Whale Watching

Boston, MA

If you haven't seen Blackfish, then stop right now and go watch it. Don't even think about mentioning SeaWorld to me, even the aquarium is pushing it (if they're keeping large sea animals there).

The best way to see something is at its best, in it's au naturale environment. Whale watching is a personal favorite of mine and I was ecstatic to see these magnificent creatures out and about right off the Boston harbor.

When: April - October, early mornings around 9 am - 11 am
Cost: $50 per adult
Who: Boston Harbor Cruises (partners up with the New England Aquarium)
Duration: usually about 2.5 hours (but our boat kept seeing whales so they extended it to around 3.5 hours)
Tips: it's always cooler out on the water so it doesn't matter if its going to be 80s that day - bring a jacket and some sunglasses. I'd also wear pants, because it's a pretty speedy boat and your dress will be flying otherwise
My personal experience: I apologize in advance for my endless rant of how much I love these majestic creatures. Anyways, the catamaran's nice and comfortable, there's snacks and drinks you can buy on-board and it goes really fast! You can enjoy the beautiful view of Boston from afar and the so surreal sparkling blue water. As soon as we got to the hunting grounds that the guides were familiar with, they were able to help us spot out humpback whales coming up for air. Oh my god the first time we all saw one, you're a little scared and so surprised at first (especially if you're pretty close to it) because these large creatures randomly blow water out, by the time you've caught sight they are already gracefully leaping through the air and you're just left stunned. It's better than the Discovery channel. Our guides were just as excited as we were (they're marine biologists) and so they extended the stay longer since we were seeing whales left and right! We were blessed, yes blessed, to have experienced one hell of a curious calf (baby whale). It started swimming towards our boat and came so close. I was fortunate to be right there and I freaked out. I don't think I've seen a more perfect swimmer. It is so thrilling to be out there and at the same time so tranquilizing. I'm not exaggerating or being dramatic, you definitely need to go out there and see for yourself. And if you don't actually see anything (which they guarantee you will) then they'll refund your ticket - win win both ways!