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.
The seas this afternoon were less than ideal, but our passengers embraced the adventure, and our patience paid off with incredible sightings of more than 15 humpback whales. We found ourselves surrounded, but the highlight was Bolide's calf, who spent nearly the entire encounter breaching, tail breaching, and pectoral slapping.
Every trip brings a different combination of weather and wildlife. Today was yet another reminder that the 2026 season continues to exceed every expectation. ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook
JULY 26, 2026
Always wanting to push the boundaries and challenge myself with whale photography, I've been experimenting with taking video from new (ie lower) angles.
Here's two humpback whales (Eruption and Pele) from the other day. What do you think of the low-to-the-water look? ... See MoreSee Less
55 CommentsComment on Facebook
JULY 24, 2026
It was a BEAUTIFUL day on the ocean with calm seas, many humpback whales, a couple of ocean sunfish, and lots of happy passengers.
Here's some video highlights from this morning's whale watch. My favorite is of the Humpback Whale calf playing with the jellyfish! ... See MoreSee Less
34 CommentsComment on Facebook
JULY 23, 2026
To go along with Amanda's post below, here's a short video of three humpback whales (Valley, Bayou and Quill) feeding just off of Eastern Point in Gloucester.
You can see the lighthouse marking the entrance to Gloucester Harbor in the background!
Sounds like it was near-religious experience for Amanda... 🙄😅 ... See MoreSee Less
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WHALE SIGHTINGS UPDATE ~ 7.19.26 - 7.22.26
Whales in our own backyard? Don’t mind if we do!
We've had multiple individual humpback whales feeding incredibly close to shore, sometimes less than a mile from land. The schools of fish are so dense that you can actually see them from the boat, making it easy to understand why the whales have been spending so much time in the area.
This season, we've had trips where it took nearly two hours to reach the whales. Twice this week, however, it took us just 14 minutes from the dock to our first sighting. The whales are constantly on the move, so every trip is different, but we've seen at least a few humpback whales on every trip. This afternoon, we saw at least 10 humpback whales within just a few miles of shore. It worked out perfectly, too… we enjoyed an incredible afternoon with the whales before beating the rain that is coming down here at the dock! ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook
7.20.26 ~ Menhaden madness! I'll be sharing more photos soon, but over the past couple of days we've been watching humpback whales feeding along the Cape Ann coastline, sometimes in as little as 40 feet of water. Here are three humpback whales from this morning, Valley, Bayou and Quote, lunge feeding with Eastern Point Lighthouse in the background! ... See MoreSee Less
18 CommentsComment on Facebook