Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises - Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

During our October 2021 trip to Cape Cod National Seashore, we spent nearly four hours on a whale cruise to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located north of Cape Cod and covers most of the area from Provincetown north to Cape Ann. The tour company we chose, Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises in Barnstable, is one of several that follow the sustainable guidelines of Whale Sense (https://whalesense.org/). Our cruise lasted nearly four hours and provided us with an opportunity to see three humpback whales. 

Sandy Neck Lighthouse

Mouth of Barnstable Harbor

Gulls on Beach Point

Water towers and Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown

Another view of Provincetown

Humpback whale

A humpback preparing to dive under the boat

Nine and her calf Tripod blowing

Another humpback whale blowing

In 2022, an adult ticket for a three-and-a-half-hour tour is $67, two dollars higher than 2021. Discounts are available for children and seniors.

The Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises website is https://whales.net/.

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary website is https://stellwagen.noaa.gov/.

Whale Watching - Big Island of Hawai'i

While we had already taken a whale watching excursion from Maui, we also took one from Kona on the Big Island during our February 2014 visit to Hawaii.  We chose to sail on the Spirit of Kona for a couple of reasons.  First, a small section of the boat has transparent plastic plates in the hull to allow viewing wildlife directly below the boat.  Second, the operator, Blue Sea Cruises, was highly rated by fellow travelers.

We sailed from the small boat harbor across Kailua Bay from Hulihe'e Palace and cruised down to Kamoa Point before returning to the harbor.

Rocky outcrop protects the harbor

Dolphins escorted us out of the bay

Dolphins

Spy Hop

Humpback cow and calf

Humpbacks cruising past the boat

Diving lessons

Tail flip

A whale on the surface

Parasailing

A whale disappears with a splash

Kailua Kona coast

Whale watching excursions are available from several tour operators.  Prices vary by season and duration.  The website for Blue Sea Cruises is http://www.blueseacruisesinc.com/.

Whale Watching - Maui

Our February 2014 visit to Maui would not have been complete without taking a whale watching tour.  Of the many tours available, we chose the Eco Adventure Cruises of the non-profit Pacific Whale Foundation.  Established in 1980, the foundation was established to protect oceans through science and advocacy.  Their website states that among other things they will be focused on "pragmatic, critical-thinking, and focused on solutions."  We found their employees and volunteers to be knowledgeable and helpful.  

Tickets are sold at the Pacific Whale Foundation Ocean Store in Ma'alaea or they may be purchased at many of the area hotels and resorts.  After checking in at the store, we waited with the other guests outside until our tour guide led us down to the small boat harbor.  Our cruise was aboard the 65-foot long Ocean Liberty.  The cruise covered about 20 miles in two hours.  As can be seen on the map, we stayed within the sheltered waters between Ma'alaea to the north and Wailea to the south.  Our trip proceeded in a counter-clockwise direction along the red track line.  

I apologize for the poor quality of the images in this post.  I've found that it is a bit more difficult to keep the camera steady on a boat than on land especially when trying to zoom in on fleeting images of distant wildlife.

The focal point of the two-hour cruise was migratory humpback whales.  These mammals travel from their summer feeding grounds along the Alaskan and Canadian coasts to their winter breeding grounds in Hawaii every year.  While humpbacks can be found throughout the Hawaiian island chain during the winter, a large number seem to prefer the the somewhat protected shallow waters west of Maui.  

The Pacific Whale Foundation website is http://www.pacificwhale.org/.