Whale Watcher Cruise
Product ID: 78928
Supplied by: Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises
Cape Cod's Finest Whale Watching
Join us for an unforgettable whale watching experience! Our jet powered, state of the art vessel Whale Watcher carries you to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary for unforgettable encounters with the whales! The seasonal home to Humpback, Finback, Minke whales and several dolphin species, the waters around Cape Cod consistently rank as one of the world’s top 10 whale watching destinations. Whale Watch cruises are generally three and a half to four hours long and are led by our experienced captains and are narrated by our expert naturalists. With thirty years experience, and a sighting rate of 99%, Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises looks forward to serving you on the whale watching adventure of a lifetime!
Highlights
- The boat has three viewing levels with over 650 feet of rail space for viewing, two sun decks, and bench seating throughout.
- The climate-controlled interior cabins feature tables with cushioned seating.
- The Whale Watcher offers a full-service snack bar with a variety of hot and cold items for breakfast, lunch and in-between, snacks, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.
Additional Information
10 Tips for Enjoying Your Whale Watch
1. Be Rested Get a good night’s sleep. Being rested will keep you alert and guards against the effects of sun and sea. Remember: your whale watch is 3 ½ -4 hours long and you can’t go home early.
2. Stay Hydrated Drink plenty of water. This is especially important on hot summer days offshore. Being hydrated minimizes headaches, nausea, and can help prevent motion discomfort. Remember: sodas, juices and beer are not water. Drink water to stay hydrated.
3. Dress Warmly It will always be a minimum of 10 degrees cooler on the ocean. Choose warm and windproof layers that you can change as needed. In the spring and fall, winter hats and gloves will keep you comfortable. Go for function, not fashion.
4. Wear Appropriate Shoes Comfortable sneakers or walkers are best. High heels compromise balance on a boat; resist the urge. Flip-flops and sandals make your feet susceptible to stubbed toes. Wheeled shoes (aka: Heelys) are prohibited.
5. Bring Sunglasses The most important tool for viewing whales is Polarized sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses cut surface reflection, even on cloudy days, and enable you to see far more detail. You can buy them anywhere ($20 and up), but remember to buy Polarized.
6. Bring Sunscreen Direct sun and reflection from the water make sunscreen essential. Even on cloudy days it is possible to get sunburned. Look for waterproof, sweat-proof formulas with a SPF rating of 30 or higher. Apply liberally and frequently.
7. Bring Your Camera Any camera is better than no camera! If you can choose, bring a camera with a zoom feature to get close-ups. If you are a real pro, pack a polarizing filter, lens cloth, and both wide-angle and zoom lenses. Charge your batteries. Protect lens surface from whale breath. It has oils that are difficult to remove.
8. Personal Items Bring playing cards, games, books or electronic items, whatever you wish. You may bring snacks and drinks in cans or plastic bottles (no glass or alcoh
Cancellation policy
Up to 48 hours before the trip: Can reschedule at no charge, depending on availability.
Overview
Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force Formed
We were heartened to read this article by Eric Colby in the April 3rd issue of Soundings Trade Only publication and wanted to share it with our many visitors concerned about efforts to protect the North Atlantic right whales.
Marine industry stakeholders have established a Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force, which will work to identify, develop and implement technology and monitoring tools to mitigate the risk of vessel strikes to marine mammals, in particular, the North Atlantic right whale.
“The marine industry is committed to working with NOAA and industry partners to reduce the risk of vessel strikes on NARW and other marine mammals through the use and development of scalable, quantifiable technology-based solutions,” John DePersenaire, director of government affairs and sustainability for Viking Yacht Co., said in a statement. “Management of the NARW has proven difficult for resource managers, and the marine community is stepping forward to help meet that challenge.”
NOAA Fisheries, under authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, seeks to reduce vessel strikes by implementing 10-knot seasonal speed limits and dynamic speed restriction zones along much of the East Coast.
The WAVS task force plans to demonstrate that leveraging available and emerging technologies is the most holistic approach to reducing encounters between whales and vessels. The group is calling on commercial sectors that specialize in monitoring, detection and communications systems to better connect monitoring equipment and boat operators and provide near real-time warnings in areas that right whales frequent.
Task force members represent a broad spectrum of independent stakeholders with backgrounds in marine mammal monitoring and detection, spatial risk analysis, electronics, marine biology, data analysis and telemetry.
Learn How To Spot a Whale…
Find a comfortable place at the railing and carefully scan back and forth over the water to the horizon. Look for things that don’t belong. Watch for blows, the whales’ tall exhalations. Look for backs, dorsal fins, or tails at the surface. Splashing in the distance often indicates active whales. Also, watch for groups of seabirds who may be feeding above whales. Once whales are located, the boat stops to begin the whale watch. It is important to note that the boat voluntarily operates within WhaleSENSE whale watching guidelines to keep the whales safe!
The whales we hope to encounter are wild animals. They are not fed or trained. They come to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary during the warmer months to feed on schooling fish and other small animals. The whale behaviors cannot be predicted, but are often spectacular. The numbers and species of whales always vary from trip to trip. Your Naturalist will provide an expert narrative on natural histories and behaviors of the species you encounter.
On the return to Barnstable Harbor, our naturalist will circulate and answer questions. Be certain that you have all of your belongings before you disembark. That’s the anatomy of a Hyannis Whale Watch!
Check our whale watch routes on the map below. We most often encounter whales at the Southwest Corner or in the Southeast reaches of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, but please note: whales can’t read maps. Sometimes the whales are within the limits of the sanctuary sometimes they will be somewhere else. It’s all up to them.
