My family will be in the Boston area the first week of June. We will have a car and will be visiting the city as well as other areas North and South of Boston.
Is Boston a better location to get a whale watching boat or is the Gloucester area a better location?
I%26#39;m overwhelmed with how many different tour companies there are. What do I look for in a good tour company? What kind of boat, etc. Which area is closer to the location of the whales?
Thank you for your advice.
Whale watching - Goucester or Boston?
First, don%26#39;t plan on using your car in Downtown Boston. It will be very expensive to park and will become an obstacle. Wait until you%26#39;re rady to go ouside the side to do the renting - if ever. Places like Gloucester and Rockport are accessible via Commuter Rail, so perhaps you can go entirely without a car.
If that%26#39;s the case, spend you%26#39;re time and Boston and do some day trips from there. There are two in the city, both good: The Boston Harbpr Cruises and The New England Aquarium. You might learn more from the latter... but maybe not.
Whale watching - Goucester or Boston?
The whales, as I understand it, ';hang out'; in Stellwagen Banks, which is all along the coast, so Gloucester vs Boston doesn%26#39;t matter as much as which boat you take.
Here%26#39;s the map:
鈥oaa.gov/pgallery/鈥b_2000.jpg
These people out of Gloucester offer a ';whale watch with the experts'; trip, which may be good.
http://www.whalecenter.org/ww.htm
My guess is that you can find good companies in either location. I%26#39;d lean towards Gloucester because maybe you%26#39;d find a trip led by one of those experts or just an ';old salt'; from Gloucester, which has a strong fishing/maritime culture.
Gloucester is much closer to Stellwagen Bank. The sanctuary encompasses approximately 842 square miles along the Eastern edge of Massachusetts Bay, six miles north of Provincetown, 26 miles east of Boston, and seven miles southeast of Cape Ann. Due to the proximity to Gloucester and Provincetown, it lessens the travel time to the whales%26#39; feeding grounds by 1.5 to 2 hours each way which allows for a much longer stay at the feeding grounds especially if you book a full day trip.
Thank you so much for your replies and the great information.
We will be at a hotel in Cambridge for just 2 nights and then are moving north to a hotel in Woburn for a week. While in Boston we will be busy with many other sites. So, I think we will go out of Gloucester a little later on in the trip.
Most of the companies that I have looked into seem to be about the same price. Is there a certain kind of boat that is better than another? One company recommended over another? They all say they are the best! Is the morning better than the afternoon?
Thank you!!
Most of the whale watching tour companies in Gloucester and the two in Boston are reliable. Type in ';whale watching gloucester ma'; (or Boston) into Google and then peruse the websites.
I prefer the morning departure but that is a personal, preference. Whales are seen on almost every trip.
Also, check the websites for equipment to bring, directions and an 800 number to call in advance if the weather seems to be inclement. You can book reservations online if you wish.
Leave plenty of time to get there in case you get lost.
The tours in Gloucester that seem to garner the best feedback are ';7 Seas'; and ';Capt. Bills and Sons'; and ';Yankees';. but most all are good.
Search for family plans, AAA, AARP, teacher%26#39;s, birder%26#39;s and many other organizational discounts. Keep in mind that schedules are different in the Spring and Autumn vs. the Summer. Weekend schedules are also different and weather conditions can impact the schedule. Because they are close to the feeding grounds, the Gloucester tours usually are half days only (four hours).
Edgers - thank you so much!
Next question - Do they frequently sell out? Should I reserve in advance? I%26#39;d rather wait until I can see what the weather will be like before I purchase.
Yes, in the summer season these whale watching trips are quite popular. However, if you take the tour during the week rather than the weekend you can probably wait until the day before your planned date before purchasing the tickets while watching the weather forecast. You might even be able to obtain tickets the day of the trip but that tactic can have its risks. I am not certain of their policies but if a trip is canceled I am certain that they would honor the tickets for a subsequent trip. You certainly want to go on a sunny warm day. Temperatures at sea are much cooler.
I believe that they will allow you to cancel or reschedule with adequate notice. It takes really poor weather conditions before they will cancel a trip.
Again, thank you!
We will watch the weather and try to go during the week. I%26#39;m hoping that the first of June still won%26#39;t be too crowded.
All the companies have guides with about the same expertise/credentials, aquarium or no. I would just add the suggestion that, if you go out from Boston, an afternoon trip might be better because you have the added feature of being out in the refreshing sea air while it%26#39;s (can be) hot and humid in town. But I hold with the recommendation to go out from Gloucester. You%26#39;ll be out on the Bank much longer.
Check out Capt. Carlo%26#39;s for lunch/dinner afterwards. It%26#39;s right on the Harbor at Harbor Loop Road, directly next to the fish auction where the fisherman sell their catch- can%26#39;t get fresher than that!
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