From May through October, there are whale watching cruises in Newburyport, Massachusetts. They are offered by the fittingly named Newburyport Whale Watch (that’s the company’s name), and since this is the only company that offers them, we’ve decided to explain their offerings in more depth below. If you find yourself on the northern coast of Massachusetts any time from late spring to mid-Autumn, a whale watching cruise from Newburyport might be the perfect way to spend a morning or afternoon.
Newburyport is a small town of only about 17,000 people, but it has a historic seaport and a thriving tourism industry, so it is more famous than you might imagine. It is approximately 20 miles north from Gloucester and about 40 miles from Boston (two other places that are good for whale watching), which places Newburyport right by the New Hampshire border. As is the case along the entire Massachusetts coast, there are lots of whales in the waters near Newburyport. The most commonly spotted whales are humpback, fin, and minke whales, and you can also see a variety of other forms of marine life, including dolphins, sharks, and seals.
Again, there is only one whale watching company in Newburyport, Newburyport Whale Watch, and their schedule is somewhat complex. Their complete schedule can be found on their website, but essentially the season has a slow start and end, with one cruise being offered on Saturday and Sunday, and then as you move toward the middle of the summer, there are more and more cruises. The peak of the season is from mid-June to the start of September, during which time there are cruises every day of the week, and two cruises per day on the weekends. Each cruise lasts about four hours, and based on the Newburyport Whale Watch sightings log, there is a very good chance you’ll see a whale on these trips. As far as we can tell, though, and in contrast to some whale watching outfits, there is no whale-sighting guarantee. Adult tickets cost $48, senior tickets $43, and children’s ticket $33. However, there is a Family Friendly Special, which allows two adults and two children to take the cruise for only $125. (As the arithmetically adept will notice, this is still a better deal than buying individual tickets even if you only have one child, as two adult tickets and one child’s ticket costs $129.)
The northern coast of Massachusetts is a good place to whale watch, and Newburyport is a very nice town to begin with, so it is worth setting out on a whale watching journey from the town if you ever have a chance. For more general information, check out our article on whale watching cruises in Massachusetts.
