.

This was the most incredible experience. I couldn't recommend it more. I wish I could give it 10 stars! We saw 15 whales and a molla molla fish! The day was just absolutely perfect. We have decided to make it a yearly thing.

I had the BEST time! First of all, they serve like a full breakfast which I didn't expect. The staff was so friendly. It was my birthday and my first time on a whale watch. My husband and two kids were with me as well. We saw 10, that's right, 10 humpback whales. It was crazy! I definitely recommend!!

Well we saw one whale and followed it for 30 minutes. The rest is a long boat ride. They are nice but maybe since we went in a Sunday they wanted to be done. We actually drove from bar harbor because the other whale tours were all full. We had to go this way back toward Boston but had to leave at 5 am to make it. Uugghh not worth Al that for a few whale dives. I know it's unpredictable but seems they could show you a few more possible sites.

we had an awesome time! saw humpback whales and a pod of around 80-100 female dolphins swimming with their babys! they came right up to the boat to say hi!

Took my 2 year old granddaughters on a trip with captains and it was a great time. Narrator was clear over the intercom as she was explaining whale behavior and what whales we were seeing. Saw seals, dolphins, whales and many birds. Captain is respectful of whales and doesn't approach too quickly or closely letting them do their own thing.

The staff is amazing-Makayla was a great narrator and so knowledgeable! The 2 Kaylee's, behind the bar, were very pleasant and learned a lot of fun facts from them, as well! Saw a lot of whales and got some really great pictures! I would totally recommend! BTW motion Sickness is a personal issue and should NOT be included in a rating! GREAT CREW!

We had a great time yesterday. The crew is personable and helpful. Patty is very knowledgeable and you can tell they respect the safety and space of the whales and dolphins. We saw a pod of 60-70 dolphins and around 12-15 humpback whales during our tour. The food was tasty. All in all it was a very nice afternoon.

My husband and I did one of these yesterday and it was great. The boat is docked right in downtown Newburyport. We were able to walk since we live in Salisbury about half a mile from the Gillis bridge. We used a Groupon which essentially made it 2 for the price of 1 which was nice. Normally it's $50 for adults and I think the kids are a little cheaper. The boat was clean and well taken care of. The crew was really nice and friendly. We saw 3 humpbacks and a couple of minke whales. All of which were amazing to see. If you're visiting the area and looking for something to do you should try it.

This crew was courteous, professional, and friendly and the boat was very clean. We saw whales as expected Ave had a wonderful time

Wow this was such a great experience for my family and I! The staff was friendly and very informative. Boat was super clean and sells food! Very impressed! The tour took about 4 hours. Started off slow at first but towards the end we were able to see dolphins and whales which had my kids jumping for joy! Thank you for topping off our summer. We will definitely be back next year!

My son and I go out on this whale watch 3-4 times a summer. Each time I seem to be happier with the trip than the last time! The staff is always so friendly, from the first phone calls I make asking about sea conditions or reservations to the staff helping out in various places along the way. The naturalist on board is always a great feature and when once my son used to listen keenly (he wants to be a marine biologist) with every new friend we bring on board he teaches his friends to listen intently to her guidance on the whales. They learn so much without realizing it! So happy the volume on the speakers is louder this year! Food is just snacks and limited dogs/burgers, it's a whale watch boat not a 4-star dining experience, I'm glad they have it! The kids love the hotdogs, candy, and I buy drinks and carry on my own food due to my allergies no problem. The boat is always spotless! I've never seen a dirty spot unless someone just made it. Guarantee it won't be there long if they can help it. They do everything to make your trip the best ever. Highly recommend and they only seem to get better! Wish they gave me frequent watcher miles :)

Company is cut throat and money hungry. I asked for my service fee back because I didn't want to go on a tour due to bad weather and the owner was extremely rude when he said no to me.

Could not have asked for a better Watch, clean boat, great staff and lots of whales. You have to go : )

Does not recommend. Boat moved too fast at times even tipped a little which led to motion sickness and eventually myself throwing up in the restroom on board. Prior someone else got sick and was laying down covered up on the top deck. On the brighter side there is some food, snacks and alcohol on board and coffee as well we did see a few whales but not very much. Someone fell down on our way back to shore and got assisted by an EMT due to inefficient use of time/we had to rush back. Rough waters as well I wouldn't say it were the company's fault just overall not a good experience and no two whale watches are the same.

First timers and we were very pleased with the entire experience and the crew... felt safe and comfortable, saw several humpback whales and dolphins....terrific experience overall..... Thanks!

Kaylee and Katherine made this trip amazing! Got fabulous pictures and great drinks! Kaylee even saved me a grapefruit truly!! Would absolutely recommend for anyone wanting great service and great views of whales!!

Absolutely amazing trip. We went out on the 1:30 tour and saw 4 whales. The crew was fantastic. Kaylee and Katherine in the galley were very good. They took great care of us. They have wonderful people skills and very personable. You can't go wrong with this tour.

