New England Aquarium Whale Watch, Boston

First time going whale watching and it was the most exciting thing i have ever done. I took the saturday evening trip and the sunset was incredible. The staff was very nice and polite. They gave us information about the whales and made the trip more interesting. It was a little crowded, had to work my way in for a good spot to take pictures but other than that It was worth the time and the money. I loved it.

We purchased our tickets on line, when we arrived next morning the crew refused to let us on board because it was just five minutes for the boat to leave. The people at the tickets booth coaxed us to purchase tickets to watch aquarium at a "minimal" price. The next morning after wasting two hours it was announced that the boat is out of order and that morning trip is canceled. People can come back for afternoon trip. When asked for a refund , we were refused to pay back full amount and were charged full ticket price for aquarium. In the first place we were never interested in going to the aquarium, just wanted to watch whales. We ended up wasting two days and a few hundred dollars all together. Shame on you New England Aquarium.

What a disappointment. After spending 5 hours to get into Boston on what should have been a 1.5 hour trip, using their commuter train/subway as we had been informed the traffic was horrible (and this was a weekday), we had no time to see anything before lining up for an hour in the blazing sun. The morning cruise was late getting back so we were late departing. After we left the dock we were kindly informed that none of the whale watching cruises were finding whales over the past two days. I would have really appreciated knowing this beforehand as I would have stayed in Boston and visited the Aquarium and done some walking tours and the market. On our return we could not dock as another boat was using their space for some reason. We were too late back to see the aquarium, which we had already bought tickets for, as it was just closing. We did end up seeing ONE whale so no free ticket for a future excursion for this season. The weather and the seas were perfect for the trip and the crew were good, but we were really disappointed. In the end that one whale cost us about $200.

The crew was friendly, guide very informative, and the whales were awesome!

This was just a fantastic tour. My wife and I were expecting to see a tail or spout only. However, we saw at least 8 whales diving, feeding, etc. and the crew did an excellent job of positioning the boat so that all passengers on both sides could see the whales. The trip out and back is a bit long - but needs to be to see the whales. Additionally, the crew did tell folks numerous times about the weather and advised people to take medication before leaving the harbor if they were prone to motion sickness, even though the seas were only 2-3 feet. An excellent tour!

I went on one other whale watch, leaving from Rye Harbor. That was was pretty good, we saw several whales. But that was nothing like this one. Two humpback whales were hanging around our boat the whole time, looking at us, swimming around the boat, etc. I'm not sure if it was just luck or a great crew, but it was very awesome. I have no complaints at all about the trip. It was a little chilly on a late June afternoon (it was around 80 degrees in boston, much cooler on the water), the water was pretty calm (much more calm than the New Hampshire one we did, but that's probably just luck, too). I do agree that the one bathroom (that I noticed, maybe one was hidden somewhere) seemed to be less than you might need if the water got rough with such a big ship (there were quite a few people on board).

On our trip we saw many whales. Different kinds of wales, and at all distances. Their were some that came close and those we could see from a further distance. You know that scene in Shamu(I think) where he jumps to get a fish. I saw it up close and personal. The grounds where the ship takes you made sure that whatever part of the ship I was on I could see a wahle or several. Don't forget to bring a sweater because it can get VERY cold when your out in the waters, even if it was 86 degrees in the city!The ship offers seating indoors that blocked out the cold and wind, but still gave you a great view of the open sea . They also sold hot food, drink, and much more. This was probably the part of my trip to Boston that will stick with me most and I hope you will get to experience it too. Just remember to check your cameras; since it was so sunny and because of the setting of my camera all my picture turned out blank, but seeing it with my own eyes is going to stick with me forever.

This tour was completely amazing! We had never been whale watching before, and being from Missouri, had never been on a boat on the open ocean before either. The ride was wonderful, they take you about 17 miles from shore where you can take some really fantastic photos of Boston's skyline and harbor. You also pass the Boston Harbor Islands national park, where you can see the second oldest lighthouse in America as well as an old fort from back in the colonial days. We saw several humpback whales. One swam under our boat and surfaced right in front of us! I, personally, was just several feet away from a whale. Pictures cannot do this experience justice. We even saw a whale breach! It was so exciting to see, even the staff was excited about it. The tour guide did a great job building up the moment and also telling the facts about whales. The boat moves faster on its way back to shore, so it gets cold and you may feel a little bit like you're on a roller coaster. I am in my mid-twenties, so I thought it was fun, but one little girl looked scared (although the majority of the children were laughing like we were). Luckily, not one person got sick even with fifty percent of the passengers being under 12 and the bathrooms weren't crowded at all. We went on a Wednesday morning so that could make a difference. I've been to Boston twice and this is the best activity to do! Dress warm and have fun!

We went in August 2006, and it was a perfect day. There were a few clouds, but when we were about 25 miles from Boston, the sun came out, and it was just beautiful. We must have seen about 20 different whales, and we came to a feeding area where the humpback whales were everywhere. It was just great. The catamaran we were on was very steady, and the crew was very knowledgable. A great trip!

Our family of 5 (kids aged 18,16,14) went out Tuesday 6/27/06, on a misty, rough water day. The Captain advised to take motion meds or chose another day... we risked it! And... it was the hit of our trip to Boston! Although I did get a bit sick on the return home, as did a few others, the whales were AWESOME. Our three teens LOVED it! You top Fenway, and you've done something! Ya'll gotta good thing here, now!!!