Whale Watching With 7 Seas Whale Watch in Massachusetts

I’ve been really into getting out on the water lately and it’s become one of my favorite ways to spend my summers here in New England. Yesterday, I went on a whale watching cruise with 7 Seas Whale Watch out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. In this blog post, I’ll get into all of the details of that trip! Buckle up, because this trip was unlike any boat ride I’ve ever been on.

Pin

About 7 Seas Whale Watch in Massachusetts

7 Seas Whale Watch is a whale watching company in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Their whale watch cruise takes you to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. This sanctuary is between Cape Ann and Cape Cod in Massachusetts. This area has regularly returning whales, which makes it one of the world’s premier whale watching destinations.

This whale watching cruise is staffed with a professional marine biologist/naturalist that will narrate the trip. During the cruise, you will learn so much about the whales, whether you’re interested in general knowledge or learning about their habits. The crew knows where and how to spot the whales and they’re able to tell you the names of the whales (specifically the humpback whales) that you see during your trip.

About The Boat

The boat we went out on was the Privateer IV. According to their website, this boat is the newest, most comfortable whale watching boat in Gloucester. It’s a 108-foot, aluminum hulled boat that was specifically designed for sightseeing.

Pin

The boat can hold 300 passengers, but the company only carries a maximum of 149 passengers per trip. This is nice because it makes for a more comfortable ride and it’s safer than having a completely packed ship. During my time on the ship, I didn’t feel crammed, which is a huge plus for me because I can get claustrophobic. Plus, who likes being shoulder to shoulder with strangers? Definitely not me.

The ship has two decks you can sit on. The first floor has a heated cabin as well as bench seating along the edge of the ship by the railings, most of which are under an overhang. Inside the cabin there is a galley with meals, snacks, and drinks. There is a $10 minimum if you’re paying with a card, so it might be a good idea to have cash if you’d like to buy food.

Pin

The upper deck is a more open plan, and there was a small overhang area available to get out of the sun. There’s less seating available up top, so if you’d like to sit on the top of the ship, be sure to get to the docks early. I personally prefer to be on the first deck to be more level with the whales.

Getting There

This whale watching cruise is located in downtown Gloucester. While it is in downtown, there is plenty of parking. There are two large public parking lots by the dock. They’re paid lots that I thought were really reasonable in price. I only paid $3 for 6 hours of parking.

Depending on when you’re traveling to Gloucester, you can expect there to be traffic. My whale watching cruise was on a weekday morning, so I had to deal with some commuter traffic due to Gloucester’s close proximity to Boston. I kept a pretty close eye on the GPS and changed routes as needed to do my best to avoid the traffic when possible.

However, when I did a day trip to Gloucester on a Saturday, I did not deal with any traffic coming from Connecticut. But, I did leave early in the morning (around 6:00am) for that trip because I wanted to grab breakfast.

They tell you to get to the ticket booth 45 minutes before the ship is set to sail. I got there much before that and grabbed lunch at Blue Collar Lobster, which is right next to 7 Seas Whale Watch. There were nice views of the harbor from here.

Pin

My Experience On The Cruise

As I mentioned earlier, this cruise was unlike any other cruise I’ve taken before. The water was ROUGH. Honestly, it was so rough, I was shocked we went out. Before we left the docks, they did announce that the ride out to where the whales were would be extremely rough. They actually said if you get sick, this is not the ride for you.

The ride out was indeed rough. So rough in fact that MANY people did get extremely seasick. The crew was having to hand out puke bags, water and ginger ale to help with the nausea, and candy for people to suck on. They also had to clean A LOT of puke. There were actually people from the upper deck that threw up on to the deck below. The crew was having the squeegee puke off of the windows and clean it off of the railings.

I’ve been on a lot of boat rides, from smaller ships to bigger ships, in various conditions, and this was the first time I had ever seen this happen. On any ride, it’s a given that there will be at least one person getting seasick because it is quite common, but I’ve never seen it on this scale. To be honest, I’ve actually never even been aware of people throwing up on any boat that I’ve been on.

I was sitting in the front of the boat, which is the worst part of the boat to be if you get sick. The crew were quick to get anyone feeling nauseous to the back of the boat and doing their best to comfort them. The crew did an EXCELLENT job with helping everyone and they were constantly walking the ship to check on people. I cannot say enough good things about the crew.

Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone actually get sick. But, I saw the crew constantly going back and forth to provide bags, drinks, and candy to members who were sick as well as running back and forth with cleaning supplies.

I didn’t get sick, but I did feel a bit queasy knowing it was happening all around me. I was so distraught about it that I actually considered staying inside the cabin and not going out to the railing to see the whales because I was a bit worried someone from up top would throw up on me. I do not do well with bodily fluids.

Sights On The Way Out To The Whale Watching Spot

We traveled 24 miles to get to where the whales were. As we made our way out, there were definitely some points of interest. My personal favorites were the lighthouses.

I did a lighthouse cruise out of Gloucester in May, but the waters were also a bit rough then, so some of my photos weren’t the best. That boat was a lot smaller so holding my camera steady was quite the challenge.

On this whale watching cruise, I was able to redeem myself with some of the sites. While the water was still really rough on the whale watching cruise, the ship’s bigger size helped me to get some better pictures. Below are some of the sites you’ll see as you make your way out.

Tarr and Wonson Paint Factory

This company improved the concept of copper-based paint to combat marine life that drilled through the wooden hulls of ships. The building was built in 1847.