We had a wonderful trip on the 8:30am July 23rd trip. We saw a pod of dolphins and many whales. We did the Groupon for 50% off. Mikayla on the microphone was very knowledgeable. Worth noting they have basic drinks and snacks for sale on board. I appreciate they are part of the whale sense program to keep the whales safe. The boat was not too crowded so that you could stand on the side of the boat to see the whales. (We passed another sightseeing boat that was VERY crowded in comparison.). I recommend arriving 45 minutes early just to be ready and get a good spot.

It was great! My first time and I'm looking into going again! (Just wish one of the employees wasn't so rude to me. Customer service is number one. )

Great trip, wonderful sightings. Great discount on tickets with Groupon deal, it was well worth the price. It was a beautiful day, the boat was fairly full but not over crowded & left only a few minutes late (due to older people needing assistance in boarding). The staff was attentive & nice enough, nothing special. The food was mediocre at best but fairly priced & what you would expect from a trip like this. . After about an hour out into the Maine waters, we ran into a breaching Minke whale. The woman narrating the tour was ecstatic to see it, then we saw the same whale breach at least 5 or 6 more times, create a bubble net (something the tour guide said was very uncommon for Minkes), swim in tandem with first one then another Minke and by end of tour, we had seen what must have been at least 9 separate Minkes & a nursery school of Porpoises. The tour guide repeatedly made statements about how rare it was to see such behavior in these whales, the breaching as well as the group swim. I cant say that anything about the crew or boat stood out as particularly good or bad. The boat appeared to be clean enough, but I did not use the bathroom, so have no idea to its cleanliness. I cant say that I would have even thought to write a review, had it not been for the magnificent & rare sightings of whales behaving in ways photographers dream of capturing. I got some great shots as well as memories of these beautiful whales. The boat stayed out a little past its intended time, since the whales were being so cooperative & the entire crew seemed hesitant to leave while Sockeye (a fairly well known whale in the area) was putting on such a good show, but we tore ourselves away from the show & halfway back to port we ran into a school of porpoises that although they soon fled from prying eyes, hung around long enough for us to see they had babies with them, which was an added treat! *~Eli

I would love to give them 5 stars because the tour was great! Amy, the naturalist was very knowledgeable and personable! Her energy and passion for marine life was infectious! The only downside is we left 30 minutes after the schedule departure time, which was never explained or apologized for. Also, we sat on the top deck and the captain was smoking the whole time. It blew my mind that on such a family friendly event in 2018 that this would be acceptable! It was very distracting and uncomfortable to breathe in the secondhand smoke for most of the trip. That being said, the tour was amazing with tons of whale sightings!

Not as good as it could have been. The boat itself was clean and properly maintained. However, the crew was really lacking. While there is a small galley serving hamburgers and snacks, it was really quite obvious the crew members serving food were not properly trained in safe food handling and I'm surprised someone has not complained. I became ill after eating, I suppose it could have been motion sickness but we own a boat. :) I felt like we picked up a group of people from the mall and no one was expecting to be on a boat, many people had packed their own food. The crew didn't give you a sense that they were in control of the vessel, it seemed that the passengers could have started a revolt. We saw only two fin whales fins but that's not the boats fault as we are looking for wild animals.

We had a wonderful trip. The weather was terrific and we saw lots of marine life. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. We would recommend this to anyone.

Perfect whale watch trip. We saw whales and an enormous pod of dolphins. Crew was great.

Seven of us decided to try out the Newburyport Whale Watch because I saw a Travelzoo deal for their boat. It was a great experience and value. We were out on the water for close to four hours and even saw a whale very close to our boat! We were able to get some great pictures. The boat wasn't overcrowded either, like some whale watches can be, so it was easy to move around as the whale moved to different sides of the boat. I also liked the variety of food options onboard - very unexpected for a whale watch. We had brought snacks, but they probably weren't necessary. My only suggestion for them is that they might want to give more warnings about the trip being potentially rocky. We saw a few people getting sick over the sides of the boat or in trash cans. I certainly don't blame the whale watch team as they were very attentive, but I think if people had been warned to get sick over the sides of the boat sooner (as opposed to in trash cans indoors) that might have been helpful. I do take into account though the fact that customers prone to seasickness should probably take some medication before the trip (that's what I did and was relatively fine). Overall definitely worth checking out! Newburyport is a nice little area to walk around in after, too.

Great trip today. We saw dolphins and 3 types of whales. However, the most important thing to mention here is the crew. Another boat capsized in front of ours. The crew responded quickly, calmly and professional saving 2 men and 2 boys! Great job!

