Whale Madness and a Salt Sighting
04.30.2026
A True New England Whale Watching Experience
Trusted by generations of guests since 1983
North of Boston's Best Small Business Award Winner 2025
#1 Ranked Whale Watch in Gloucester Since 2009 on TripAdvisor
#2 On Tripadvisor’s List of "Top Family-Fun in the World" Dec 2023
Welcome Aboard the
Privateer IV
From Historic Gloucester to the Waters of Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary
Departing just 50 minutes north of Boston, we introduce thousands of passengers each year to the whales and marine wildlife found just miles from our Gloucester dock. Our daily whale watch trips run from mid-April through mid-October, offering an educational and inspiring experience in this remarkable marine sanctuary. Family-owned and operated for four generations, 7 Seas Whale Watch has worked from this very dock for over 70 years. We look forward to welcoming you aboard.
What You Could See on Your Whale Watch
GUARANTEED SIGHTINGS! The productive waters off Massachusetts are home to a variety of species of whales and other marine wildlife. Over our 45+ years in business we have a 99% success rate in finding whales. In the unlikely event you do not see a whale on your trip you will receive a voucher for a FREE whale watch that you can use anytime in the future.
Recent Sightings & Photos
Check out our Facebook feed for the latest sightings, photos, and updates from the water.
Recent Instagram Posts
Explore additional photography and video highlights from our whale watches on Instagram.
Departing from the Heart of Cape Ann
Located on Cape Ann, Gloucester’s historic working harbor provides one of the closest and best departure points for reaching the feeding grounds of Stellwagen Bank.
AUGUST 12, 2026
This afternoon's whale watch got off to a great start with a partial solar eclipse that began as we were getting ready to leave the dock. We passed around some eclipse glasses so everyone could get a view of this celestial alignment and then got underway.
A few miles outside of the harbor we had a BASKING SHARK breach 3 times! A shark breaching beneath an eclipsed sun... that was cool.
Then we spent time with 13 different humpback whales. They were great (as they have been most trips this year) and I'm sure we will be sharing photos and video we took of the whales today very soon.
But this post is really about what happened on the way back in. I wanted to upload some my new video so I let my son, Jack, drive while I stood next to him. As he took the wheel I said "You know what make this trip really great? Dolphins. Find me some." Then I went to work on my computer.
A few miles later he said "There's something up in front of us. See? There's a bunch of little splashes..."
Not did the kid find dolphins, they were a rare species... COMMON DOLPHINS! This was our first sighting this species this season. They are rare visitors to the southern Gulf of Maine so seeing them is always special. Seeing how excited Jack was to be the one who found them was even more special. So I put together this quick video... ... See MoreSee Less
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AUGUST 12, 2026
Jut a couple of fun videos from this morning's whale watch... ... See MoreSee Less
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AUGUST 9, 2026
It was a perfect Summer day on the ocean and the whales were amazing. We saw many humpback whales on both our morning and afternoon whale watching trips and a couple of pods of Atlantic white-sided dolphins in the morning.
Here are some highlights from recent whale watching trips (mostly from today, August 9th). As you can see the spectacular sightings of 2026 continue. I know it’s a long video but there has been so much going on I didn’t know what to leave out!
Enjoy (and remember to switch to 720p for best quality)! ... See MoreSee Less
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WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 8.3.26 - 8.7.26
Happy Sunday! It has been a HUMID and HOT week here in Gloucester but the whale sightings are just as hot. We continue to spend time with Jabiru, A-plus and their calves along with Pele and the calves have rested, been playful, and a lot of times, surface active. We’ve also had some other humpback whales in the area as well such as Music, Dross, and Hammock and calf. We also had an amazing pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins this week.
We are getting ready for another hot and humid day here and Gloucester and we are looking forward to spending it on the water. ... See MoreSee Less
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AUGUST 6, 2026
Seven Seas Whale Watch
Gloucester, MA
The theme for this afternoon's whale watch was: "Breaching, Leaping and 'Rainblows!"
There will be more photos and videos from this afternoon (and other recent trips coming soon!
Note: Remember to switch to 720p for best quality! ... See MoreSee Less
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WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 7.31.26 - 8.3.26
Oh girls just wanna have fun!
Over the past few days, we've been spending time with humpback whales back on the northern end of Stellwagen Bank, and one of the highlights has been watching Jabiru's and A-plus's 2026 calves. These two seem to have mastered the art of making the most of every moment while their mothers are busy feeding.
As Jabiru and A-Plus head down on a feeding dive, their calves often stay at the surface together. Jabiru's calf frequently invites A-plus's calf to play, and before long the pair is rolling and splashing until their mothers return to the surface. Once the adults are back up, the calves settle back in at their mother's sides… at least until the next dive, when the cycle begins all over again!
Jabiru and A-plus have associated with one another multiple times this season, so it's no surprise these calves have become very familiar with each other. It's hard not to wonder if there's a bit of comfort for the mothers in knowing their calves are often together, and I can't help but think all of the splashing that probably makes it easier for them to reconnect with their calves as soon as they return from a feeding dive.
Watching these calves grow over the course of the season has been rewarding. They're already so much bigger than when we first met them, and it makes you wonder what the future holds. Humpback whales are known for maternal philopatry, with calves often returning to the same feeding grounds their mothers brought them to as youngsters. It's fun to imagine that years from now these two might cross paths again on Stellwagen Bank.
Wind, rain, and rough seas kept us at the dock this afternoon, but the forecast for the rest of the week is looking better! ... See MoreSee Less
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