The Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center offers a range of fun trips out into the ocean to observe whales, dolphins and sea birds. The boat is modern and comfortable and the water is usually calm. The staff is friendly and informative. While you're not guaranteed to spot whales, they do offer a free trip if you don't at least spot dolphins (at Cape May, it's common to even see dolphins from the beach).
Arrival
They ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to departure time or the ticket is void. They do not hold the ship, so if you miss it, you are out of luck.
Parking
As you arrive into Utsch’s Marina, there is a large sign and manned station directing you to where you need to go to park. Cars are parked in a straight line in the driveway. The boat’s captain asks that upon disembarking the ship, that everyone proceed directly to their cars in order that everyone can leave in a timely manner. People actually respected the instructions! We had no issues with this and even were parked that we could back up a little and use an opening to make our way to the exit.
Ticketing
We made our reservations and paid for the tickets over the phone. We even found a Groupon for this Watch tour. There is a quaint ticketing booth that you can pick up your tickets after you park. They do not give refunds, rain checks or exchange tickets under any circumstances, including loss of ticket.
Remember to call ahead to see if they are offering any deals, check on recent sightings and ocean conditions. If it’s not what you’re looking for you may want to consider another day.
Departure
We lined up outside of the boat and were boarded fairly quickly. There were two levels. The main level includes indoor seating with a small snack station where you can purchase drinks, including adult beverages, and snacks. Restrooms were also available on the main level.
We situated ourselves on the upper level to bask in the warm sun and have better views. The upper level is mostly outdoor seating, but did have some covered seating in case you needed a break from the sun.
Trip
We made our way out of the bay into the ocean. On the way, we saw two osprey nests and osprey babies on several of the buoy stations. We passed the U.S. Coast Guard station which was pretty cool, as they had several ships docked there.
We didn’t have to wait long at all after getting into the ocean to see dolphins! We saw many pods surfacing. We really appreciated that they turned the boat around so that you didn’t have to rush from side to side or feel like you missed seeing a certain group of dolphins. The guides were very helpful in pointing out the different pods, using the clock positions and indicators to the location. They also explained their behavior, echolocation and other great educational and information about the dolphins.
After spending a decent amount of time searching and watching the dolphins, we then made our way further out to find whales. Unfortunately, we did not get to see any this time. The guides told us that in all of their trips there have only been a handful of times that they haven’t seen whales. Unfortunately, for us, we were that handful. We still enjoyed the boat ride, riding out into the ocean and then along the shoreline as we made our way back.
The guides tried their best to keep feeding us small bits of information on the whales that were in the area: mainly Humpback and Sperm whales. They came around and showed us the two different sets of baleen which is what the whales use to catch fish.
On the way back into the harbor, once we were in calmer waters, the crew offered the touch tank. We didn’t even realize it was on the boat with us! They had horseshoe crabs, spider crabs and green crabs. Those who were interested were able to touch the crabs and even hold the spider crab. The other crabs were pretty active, so they weren’t available to hold.
Even though we didn’t get to see whale on this trip, we were lucky enough to see a Bald Eagle! It was pretty awesome to see the eagle fly over our boat, right across the American flag that was flying high on top of the boat.
Helpful tips
- We saw several small children and toddlers. As the trip is a 3-hour long tour, I wouldn’t recommend it for small children. I commend the parents for trying, but there is not much for them to do and it is hard to stay out of the sun.
- Bring sun protection! While the air is refreshingly cool in the warm sun, it is also deceptive. We applied sunscreen several times and didn’t get burned. We also wore hats and sunglasses to keep the sun out of our eyes and off our face. It helped a lot with the reflection of the sun off of the water. We also brought light sweat shirts. If you happen to find yourself in shady spot, it does tend to get cool with the ocean breeze.
- Outside food is not permitted. They have picnic tables on the dock if you wish to eat lunch before boarding. We did, however, bring snacks and bottles of water in a backpack and it didn’t seem to be an issue. I wouldn’t plan to have a picnic on the boat, though!
- Don’t forget your camera and camera strap. We had our cell phones which took great photos and even video. The video seemed to be the better option as it was pretty hard to time taking a picture when the dolphins surfaced. I’d take some pictures or video clips to remember, but remember to enjoy being in the moment!
- A sea strap or Dramamine may be helpful. We had pretty calm waters for traveling. In case you happen to hit rougher waters, it may come in very handy!
Near Here
Cape May is a great place to visit, with many other activities, places to stay and places to eat. A quick area to find most anything is the Washington Street Mall. For some old-fashioned fun on the boardwalk, head just north to Wildwood, NJ
Related / Alternative Activities
- Cape Kayaks - From here, you can rent kayaks to paddle around Cape May's salt water marsh. They also offer guided tours (which are really great), including a full moon tour, which is not to be missed!
- Nature Center of Cape May - Kicking things down a notch, a great place for the kids is the Nature Center, near the Coast Guard station. There are numerous hands-on exhibits, a deck to bird watch, and a chance to see animal feedings. The staff is knowledgeable and very friendly.
- Rent a bike or surrey - See what beautiful Victorian Cape May has to offer at a leisurely pace.