Super surprised that there are only 2 reviews for Newburyport Whale Watch since we were told by the staff that the company has been at the dock for well over 15 years. I had a Groupon and thought the booking process was rather unorganized. I called to switch a reservation to the following week and the guy couldn't locate the original reservation. He said there were two books and it may have been on the other one. Nevertheless, it was an easy switch and he didn't give me much grief (nor direction either). The municipal lot is located near the Black Cow cafe and the check in shack/dock is hidden behind the trees on the other side. There is no signage, story is the town won't allow it. We boarded the boat with about 30 other folks and it was well below capacity. There are two levels though only part of the top section is open for non VIP guests. The low turnout meant that everyone had ample space to shift sides depending on where the whales made their appearance. We were lucky and saw 5 different species (a first for the season according to the staff)! The captain spent ample time each time we spotted a whale to ensure everyone got their shots. There was also a woman narrating our encounters and I thought she did a great job of keeping us informed without making our ears hurt. Contrary to other reviews, the bathrooms on board were very clean (may have been because we were the 8am group). I did notice that the girl who was manning the food station was handling food and money and cleaning without wearing gloves/washing her hands though I do give her props for doing it all correctly and efficiently. In all, a spectacular day with a great group of folks!

This was the greatest experience. I saw 4 whales and a shark. The boat was spotless. The staff were informative and very kind. I am going again and again. Thank you for such a great time. I highly recommend. Thank you. Thank you.

We just went on a whale watch and had an awesome time! We went on the 830 trip on a Friday so it wasn't too crowded. We had plenty of room to walk around and see the whales. We saw the first whale about 30 mins into the ride but it was just a small Minke whale. After about 2 hours of cruising I started to get nervous that we weren't going to see anymore, and then all of a sudden we were surrounded by 10 to 12 humpback whales! They were feeding, tail flipping, blowing bubble nets and a few got so close to the boat you could nearly touch them. It was amazing. And to top it off, on our way back we saw a huge sea turtle come alongside the boat. The guide said this was only her second time seeing one in 20 years. Truly amazing

We went as a group of three with an out-of-town guest on their first whale watch. We had a Groupon and had only done whale watches previously with the large operators out of Boston. I was pleasantly surprised by an overall excellent experience. The boat was filled at less than capacity, which allowed us easy access to whatever side of the boat the whales were breaching on. We saw a smaller Minke whale on the trip out to the feeding grounds, and then three separate Humbacks put on a show for us once we got to our destination. The Captain did a great job of maneuvering around several tuna boats fishing the area to get us good views of the whale, and apparently one of the tuna boats was even from the TV show Wicked Tuna. The PA system was great, and the Naturalist/Narrator was clear and easy to hear, and was also able to identify all of the Humpback whales we were seeing based on the unique markings on their flukes. Also pleasantly surprised that the Naturalist (Amy) took the time to visit everyone on the boat on the trip back to port to individually to answer questions and show us a piece of baleen from a whale. I haven't had that kind of personal experience on previous trips with other operators, but it was a nice touch and the Naturalist was very nice and knowledgeable.

So disappointed. We made reservations weeks in advance and even called a few days before our trip to verify the reservation. When we got there at 9:30 for a 10:00 departure, the boat was already gone. I called the office and was informed that the schedule had changed and the boat left at 8:30. We were never notified. I plan to get a refund and will NEVER book with them again. My poor children had been look forward to the trip and were so disappointed.

Dreadful. Disgusting. Never again. I had taken the whale boat two days ago with my family. There were relatively few people on the boat. The day was beautiful and sunny, the town was picturesque. What ruined a perfect day were the conditions on the boat. Not long after the boat left the dock I noticed the bathroom itself was unsanitary, the toilet was full of human waste, no towels to wipe hands. Imagine children using these facilties. I had ordered food at the food stand. I noticed a young woman taking the orders, collecting the money and handling raw food (hot dogs, hamburg) without any gloves. There is a health risk and a violation of sanitary laws. Who is responsible to oversee the conditions of the boat? There is no excuse. As I left the boat, I described what I saw to a staff member. I am sure this situation is not just a one day slip-up. The ship is poorly managed. No one takes responsibility. Is it the responsibility of the Captain? Walking around the boat selling stuffed animals was intrusive and tacky. There are better places to go to see whales than the Newburyport Whale Watch - try ones in Gloucester, Boston and Plymouth.

Overall a pretty poor way of spending a perfect sunny morning. I've been on several whale watches over the last few years and this was by far the worst. A naturalist went through a standard narrative about what kinds of whale we may encounter and that was literally the last mention of the word 'whale' for the rest of the trip. There was seemingly little to no attempt made at finding wildlife on this trip. I say seemingly because there was very little communication with passengers in general. Other companies tend to keep passengers somewhat informed regarding attempts at finding wildlife but that was not the case with this company. I completely understand that finding wildlife is tricky but I expect at least a genuine attempt at finding wildlife. There were lots of families on board with excited kids and it was sad to see that excitement gradually wear off because of the lack of engagement. We saw a sun fish (which was pretty cool) and a handful of dolphins but that was it for marine fish/mammals. There are far better run whale watching trips close by so I would skip this company if at all possible.