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 Photos
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.
MAY 26, 2026
We had to travel a few extra miles today (not super far, but further than we have previously this Spring) but it was well worth the extra effort.
The highlight of the trip for sure was when the calf of a whale called “A+” be came interested in our boat. In such calm conditions it made for some of the clearest views of a curious whale I have ever seen (only the pollen on the water obscured the view). Another whale - “Crinkle” - also joined in at times.
This “Close-to-boat” behavior is rare and I think best captured in video as this is one case where still photos just don’t capture the way these animals move through their ocean environment so effortlessly and with such grace.
We can’t wait to see what surprises tomorrow’s trip will bring. ... See MoreSee Less
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WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/24/26
The festival of activity continues on Stellwagen Bank for the humpback whales! Over the past few days, we’ve seen 8 mother-and-calf pairs. Some are familiar flukes we’ve spent a lot of time with this season, such as Jabiru and Venom with their calves, while others are new moms to us, including Nile and her calf.
These calves have been an absolute joy to watch as they play with each other, the adults, and even us! While the adults are at the surface, the calves stay close to their mothers and the group. But once the adults head down on feeding dives, the calves quickly find ways to entertain themselves. Often, they’ll swim right up to the boat to spy on us, or find one another to roll, splash, and play together until the adults resurface. Jabiru’s calf seemed to prefer breaching while the adults were down, while Faceoff’s calf wasted no time swimming up to us and bouncing back and forth between the sides of the boat.
All in all, my face hurt from smiling so much yesterday and throughout these past few days. Come experience these wild whales with us! We can’t promise they’ll all stick around, but that’s part of the unpredictability and the magic of wildlife.
Photos from 5/21-5/23
Humpback whales identified: Venom and calf • Jabiru and calf • Faceoff and calf • Startrail and calf • Bolide and calf • A-Plus and calf • Nile and calf • Milkweed and calf • Eruption • Hashtag • Aphotic’s 2022 calf • Pele • 3.14 • Boutonniere ... See MoreSee Less
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MAY 23, 2026
It was a extraordinary day on the water with some of the best sightings of the Spring so far... and it has been an exceptional Spring!
After not seeing a single mother-and-calf pair of Humpback Whales all last season we saw SIX just today.
Today's mother/calves included:
Jabiru and calf
Face-Off and calf
Venom and calf
Bolide and calf
A+ and calf
Startrail and calf
Many other whales were in the area as well, but it was watching these calves frolic and PLAY together that was, well, just a privilege to experience.
We are hopeful that the weather allows us to get tomorrow as there is no better place to be right now than Stellwagen Bank and with these whales.
ALL of these videos were taken today... MAY 23, 2026!!! Congrats and thank you to all those who were there! Without you we couldn't be either. ... See MoreSee Less
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WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/20/26
We’ve spent the past few days on Stellwagen Bank with shifting associations of humpback whales, each group including at least one mom-and-calf pair. While these groups have been constantly changing and moving around, one association has remained consistent: Pele, Jabiru and calf, and Venom and calf.
It has been such a joy watching the personalities of these young calves begin to shine through. Venom’s calf has been recognizable with their unique trumpet blows, while Jabiru’s calf has been keeping us entertained with adventurous excursions away from the group, visiting other whales and even nearby boats before eventually rejoining mom and the others.
We’re looking forward to watching these calves continue to grow over the coming months!
Humpback Whales Identified:
Jabiru and calf
Venom and calf
Faceoff and calf
Abrasion and calf
Boutonniere
Crinkle
Hashtag
Pele ... See MoreSee Less
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May 20, 2026
It was a perfect weather on the water today: Calm seas and not nearly as hot as on land.
Our head naturalist, Amanda, will be posting a detailed account of the individual whales and behaviors we saw today (and over the past few days) later tonight but I wanted to first share a video that I have made for a presentation I will be giving at Maritime Gloucester next month.
It's bit long but it showcases some of the best shots I've managed so far and how lucky we are to have such a wonderful diversity of marine life living just off our coast.
One more thing: Many people have been asking how long these great sightings will last. Truth be told, it's impossible to say. What I CAN say is that whale watching is a nature trip and thus is very different from visiting a zoo or an aquarium where the animals are captive and perhaps trained to perform on command. The whales we see are wild and endangered animals in their natural habitat. Where they are, what they do, how many we see varies each day. In other words, whale watching - like all nature watching - is inherently unpredictable you never know exactly what you will encounter each time you leave the dock. But it's that inherent unpredictability that makes whale watching so exiting and we are looking forward to seeing what tomorrow's trip will bring.
Like I said... a full update is coming later but for now enjoy this video of some recent highlights. ... See MoreSee Less
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WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 5/17/26
Last year, we did not have a single sighting of a mother and calf humpback whale pair, but here we are on May 17th, and the wait was entirely worth it. We’ve already documented numerous mother and calf pairs in the area, and over the last few days alone we’ve spent time with Jabiru and calf, Venom and calf, A-Plus and calf, Bolide and calf, Milkweed and calf, and Firefly and calf. Many of these pairs have been associating with other well-known humpback whales including Pele, Spell, Eruption, and Crinkle, to name just a few.
Alongside the humpback whales, we’ve also had wonderful encounters with FIN WHALES, MINKE WHALES, ATLANTIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, and GRAY SEALS. ... See MoreSee Less
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