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Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises
Cape Cod's Finest Whale Watching

It’s Time to Plan your Whale Watch!

There are plenty of whales in Massachusetts Bay, as evidenced not only by scientific aerial surveys, but also the ability to view whales from local beaches! Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales arrived in Cape Cod Bay this spring and could be seen from shore in Provincetown, Plymouth, and Marshfield. Education Director Laura joined naturalists from three different states to visit Provincetown for the region’s annual Naturalist Workshop, and while there she was able to identify humpbacks Shuffleboard and Measles deep feeding at dusk.

Back at the marina, we have made many upgrades that you will notice right away when you visit! From improved accessibility and new bathrooms shoreside to our enhanced education program featuring our brand new internship program, we can’t wait to have you join us again. We are anticipating seeing returning individual whales, meeting new calves, and await those rare moments such as shark, rare seabird, or unexpected species sightings. Most of all, we are thrilled to be back on the water and able to share the experience with you!

Book your trip now.

Why menopause keeps evolving in whales
Comparing data on toothed whale species that do, and do not, experience menopause suggests that prolonged female postreproductive life allows whales to improve their offsprings’ and grand-offsprings’ survival chances. Older female whales such as killer whales (Orcinus orca) share food and become “repositories of long-term ecological knowledge”, explains animal-behaviour researcher and study co-author Sam Ellis. Menopause also seems to reduce reproductive competition between mothers and daughters. The hormone changes killer whales go through are similar to those in menopausal humans, but “as to hot and cold flushes, we’ve got no way of telling yet”, Ellis says.

To listen to the full Nature Podcast click here.

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Order tickets online any time, without leaving home or picking up the phone. Save time, see what’s available and remember, e-tickets never get lost.  Simply keep them on your smartphone!

Trip Advisor Award

Whale Watch Gift Certificates

Looking for a unique gift for friends near or far? How about a gift certificate for a Whale Watching adventure out of picturesque Barnstable Harbor. The promise of adventure — the wonder of whales and dolphins – wild and free — the exhilaration of sunshine and salt air.

Our gift certificates are easy to order and a cinch to wrap! Gift Certificates are available by flat rate dollar amounts ($100, $125, $150, $175, $200 or $225) or by guests in the party $75 (adults), $65 (seniors – 62+) and $55 (kids – 4 to 12). Order online now and we can even email your gift for you!

WhaleSENSE

WhaleSENSE is a collaborative, voluntary program recognizing commercial whale watching companies committed to a higher standard of whale watching. Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises is committed to the principles of WhaleSENSE on all of our cruises. Our vessel operates in compliance with NOAA’s Northeast Whale Watching Guidelines and are active WhaleSENSE participants. Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises is a proud supporter of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, the world’s most active charity dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Voted Best Of Cape Cod By Cape Cod Life For 2023

Best of the Cape & Islands

Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises has been selected Best of the Cape & Islands – Land and Sea Excursions – Mid-Cape by Cape Cod Life magazine each year since 2014.

This is a readers’ choice award voted on annually by the magazine’s readers and subscribers. Cape Cod Life is the region’s premier lifestyle magazine showcasing the stunning natural beauty and historic charm of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket since 1979. Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises is proud to receive this award for another season!

Don't Miss Out!

The latest news and events from the Hyannis Whale Watcher team.

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5/22/24We’ve had so much variety on every trip so far this season! Yesterday we were lucky enough to have humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales, a few curious grey seals, and more atlantic white sided dolphins! New England is rich with wildlife and a whale watch is not the only place you may run into marine mammals. So today we want to highlight the important message of what to do if you come across a marine mammal - specifically a dolphin - stranded on the beach! Cape Cod is known as a ‘Stranding Hotspot’ meaning we see more strandings than most other places in the world. This is due to various reasons, primarily the hook shape of our landmass surrounding Cape Cod Bay combined with our large tidal fluctuations. Thankfully, we’re lucky enough to have an organization that responds to stranded marine mammals right here on Cape Cod! This organization is called the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).If you ever stumble across a stranded dolphin the three most important things to remember are:* Stay 150 feet away from the animal * Call IFAW’s stranding hotline (508) 743 - 9548* Do not attempt to get the animal back into the waterYou can read more about what to do, and why these animals strand at this link: www.ifaw.org/journal/faq-stranded-dolphins*As a proud member of Whale Sense (whalesense.org), we are committed to responsible whale watching practices. All photos were taken in compliance with established guidelines and regulations. *HWWC proudly contributes its data to the GOM Humpback Whale Catalog curated by Center for Coastal Studies. 📸 Photos by: Kali Palmer #whales #travel #humpbackwhales #vacation #ocean #animals #animalencounter #savethewhales #wildlife #whalewatch #whalesofinstagram #whalesnation #dolphins #atlanticwhitesideddolphin #strandings #dolphinstranding #finwhales #greyseals #pinnipeds #capecod #stellwagonbank #humpback #baleen #marinemammals #whalewatcher #hyanniswhalewatcher ... See MoreSee Less
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5/21/24: Whale activity is hot, hot, hot and there’s no telling how long these types of trips will last! We continue to add to our list of whale IDs with humpbacks such as Putter, Mira, and Bristle joining our season sightings list. Several fin and minke whale sightings were scattered throughout our time offshore in addition to Atlantic white sided dolphins and gray seals. We have plenty of room if you’d like to join us! Tickets are available on our web site or you can call us at 1-800-287-0374. Who’s going whale watching this weekend?!All photos taken in compliance with northeast regional whale watching guidelines. HWWC proudly contributes data to the Humpback Studies program at Center for Coastal Studies.Photos by: Laura Lilly#whales #wildlife #capecod ... See MoreSee Less
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Monday’s trip was nothing short of a party. We rode some big swells but eventually found ourselves in the company of seven humpbacks, five fin whales, several minke whales, many Atlantic white sided dolphins, and three gray seals. We could see the sand lance swimming just beneath the surface and retreated to some open mouth feeding from Wizard, who would roll over and eventually upside down (see photo). Unfortunately, wizard has some new injuries on her tail stock that are healing over. We also saw a dolphin who was likely recently stranded, as it had a tracking tag from IFAW, standard for releasing dolphins that they’ve rescued. It was great to see that animal in the mix with the rest of the pod!All photos taken while in compliance of Northeast whale watching guidelines. Photos by Laura Lilly#dolphins #whales #capecod ... See MoreSee Less
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