Pin

Ten Pound Island Light

This cute little lighthouse was established in 1821. It was built to help mariners find their way into Gloucester inner harbor while avoiding dangerous ledge to the southwest of the island. You’ll see this lighthouse at the beginning of your journey and when you return.

Pin

Two Castles

There are two castles you’ll see along the harbor. The first one is privately owned, and the other is the Hammond Castle Museum, which you can actually visit. Hammond Castle was the private residence and laboratory of the inventor John Hays Hammond. The castle was built between 1926 and 1929.

Pin

Pin

Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House

This is another notable building in the area. The house is a National Historic Landmark. It was the summer home of Henry Davis Sleeper, who was one of America’s first professional interior designers. The house is owned by Historic New England and you can tour it.

Pin

Dog Bar Breakwater Lighthouse

This lighthouse is very close to Eastern Point Light, but it sits at the end of a breakwater that was built to protect Gloucester Habor from the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This lighthouse was put in place to keep boaters from hitting the breakwater.

Pin

Eastern Point Light

This lighthouse marks the entrance to Gloucester Harbor. It was established in 1832, but the current tower you see today was built in 1890.

Pin

Cape Ann Twin Lights

These lighthouses are also known as Thacher Island Twin Lights. Each lighthouse is 124 feet tall. They are constructed of solid granite on the outside with brick inner walls. The lighthouses were completed in 1861. These lighthouses are the only two operating twin lighthouses in America.

Pin

The Whale Watching

When we got out to where the whales were, we had such a great experience. We saw 6-7 individual humpback whales, some which were in pairs. We also saw some minke whales and even a seal while we were out on the water!

Pin

The naturalist was great about telling us the names of who we were seeing and the history they knew about each individual. I had a really hard time keeping track of all of the names, so regretfully I can’t tell you who we saw. The whales are typically named after the markings on the bottom of their fins, but some might be named for markings on their dorsal fin.

Pin

We also learned about other whales that have been studied in the area, such as Salt, who was the first whale to be given a name. While we didn’t see Salt, Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises has been seeing her lately on their cruises further south in Cape Cod. When I went out with them last month, we only saw one humpback whale, Nile.

During my cruise with 7 Seas Whale Watch, we got to see plenty of tail flips, which is my personal favorite. In addition to lots of tail flips, we did also get to see a whale breach the water (aka come completely out of the water). I was very lucky that I did get to see that because I just happened to be looking in the correct spot at the time it happened. But, I did not get any photos of the breach because it was just such a surprise.

Pin

In total, we probably spent about an hour out where the whales were. We had plenty of whale encounters, most of which were extremely close to the boat. It definitely was a memorable trip. I’ll never bore of getting to see whales so close in their natural habitat.

Is This Trip Worth Taking?

Despite the fact that my trip turned out to be a puke fest, I still would say that this whale watching cruise is totally worth it! The ship is comfortable and not overcrowded, the crew members are great, and we did see a lot of whales.

Pin

I’ve been on a lot of trips, and this is the only time a lot of people get super sick on the boat. That is absolutely not the norm when taking a trip like this. I wouldn’t let my experience deter you. If you’d rather not be on a boat with a bunch of sick people, not going out is always an option. They’ll give you a voucher to come back another time when the sea is calmer.

Preparing For A Whale Watching Cruise

If you’re going to go on a whale watching cruise, you definitely need to prep beforehand. Here are some ways to prepare for your trip:

• Wear appropriate clothes. It’s really important to wear appropriate clothes. First, you’ll want to wear layers, even if it’s a really hot day. You can expect it to be at least ten degrees cooler on the water and the ride can be quite windy. I also recommend wearing UV protective clothing as well as a hat. You will be out on the water for hours and it’s really important that you protect your skin. Maybe even pack a rain jacket because there’s a chance you could get wet if the water is rough. Many people sitting outside got splashed with water as we cruised along, including myself.
• Pack sunscreen. Going back to the need to protect your skin, be sure to also pack sunscreen. Don’t forget lip balm with SPF to protect your lips as well. I’ve gotten sunburn on my lips, and it is not pleasant.
• Wear appropriate shoes. I’d recommend wearing close-toed shoes with good grip and traction. The boat can be a bit unsteady, and it will help you get around easier without hurting yourself. There were some people on this cruise wearing heels…I really do not recommend doing that.
• Bring a phone charger. If you’re planning to use your phone to take pictures and videos, it’s a good idea to bring a charger of some sort. I like this Magnetic 15W Power Bank because you can stick it right on to your phone and charge it without a wire.
• Bring cash with you. The crew does accept tips. I didn’t see a way to tip them via Venmo, so cash seems to be best. I tipped this particular crew very well because they were tending to sick people for hours and cleaning puke. That is no easy task.
• If you’re prone to seasickness, bring medication. It can happen to anyone. I don’t get seasick, but I have family members who swear by motion sickness patches.

Ready To Book?

If you’re ready to book, you can book online on their website. If you’re looking for a bit of a discount, they also have discounted tickets available on Groupon.

Pin

If you decide to book with Groupon, just know that you will be limited to when you’ll be able to book your cruise. The 1:30pm time slot during the week is saved for Groupon customers, but you wouldn’t be able to do the 1:30pm trip on Saturday if you booked through Groupon.

If you book through their website, you can book it for whatever time works for you. If I were to do this again in the future, I’d likely pay full price to be able to book a 1:30pm cruise on Saturday to avoid the traffic around Boston. I only had the option to book at 9:30am on Saturday because I purchased through Groupon and there was no way I was waking up super early or paying for overnight accommodations just to get a discount.