Massachusetts Whale Watching Tours

The waters off Massachusetts are a major feeding ground for many North Atlantic species of whales, making the area a natural choice for whale watching. This is especially true of the inner waters protected from the open ocean by the hook-shaped peninsula of Cape Cod.

The abundance of food, and therefore of preying whales, turned Cape Cod and the rest of the Massachusetts coastal area into a major whaling center for centuries. But new laws prohibiting the harming of whales off the US coast have restored the animals' trust in humans, and whales can now be seen openly frolicking and feeding in harbors and playfully interacting with boats.

The whale watching season in Massachusetts runs from around mid-spring through October. With the onset of winter, most whales migrate to warmer waters for breeding and calving.

Whale species to look for off the coast of Massachusetts are the Northern Humpback Whale, the Fin Whale and the Minke Whale. Massachusetts is also one of the best and one of the few places to catch a glimpse of the very endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.

Plenty of whales can be seen from lookout points along the coast, but the up-close experience and direct interaction of some whales with boats makes a whale watching cruise worth every penny.