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.
WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE 6.21.26 - 6.25.26
After one of the best springs for whales in recent years, the start of summer has continued that momentum. We've been enjoying incredible sightings of HUMPBACK WHALES on Stellwagen Bank, and despite a few rainy days, especially Thursday, the seas have been glassy, creating perfect conditions for whale watching.
Many whales have been taking advantage of the still conditions to rest at the surface, while others have been just as curious about us as we were about them, using the calm water to get a closer look. Our most memorable trip this week, and the one you've seen us sharing videos from, was on June 22nd. Two males, “3.14” and “Sprinkles”, swam right up to our boat and spent nearly an hour with us in what was the most remarkable close-to-boat interactions I've witnessed. They spyhopped side by side, chased one another, and rolled over each other in a way I've never seen before. It wasn't the aggression or competition. Instead, it felt like watching two “teenagers” who have grown into some of the population's more dominant males, yet still found time to be kids together.
We've continued to see many familiar humpbacks alongside a few new flukes. Humpbacks identified this week include: A-Plus and calf, Firefly and calf, Measles and calf, Bowline, Schism, Pitcher, Cygnus, 3.14, Music, Joy, Conflux, Spell, Putter, and Sockeye It was especially exciting to see Sockeye again!
This weekend, we begin running two trips daily for the summer. We hope to see you on the water!
#whalewatching #whales #Massachusetts #newengland #gloucesterma #humpbackwhale #summer #northofboston ... See MoreSee Less
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JUNE 25, 2026
It was a picture-perfect weather day on the water today and we again had a good number of whales on the norther part of Stellwagen Bank.
We will be doing a full update of recent whale sightings later this evening but I wanted to share a couple of things first.
One of the highlights of this season so far has been seeing a whale called "Firefly" and her new calf. The calf is very active and adventurous and has been the highlight of many trips.
Firefly herself is well-known female whale who has been a regular visitor to our water since the early 1990s.
Pictured here is the earliest photo I have of her (with another whale you may know... that's a male whale called "Tear" in the background) and a video we took of Firefly just this afternoon. So from my oldest image of Firefly to the newest.
Many of you have seen Firefly yourselves. Get ready to see her like never before.... ... See MoreSee Less
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A while back I posted a video that I made for upcoming talk I'm giving at Maritime Gloucester. Well, since then I've gotten SO much great new video I had to re-do it. That's just how good 2026 has been so far.
The talk is tomorrow and this is what I will be showing to open. I hope it gets the crowd warmed up and ready to have fun learning about whales. I hope it conveys just how much fun we have sharing these sight with people. That was my goal anyway.
A few notes:
1) All of the clips in this video were taken this year (2026) except for two: The Fin Whale calf and the dolphins. They were taken last year.
2) The song you hear is written and performed by Daisy Nell. Back when we began whale watching in the '80s Daisy would sometimes join us and play guitar on the stern of the original PRIVATEER on the way out and on the way home. This was one of the songs she used to sing. I was only 8-10 years old at the time but it's amazing to hear an old song again and somehow remember every line and every note. Great song, Daisy. I've learned the chords (and can even pick the melody) and hope we can play it together someday.
3) There is a glitch in the audio about 2/3 of the way through. Not my fault. That's just how it came out when I pulled it from YouTube.
Enjoy and please leave a like and a comment! ... See MoreSee Less
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Join us for a fireworks cruise on Friday, July 3rd!
There is no better vantage point to view Gloucester's annual Fourth of July display than from on the water.
The boat leaves at 7:30PM and will cruise Gloucester Harbor and surrounding water, view the sunset and then be in prime position when the fireworks start.
Book your tickets here: fareharbor.com/embeds/book/7seaswhalewatch/items/51114/calendar/2026/06/?flow=13719&full-items=yes ... See MoreSee Less
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JUNE 23, 2026
Unfortunately wind, rain and fog kept us at the dock today which was disappointing because after yesterday's amazing encounter with two VERY curious humpback whales ("Sprinkles" and "3.14") we were very much looking forward to going out today.
The weather looks great for tomorrow though, so we'll be back at it for sure!
Until then, here's a few more clips from yesterday's whale watch. We promised the people who were onboard yesterday that we would post a lot from the trip so they could add what we got to their collection. There will be more. We haven't even gotten to the still shots yet (and Amanda got some amazing stuff as always).
FUN FACTS :
- The average watch time for videos on Facebook is 4.5 seconds.
- For videos over 1 minute in length average watch time drops even lower
- The videos we've posted this year average 8 seconds of watch time. While that's better than average (about double!) it's still amazing that so many people drop off so quickly.
- This video, at 2:27, will likely see more than 80% of viewers leaving after 7-8 seconds. That's too bad, because this is some of the best footage I've ever captured and whales are fun!
PLEASE LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION IF YOU WATCHED THE WHOLE THING!!! ... See MoreSee Less
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JUNE 22, 2026
We had a very special trip today with many HUMPBACK WHALES but it was two whales in particular - "Sprinkles" and "3.14" - that made this trip one of the best of the season.
There's a lot of photos and video to go through from today but here's a sample... ... See MoreSee Less
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